Using Inspiration In the Design Process
Important points by Patrick McNeil: http://inspiredm.com/using-inspiration-in-the-design-process/
Use More Than One Design For Inspiration
Get inspired, but don’t copy. There is a thin line between inspiration and copying – - one that is further blurred as we are surrounded with designs and art in our everyday lives. Finding inspiration for a design is an easy task these days, having so many valuable resources to leverage.The web has been inundated with web design showcases. There is no exact formula for how to use inspiration and not copy someone else’s work, but there are some straightforward ways to avoid it. Here, I will take you through my design process for a web site I recently created. Through examples of inspiration, I will demonstrate how I created a fresh and new design while leveraging various sources of inspiration. But before we step through an example, let’s look at some core concepts when it comes to using inspiration.
Break the Designs Down
When you have found a design that you like and you think, “I could do something like this,” don’t stop there; keep searching for additional designs that are similar in color, structure or content to what you have in mind. The goal will be to leverage the best elements of each of these as you merge these ideas into your new layout.
Start visualizing your design with a combination of elements that inspire you. Look at the wire frames for your new site, and consider styles that might be applied to specific elements. The goal is not to pick a single design and copy it, but rather to find an assortment of elements that can work together in a new way. By the time you start creating mock-ups, you should have developed some fresh ideas with the result being something new and – - most critically- – unique.
Pick Your Favorite Details
When you have found some designs that inspire you, take a closer look and pick out the elements that really make them shine. Watch for gradients, light effects, typography – - all of the subtle details that breathe life into the design. Ask yourself: What is it that makes this design so great?
Conclusion
If you look at the finished product, you can see how the various sources of inspiration contributed to it, and yet the result is a fresh design that doesn’t feel like a direct replication of any of the other designs. Some will say I am suggesting you Frankenstein together various pieces to form a new design. Certainly, if you simply clip together various elements, the results are not likely to inspire anyone in a positive way. You must always work to unify the new work with common stylistic approaches and never lose track of the big picture. In the end, be inspired – - but don’t copy!
The above is an excerpt from the book The Web Designer’s Idea Book, Volume II: More of the Best Themes, Trends and Styles in Website Design by Patrick McNeil. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
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