Skip to main content

Inspire Imagination with 4 Creative Design Catalysts

Do you enjoy creating?


Are you an illustrator, a graphic design specialist, or a photographer who loves to see ideas come to life?


If so, you've probably experienced a few slumps. Even the most innovative people need new inspiration from time to time. Ready to ignite a fresh perspective for your projects?


Here are some creative exercises that may spark your next fantastic idea.


4 Design Catalysts to Inspire Your Imagination


Loosen your turtleneck pullover and host an art night with friends.


If you create for a living, what better way to connect with your inner muse than to host a no-holds-barred, imaginative free-for-all with your best pals?


Tell guests to dress for a mess and drag out your paints, beads, clay, stamps, ink, and more. Remind people to leave the perfectionist self at home and have fun with the process. After all, some of the best art is spontaneous.


Takeaway: Creating things with friends reminds us that art is fun, and beauty can arise from unexpected sources.


Build and broaden your artistic muscle by doing icon reps.


Choose an icon (like a sun, heart, leaf, crest, or set of cherries) and create 25 thumbnail icons that depict its message and its meaning. If that's too easy, try 50 or 100.


Start with basic sketches and transition into graphic design or large-scale renderings. As you build variations, try different shadings, color combinations, or typographic elements to stretch your normal design boundaries.


Takeaway: Forcing yourself to sketch the same thing in different ways can build and broaden your artistic muscle.


The next time you work on a concept, fill a full page with icon sketch versions of it before you settle on your design of choice. Begin with quantity and finish with quality!


Identify your core audience and ask yourself what subject would best connect with these viewers.


Then, brainstorm ways to feature the perfect person doing the ideal activity in perfect circumstances.


How can you best capture the age, gender, or appearance of this "perfect" individual? Experiment with collages, photos, silhouettes, stick figures, or only body parts (such as the hand, eye, or mouth).


Takeaway: Featuring the wrong people in your piece (or possibly the right people in the wrong atmosphere) can tank your design.


In contrast, a piece that features the right people in the right way can befriend viewers and make them extremely receptive to your product or message.


Tend your roots by asking yourself: "Why did I become a Creative in the first place?"


Make a list of passions and interests that led you to this stage in your journey. Then, cultivate these roots through revisiting some of the places or people who inspired you in the past.


Takeaway: Neglecting your creative soul apart from your professional commitments puts your growth as a person at risk. Nurture your nature, and momentum will freely flow in all that you do.


The Human-to-Human Connection


While many designers have a free spirit, often professionals end up spending a great deal of time alone.


However, much of our success in design is rooted in human-to-human connections. The connections you make will have a massive impact on how you see the world and what you create in response. So connect with others, connect with yourself, and have fun with your next best design.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Affordable Offline Marketing for Your Small Business

Do you have a small business that could use a revenue boost? Most marketing strategies are crafted around costly advertising campaigns, but there are many free or affordable tactics you can use to grow your business at any stage. Here are a few offline marketing fundamentals to get you started, no matter how small your budget! 1. Take part in local events. Sales are based on relationships, and relationships require connection. Network in proactive ways by attending or taking part in local events. Get to know other small business owners and have your business card or flyer ready; you never know when the opportunity will present itself! 2. Create customized stickers or labels. It's not just a kid thing – people truly enjoy stickers! Create a colorful custom sticker and pass them out anywhere your target users might be. Stickers and labels can be used on car windows, water bottles, notebooks, and more. 3. Start a simple rewards system. One of th
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Custom Notepads are a Perfect Promotional Tool

Want to give your business a gift that keeps giving? You can do this by giving gifts to other people. According to the ACI 2019 Impressions study , promotional products bring some of the highest rates of return on advertising, trumping all other forms of media. Consumers surveyed said they were nearly 2.5 times more likely to have a favorable opinion of promotional products compared to online advertising, and consumers under 55 preferred a promotional product message over EVERY other advertising medium (including print, online, or traditional mass media). Data shows the average household in the U.S. owns 30 promotional items, which means if there are 120 million households in America, over three billion company logos are floating around at any moment! Looking for a fun but practical promo gift for your clients and prospects? Custom printed notepads are a great, economical option. Notepads are designed for utility and flexibility, meaning people can take them anywhere and will cer
Post a Comment
Read more

4 Mistakes that Make Your Ads Fall Flat

Have you ever seen someone make a pitch without clearly selling their product? In business, sometimes we get so close to our product that it's easy to assume every reader "gets it." Marketers spend big bucks to grab attention but fail to craft a message that truly connects. Take this example: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is a technology company offering innovative computing and graphic solutions for work, home, and play. AMD has begun partnering with a famous auto company to significantly reduce design time on new electric vehicles. AMD recently ran a 2-page BusinessWeek ad with this headline: "AMD Makes It Possible." The problem? People have no idea what AMD is. So what would cause people to keep reading? In this ad's copy section, AMD mentioned that they were able to cut design time on electric cars by over eight months. By burying this information under an obscure headline, AMD confused the reader and probably lost many sales. A better
Post a Comment
Read more