Junecloud

We make apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Web

Where Ideas Come From

Someone asked me today about the creative process. Where I get ideas.

For more commercial work, I start by talking to the client as much as possible. I get anything I can out of them… I ask them a lot of questions about their company, their product, if they have anything specific in mind that they want me to do, and so on. If they have any pictures or copy I get those from them.

For less commercial work—if it’s for a band, for example, or any project where they want something a bit more abstract, or don’t have a specific direction—I’ll look elsewhere for inspiration. A lot of times I’ll look through photos I’ve taken in the past, or take new ones. Even if they’re abstract or having nothing to do with the subject matter, they can serve as a good starting point. I get inspiration from just about anything…. Movies, music, architecture, video games, other sites, random stuff lying around, whatever. I always keep an eye out for things that just look interesting to me. I should add that I do this even for commercial work, just to a lesser extent.

Preferably—time permitting—once I’ve gathered all these materials and have a good grasp on what I’ll be doing, I just like to let it sit for a little while. I keep it way in the back of my head while I do other things. Often ideas will come to me while I’m doing something completely different… Those are usually the best ideas. If I’m forced to get going right away, it’s always more difficult.

After the initial process of mulling things over and looking at materials, I usually go through fonts. If they already have a logo it may not be necessary—I’ll just pick what works well with the logo—but often that isn’t the case. I just flip through all the fonts I have and mark ones that feel appropriate for the subject matter. I narrow those down to a dozen or two at most, and load them up.

I should add here that sometimes I’ll do some sketching by hand. If they just want a web site, usually I won’t. It can be an important step, and I’d recommend it to anyone, but I’ve gotten to the point where it often isn’t useful for me. Even if I come up with a sketch that I like, it isn’t necessarily going to look like that when I actually put it together on the computer. I’m comfortable enough with my programs that I can “sketch” very quickly directly in them, and I usually find that more effective. But if they want something like a logo, or an illustration, or just a site that’s more organic, then I’ll definitely start by sketching.

If not, it’s into Photoshop (sometimes FreeHand) next. Here I take all the fonts, sketches, photos, copy, and whatever else I’ve gathered and just start experimenting with it. I’ll take some colors, maybe out of a photo or just something that’s appropriate for the subject, and block in some basic shapes. I’ll try out different fonts, in different sizes, capital and lowercase, kerned tightly or loose, placed in different spots on the page, etc. I’ll look at my photos and the opportunities they present… Experiment with different ways to crop them, fuss with the hue, saturation, or color balance, perhaps apply different effects to them, try them at various sizes, and so on. I may bring a few photos together, or even layer them on top of each other. I try random things that come to mind, even if they might look terrible.

That step, all that screwing around in Photoshop, is often where my ideas come from. Sometimes I’ll have a very specific idea before I start work at all, but most of the time that just isn’t the case. So the best thing you can do is just experiment. Don’t worry about refining your ideas too much. You don’t want them to be sloppy, but you can fuss with the details later. Let yourself get really into it, and just try everything that you can. Within reason of course… You don’t want to waste time on something that’s totally inappropriate for the subject matter. On the other hand, I do think it’s good to push the limits… you don’t want to do something totally expected; I definitely try to go off in some unexpected directions. It’s sort of a way of testing the boundaries… Even if it’s terrible or the client hates it, it can help you figure out what they are looking for, and what does really fit the subject matter. Otherwise you’ll never know. You might find something that works, but perhaps it could have been a lot better if you went further in a certain direction.

Throughout the process of experimentation, I’m always hitting Save As. You could just save everything on different layers in folders, but saving separate documents gives you more freedom… You don’t have to worry about whether you’re screwing up a previous version, and you don’t have to waste time organizing your layers.

Once I feel I’ve exhausted my ideas, or I’ve just plain put together a ton of different ideas, I’ll stop. Then I’ll open up all the files I’ve saved and look through them. I’ll weed out the ones that really aren’t working. The rest I’ll show to the client to get their feedback. If it’s just for me, or something I’ve been given total control over, I’ll use a combination of my own judgment and other people’s opinions to narrow it down.

Often the creative process starts winding down there… One layout is decided on, and then I take that and spend a lot of time refining it, just playing around with the details. But sometimes it keeps going… Maybe the client doesn’t like what I’ve done, or they do like it, but something gave them an idea for something a bit different. Possibly even something completely different. Then it’s another round of experimenting…. Usually it’s more controlled, since you have a better idea of what they’re looking for, but I still spend some time testing the boundaries.

I’ll add here that I think it’s my job—within reason of course—to disagree with the client. It’s important to please them, but it’s also important that I’m happy with the final design. Why? Because I’m the one with training and experience. I know how to design a site better than they do, and that’s why they hired me. It’s like any other job… If you asked an architect to do something specific, he wouldn’t just do what you’re asking without considering the issues. It may not work as well as you think when it’s finished, or it could even be dangerous. It’s his job to take those suggestions and make them work, and that’s your job as a designer as well.

I’m not saying that I’ll ignore their requests, quite the contrary. But I will push things a bit… I’ll show them one thing that’s exactly what they want, and one that’s just a bit closer to what I think works best. I’ll argue my reasons if I feel it’s necessary. If I don’t give them something we’re both very happy with, I just feel like I’ve cheated them. It would be easier and faster to just give them exactly what they’re asking for, but if I don’t think it works well, I’ll keep going. It’s not done until I’ve met their requirements and I think it’s a solid design.

I bring this up because that’s where a lot of great ideas come from. It’s that process of give and take, of debating over what works best… That’s where you really find the core of what you’re doing. Often I’ll come away from a discussion like that with new ideas for a solution. It almost always results in something we’re both very happy with.

Some comments on being in a rut: I think there are two ways around it. Either you work through it, or take a break. Sometimes you just need to keep going… Even if the stuff you’re doing sucks, it can really help to just get it out. If you’re trying that and it’s not working, do something else. Don’t think about that project at all. Work on something else, or if you’re struggling with all of it, don’t work on anything at all. I wouldn’t recommend just sitting around doing nothing though. Do something else… Sometimes I find just going to the store for groceries can be a good break. Getting out of the house is definitely good, in any case. I think it helps to do something productive, if possible, something active.

“…I come up with ideas only after I’ve devoted myself to a day of hard work. If we’ve been relaxing all throughout the day, we hardly ever come up with any new ideas.” — Shigeru Miyamoto

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