CREATIVE THINKING FOR DESIGNERS

Starting a design project from nothing can be one of the most frustrating tasks for any designer.

Don’t say that you find it easy and you can come up with ideas easily when you are washing the dishes, cooking a meal, or out walking the dog!

We have heard it so many times from so many students who believe they have the best creative ideas while doing these things along with others. Ideas that come to mind so quickly may sound fantastic and original to you at the time, but without a proper creative process in place, your ideas are most likely to fail.

I am sure you have heard it yourself. When you are talking to someone about a project you are working on or someone who said they had the best idea about something they were working on. Unfortunately, that sort of thing comes down to your taste and you’re not taking into account what others may think or what they would like to see.

Developing a Creative Process is key

Many designers who have not trained professionally tend to go with what they think is good, what they like, the colours they say work, and the images that relate to them more and that is a dangerous approach. It is about the client, the audience, and the target market.

We have had many heated discussions with new, fresh students who feel a creative process is a waste of time and they get it straight from the top of their heads.

What’s the point in trying to work something out in stages they say, when you can just think of an idea and then put it all together?

• Firstly, you have to convince your client, creative director, or boss that what you have done works.

• Secondly, it’s not all about you and it is all about the target audience, the company, or the individual you are designing for. Plus it needs to be unique, and creative and communicate the right message and image.