This is a post continuing from a blog I did earlier- How Do You Conquer Designer Burnout?

When working in the design industry it’s easy to find inspiration everywhere you go, by everything you see, hear and touch and you don’t need to be sat at your computer to get inspiration either.

— You don’t need eyes to see – you just need vision. Here are some examples that influence me when I’m working on new projects.

Browse design blogs and galleries

There is a never ending amount of design blogs out there and these are great for inspiration and displaying current and upcoming trends. Another great source is the gallery sites which showcase websites, portfolios, and logos etc. My favourite design blogs and galleries at the moment are Abduzeedo, The Design Inspiration, CSS Remix and Web Design Ledger just to to name a handful.

Sometimes the old ones are the best

Look at your past design work. Design trends come around full circle over and over. Take a look at your portfolio and see which ones were the most successful.

Music

Music is one of the biggest inspirations for me. It sets a mood and keeps me uplifted and motivated throughout those tough redesign sessions.

Movies & TV

Sitting down to watch the TV or movie can be a great inspiration. Just by seeing some great titles with typography, a logo or an advertisement on screen can re-ignite your creative flow.

Look around you

The world is an amazing place. Just look around you; cityscape’s, the countryside, the sea, all of Mother Nature’s finest are there to be admired. Even when I go shopping I get influenced by the smallest thing and to some people it may sound weird but it’s really easy for me to be inspired by the typography on a shop’s carrier bag or the colours on a chocolate bar wrapper.

Sleep

Sleep does the mind good and by taking a rest from it all can boost and re-energise those creative juices. Just make sure that you don’t sleep too long especially if there is a deadline!

Travelling

This again is the whole ‘look around you‘ point again. Many a times if I have to go on a long journey and see the world go by I take a look at the beautiful scenery and places and there is a whole range of inspiration out there. Remember that we live in the digital age so hopefully you will have access to a digital camera whether it be an actual camera itself or a cell phone camera. Why not take some pictures of the things that inspire you?

Magazines

Magazines like the TV is full to the brim with great typography and advertisements. Remember if you are working on a brochure or a blog then just look at the layouts in the magazine and these may also inspire you as well.

Sketching and Doodling

It’s always great to have some kind of notepad at hand. When you get an idea in your head it’s good to write or sketch down any ideas like a logo, a layout for a blog or site or some kind of brochure. Doodling helps too and you don’t have to be great at drawing or illustrating to do it. I used to doodle a lot and could fill books of the stuff and it’s where a lot of my creativity came from when I was younger.

Shutdown the computer

Turn the computer off, relax, unwind and switch off your mind. Maybe actually not thinking about design related work is when you get that ‘eureka’ moment!