Why Your Critics Aren't The Ones Who Count

One of the best talks out there is this one by Brené Brown on "Why your critics aren't the ones who count". Watch it and see why Brené will inspire you.

http://brenebrown.com


 PS Brené, I now have a new crush. Your talk was beautiful.

29 Ways to Stay Creative

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

A nice motion graphics by To-Fu on "29 Ways to Stay Creative".
(via Daily Design Discoveries)

Getting Creative- #12 Be An Explorer

As a designer it is easy to get caught in a rut at times. You feel like you are doing the same type of projects over and over for a client. You may feel like you are not expanding and growing. This is a normal occurrence over time in the profession.

I would like to propose that you challenge yourself to be more of an explorer. Try working a design in a new way. Explore the design world with new materials, sustainable materials and design, a new set of colors, vintage images, a new family of fonts, new blogs and articles, or books. This exploration will lead you to new ways of thinking and coming up with creative solutions. Branch out, if we did not explore we would still be using the same techniques from fifty years ago. Bring fresh breath to your work - think different, research different, design different, explore!

Getting Creative- #11 Turn It Upside Down

Looking at the world in a different way is what we as designers are asked to do daily. One way to help in your creative process is to turn it upside down. When you review a project by looking at it in this way you start to see it different. Your type becomes more like a shape, your hierarchy become more noticeable, and the project elements come into a new focus by simply turning it upside down. Give it a try and see your work in a new manner to help your creative process.

Getting Creative- #10 Attend a Lecture

We all get wrapped up in our own little boxes and churn out the designs but a way to gain fresh insight is to attend a lecture. As designers we love to talk and we love to talk about what we are doing, have done and then talk some more. This avails us to have the opportunity to go and listen to a fellow designer / artist to talk. Check you local colleges, AIGA and art museums for lists of upcoming guest speakers. Most of these events are low in price or free, in the evenings so they don't take up a ton of time and many are very small and intimate. Over the recent pass I have had the pleasure to hear Ellen and Julia Lupton, John Van Hamersveld, Andrew Christou, and Jon Gothold speak. You will find out new information, make some friends and enjoy this profession we call design.

Get your creative mojo going tomorrow night by coming to hear the fabulous Debbie Millman speak at AICA-OC. More details are available at this link.

Getting Creative- #9 Get Colorful

Color can be one our strongest tools to help invoke an emotion or characteristic of a company for a design. So many times I see designers getting stuck trying to come up with the perfect color combination to fit the project. There are two tools I would like to pass along that will help in those wearisome decisions, one is the "edit" color window in Illustrator and Adobe's Kuler.

In Illustrator you can select the edit color window and you will get an window like above. From this window you can select a color and it will help choose those that go along with it by sliding around on the color wheel. You can then save and use in any project.

Adobe has a wonderful color website called Kuler. This site allows you to interact with color in several ways. First, you can take a look at the many color combinations that others have made and saved on the site. Second, you can go in and edit any combination making your own color palettes in the following ways; analogous, monochromatic, triad, complementary, compound and shades. You can then save or copy down the color numerals to use in your projects. The third great use of Kuler includes an option where you can upload or pick a photo from Flicker and pick colors from the image. Kuler will give you the colors and they you can save that for your projects.

I hope this helps you get creative with color on your next project. Now go crazy with color.

Getting Creative- #8 Visit an Art Museum

Visiting a local museum can be a great creative spark to keep your designs on fire. Museums today are not what your mother saw 30 years ago. Today, the range of work that you will find on display at a major art museum goes from the classics to modern to design to graphics to sculpture to photography. What a wonderful mix. Take along a camera and shoot what inspires you for inspiration later. Look at the details of these great works, study them and think how you can bring these ideas into your own work. I try to visit my local museums in LA on a very regular basis (I am lucky to have so many wonderful museums nearby) including LACMA, MOCA, The Getty, The Norton Simon, and OCMA. Go out and get a membership, they are very well priced and a few visits during the years will cover the cost. Take the day, go visit a museum!

Getting Creative- #7 Design for a Non Profit

Is your day job killing your creative insights, looking to give back a bit and design for the social good. You should look at doing design work for a non profit organization. There is bound to be an organization that you can relate to and feel strongly about. You can seek out a local non profit or utilize a site such as the Taproot Foundation that links creatives with non profit groups. You will find that non profits appreciate your creative skills, give a great deal of freedom and you will feel good about helping. Go seek out a non profit and let your creative energy flow.

Getting Creative- #6 Take a Chance

Too many times as designers we resort to what we have always done because we found it works. Why not take a chance and look at the problem from a new angle or try a solution you have not pursued. Going out on a limb will take your designs to a new place and most likely to a new level. Go ahead, take a chance, you will be glad you did!

Getting Creative- #5 Emphasis

Remember the design principle of emphasis in your designs. Use emphasis to highlight areas of interest. Guide the eye through out your design with various focal points, color, size and hierarchy. Emphasis can be achieved by your color choices - working with darks then using a lighter color to emphasize an image or text. Don't be afraid to exaggerate to emphasis what is important in the design or image. Analyze your designs and make sure you are emphasizing the most important items.

Getting Creative- #4 Travel

Travel is one of the best ways to get your creative going. Travel exposes us to new ideas, new cultures, new foods and most important, new ways of looking at things. Distance travel is great (I can not wait to get back to Europe) but if time and money is an issue, go local. I am sure you will find many locations to explore right in your backyard or within a days drive. Too many times we fail to look and travel to locations that are not far away. Get out and see the world. Great designers are great observers.

Getting Creative- #3 History Time

Dust off that Graphic Design History book for some great inspiration or pick up a new history book for additional ideas the next time you are at the bookstore. Knowing the history of art and design is a great place to help get those creative ideas flowing. Read back over about major periods and designers and be inspired by the works of the past. Design is a reflection of the times but the times are a reflection of our history.

Getting Creative- #2 Giving It Time

Often times we are extremely rushed in our design projects, the client wanted it yesterday right? As designers we have all learned to deal with deadlines but we should try to work in some additional time for the design process. It will help your designs to be at the high standard you desire. So how can we do this? The most important is to start on each project right away. Don't wait until everything else is caught up, you will behind before you start. Starting does not necessarily mean we have to drop everything, start your research while you are living your life, shopping, eating out, start thinking about the project on your drive home. You can never start to early and simple steps can give you that extra time to process. You need to jot down your ideas early to give them time to process. Good design is a process and takes time, so give it some.

Getting Creative- #1 Observation

Observation-

Being inspired by visiting art museums is always helpful in our creative process. Good, you got to the museum, now observe. Do not just take a quick look at the work, get in there, and look at it. Get up so close you make the guards nervous. Study the work and bring the ideas back into your own work.

This is the start a series on tips and ideas to get and keep creative as a designer. If you have any tips you would like to past along, please email me and I will be happy to post them.