A Guide To Breaking The Web Design Cycle

For an industry that is known for being creative, there doesn’t seem to be much creativity going on with web design these days – everyone is too concerned with what’s “hot” and what’s on trend to focus on trying to inject some sense of creativity into the work. But it’s time for a change – it’s time to break this web design cycle and begin a new one that has creativity at its core.

Direct and Indirect Inspiration
Most designers will focus on direct sources of inspiration, but you should spend an equal amount of time looking at indirect sources, too.

• Direct inspiration is from any source that is directly associated with the web design field, including CSS galleries, magazines, and so on.
• Indirect inspiration is from any source that is not directly associated with the web design field, including nature, art, history and so on.

Use the following tips to ensure that your work is the subject of the best inspiration you can find:

• Get off your computer
  It is time that designers understood that a computer is not a creative machine – it is a tool that allows you to bring your own creative ideas to life. Whenever you feel that you are lacking in inspiration take a short break – go for a walk (bring a sketchbook or a camera with you) to get a more refreshing outlook on life.
• Walk through local hardware and department stores
  Believe it or not, shops are full to the brim with unique and interesting things. The next time you are shopping, wander around the aisles and take everything in, especially the kitchen appliances section. Take note of the different shapes and displays of the objects in these stores. Grab some paint cards from the hardware store for easy mixing and matching.
• Explore your natural world
  Whenever you have some free time, go for a walk or take a blanket outside and simply lie down. If something grabs your attention, make a note or a sketch of it. Don’t just draw a tree that you think looks nice, however – try to figure out why you find it so attractive. It might have a distinctive shape or striking colours.

At the end of the day, you cannot forget to use your imagination. All of the inspiration in the world will not help you to create better web designs if you do not use your imagination to transform these ideas into the websites that grace our computer screens on a daily basis. And remember that you can use anything in your life as inspiration – the indirect sources are always the best ones.