In a way, graphic design is the mechanization of art. Computers, photoshop, and Ctrl + Z are great tools, but they tempt us to let trends and new features direct our designs more than true creativity. Unfortunately, this results in designs without substance.
These tools cut down production time, but should not cut down the meaning of our designs. How do we maintain the fundamentals of creativity in the midst of the tools and digitalization that make our work easier? One way we do this is by finding inspiration away from the computer. A few examples:
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Sketching
Sketching is often the fastest way to get ideas down on paper.
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Art
Looking at art in a museum, graffiti on a wall, or a school project on a refrigerator.
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Construction
Creating anything away from the computer. Painting a landscape, building a bookcase, writing a handmade note, or arranging a bouquet.
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Nature
Most people agree there is beauty to find in nature. Indoor plants make it possible to see it on your desk.
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Friends
Learning new things about the people we’ve known for years.
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Strangers
Seeing what inspires and motivates other people, especially people from different cultures and backgrounds.
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Environment
Creating a happy place to live and work.
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Reading
Reading books, essays, poems is a great way to pick up on intricate details that other people see.
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Listening
Listening to music, podcasts, or even the sounds outside is sometimes enough to change our approach to a design problem.
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In exploring these things, we are not only enjoying our world, we are also creating a larger pool of resources to inspire our designs. Exploring the world with opened eyes helps freshen work and find new solutions to old problems. We can preserve the inventiveness that (more naturally) comes from creating and interacting with tangible things.
Sketches by Cordelia Prouvost
