Designers, we have a problem. Maybe not all of us but I feel that at certain times we all fall under this. It seems we have forgotten how to be creative.

It is true, the very nature of what we do is based on creativity, however more often than not we tend to turn to the latest trends or “what’s really hot” rather than seeking out fresh inspiration. I’ve seen so many designs that fell as if they are stamps of previous designs. Take for instance, video games. I love video games, don’t get me wrong, and I have a massive collection of them. But lately I have become tired of them. They all seem so similar and repeats of each other.Lately I have been looking for `different` games and games that perhaps don`t follow the norm. Some games that I have found I absolutely hate to play, but I have an appreciation for the uniqueness of them and for the different design and ideas that go into them. But it seems that these are few and far between now. I believe that there are several reasons for this `lapse` in creativity. I will explain briefly below.

As designers, we are creative. Why else would we be in this industry?!? But even creative people need inspiration at times. As I see it there are two types of sources for inspiration; Direct and Indirect.

Direct Source: This would be any source of inspiration that is directly associated with the graphic design field. It could be another companies design work, movies, posters, magazines, books, business identities…anything that has to do with the field directly.

Indirect Source: Obviously this would be any source of inspiration that is not directly related to the graphic design field. These would include nature, history, photography, etc.

The use of direct sources, while being good at times and allowing you to speed up work flow, often leads to duplication. Take for instance the `glass` look of Apple buttons. It seems that everyone is now using that in their websites, designs, etc. Now, I`m not condemning looking at other peoples designs. All I mean is that you should look at someone else`s  designs in order to inspire you to design, not inspire your designs. Again…Look at other designs in order to Inspire you to design, NOT inspire your designs. Got it?…good.

Now obviously we often have tight deadlines and clients demand work to be done in what seems unattainable timelines. As a result, creativity (Which takes a lot of time) gets put on the back burner. So how do we fix this? Get off your computer! As soon as you are done this article get up off your chair and step away. Computers are not the creative machines…you are. Head over to the store and simply walk around paying close attention to each isle and how everything is set up. My brother in-law is a manager of a store and when he explains how things are supposed to be set up, it is easy to see that there is an art to it. Go to the home renovation department and look at the color pallets. Take a couple of the samples if you so choose. It`s a great place to look for color inspiration.

Go for a walk. You wouldn`t believe how inspiring it is to just walk around and look at nature. There are so many fascinating things that are just outside our front doors! Now don`t just take a couple pictures of your favorite tree and put that into your design. No! Study it…try and figure out why it is so appealing and what makes it your favorite tree. Also, take a look back in time at art history and see what all has been done in the past.

Again…don`t let it inspire your design, let it inspire you to design. Just take a quick break from your computer, cellphone, TV, whatever it may be and go exploring for creative ideas. There is a lot more out your front door than there is on the internet, believe me.

Just one last time……Don`t let someone else`s design inspire your design. Let their design inspire you to design. Remember that on your next project. It will make a world of difference with the end result.