Someone Take The Wheel

I am always musing on Inspiration since we are in a business that requires us to reinvent the wheel often. I like to talk to other design folks to see where their inspiration, their great ideas, come from. Some say all the good ideas are already taken, though I see new and great ideas cropping up all the time.

When I was in design school (a 1/2 a million years ago) we always looked to the design Annuals as gold for a wealth of ideas. But copying someone else's design doesn't really work in the real world. As a designer, you have to look at other sources for inspiration: books, film, the world around you, the past (often referring to my good ol' box o' many graphics- pictured here), etc.

HOW magazine has a great articles about getting inspired by the "world around you".

10 Ways to Get Inspired by the World Around You (click to read online)
by Sam Harrison.

The list includes:
1. Be a Borrower
2. Explore the Masters for Material
3. Enjoy the Art of Imitation
4. Look at Other Businesses
5. Observe and Take Note
6. Borrow From the Past
7. Don't be a NIHilist
8. Open Your Mind
9. Pick up the Trash
10. Stay Where You Are