You can find design inspiration in unexpected places if you just keep your eyes open. We often get clients in here who have an idea of what they want.
We also get our fair share of clients who have not the foggiest clue.
Our favorites, though, is when they sit down and say something like, “ok don’t judge me, but I was looking at my shampoo bottle and fell in love with the way they listed their organic ingredients…”
Design Inspiration Comes in Many Forms
When people hear the word “inspired” they feel like they need to sit on the bank of a serene lake at the top of snow-capped mountains when the air is crisp and you’re sipping on a hot coffee while you watercolor from your soul. Interviews with musicians and artists talking about their inspirations enforce this. “I was inspired by the intricacies of hand-tatted lace and I realized that it was the perfect metaphor for the relationships you weave in your life. They’re so intricate and tight and beautiful, but ultimately fragile. Just one snag and the whole thing unravels. So that was the inspiration for this song.”
We just made that up, but you see what we’re saying. Inspiration does not have to be so…uh…inspiring.
Maybe you forgot your phone, so you’re looking for reading material while you poop. Then you see something on the bottle of your bathroom cleaner that you like and log that away as design inspiration for your future business logo.
No Source of Inspiration is Better Than Another
We love to hear where you got your inspiration from. Especially when it’s funny. And we don’t judge your bathroom cleaner inspiration. When it breeds a beautiful, functional design, there is no such thing as inferior inspiration.
So with no further ado, we’re listing some unexpected places to find inspiration. You just need to pay attention when you’re grocery shopping or driving or watching TV. Some of these are borrowed from people we’ve worked with, some of them are places we’ve personally been inspired by, and some are just the result of some brainstorming here in the office.
Unexpected Places to Find Design Inspiration
- Graffiti/street art – one of our designers loves to look at the concepts she drives past, borrow some of the elements, clean them up, and use them in her designs.
- Packaging (cleaning products, shampoo, makeup, you name it. One of our designers liked the branding for a special kind of razor and borrowed elements of it for a later project)
- Clouds/the sky/sunsets
- Other business logos – even (especially?) if they’re not related to your business
- Pinterest pins – there are talented people everywhere.
- Fail blogs – design fail articles/listicles/etc. Happy little accidents you can use to your advantage. Your design idea can either be the better way to pull it off, or a way to use the concept for something else completely (that will work).
- Signage – is this sign really bad for what they’re using for, but could work really well for you? Is this sign using lines and fonts you like?
- Fashion/apparel – great for color combinations, especially
- Other designers/brands you admire
- Social media – especially ads. If an ad catches your eye, what do you like about it? What about their design elements was appealing to you? Are these elements you would like to use?
The Important Part
Where you got the inspiration for the design is ultimately unimportant. The important part is that the end result is a strong, beautiful design that fits you, your company, and your message. If you happened to get that inspiration in the bathroom, well, no one needs to know.
Except us. We love to hear the wild stories. Your secret is safe with us, we promise. And if you have no inspiration at all and need to borrow some, you know where to find us.
