In order to be a designer, one has to be able to think outside the box, or to intuit where a certain industry is going and to encapsulate that vision in a way that everyone comprehends and admires. However, being truly good at creative design requires a lot more than that, and you need to have, or develop a singular way of thinking and looking at things. Similar to a poet, the designer has to be able to create visual metaphors which manage to send a certain message.
In what follows we are going to give you a few tips and advice to help you tap into your imagination and achieve the level of creative design you expect. This doesn’t mean that anyone following these tips will succeed, but they will help you discover your tools and limitations, your advantages and disadvantages. For example, when creating a logo, the designer must be able to tell a story in one image; whether the image is complex or minimalist, whether it has text or not, it has to convey a message, as desired by the customer. The most successful logo designs are those that stick to your mind, that are then easily recognizable and also those which impress you through their complexity.
Nevertheless, these aren’t the only ways to be successful with creative design, and you don’t have to follow paths other designers followed before you; like any artist, you must find your own means of expression. Whether you work with physical tools like pens, paints and canvas, or with modern tools like computer software, you are an artist, and you have to be aware of who you are before you put anything down. A very good advice when you’re dealing with artists’ block is to actually limit your options and inspirations. Sometimes we do our best work when we’re out of time, out of tools or material. That is because with all those options, you feel inclined not to choose anything, or can become confused about what to use; but when you have no choice, you have to do the best with what you have.
This solution might not work all the time and with everyone, but we recommend you try it and see how your own situation reacts to it. Besides, having less to work with rather forces you to be creative, and to find solutions, to think outside the box. Setting limitations is easy, and you can impose your own, depending on the kind of work you do. For example, try to achieve a creative design using a maximum of two or three colors, and don’t use more than one filters or effects.
Similarly, if your clients impose limitations, try to see them rather as guidelines, and even if you may not initially agree with them, give it a try to see what results. You can be just as creative by designing in a single specific way for a project, and your mind might take you places you hadn’t thought of before. Finally, remember to be personal, to bring your own ideas and perspectives into your work, because this is what will make it original and unique.