Mind Block

You hold your poor little head in your hands and look at the brief sitting in front of you.
Out of ideas and no where to go. How are you going to conjure up ideas for this brief?
You can’t even think of what to cook for dinner! Cripes.

Take a look around you..has your bench been hacked, spray glued, abused and buckling under the weight of previous work and research?
What about your computer?

Is the desktop buried in numerous files and wheezing from not being turned off since 1999?

Time to cure your cramped brain.
Rid your desktop of unnecessary files and turn your computer off. Get a bin and cloth.
Clear your work area of all old briefs and scum.
Every new brief should start on a clean slate, this should include your work area.

Check out this bright, fun typography by Jessica Hische

Now it’s time to suck inspiration from your surroundings.
Grab a camera or notebook, and begin your journey to find ideas.
Look at things you wouldn’t normally.

ISO 50 often uses animals or nature to create amazing layouts

Take different routes, look at textures, colours, formation or anything that grabs your attention.
How about going to the library? Look in sections you wouldn’t normally.
Or relax in a movie, look at how they did things.

Emmanuel Polanco uses eye-catching imagery and interesting compositions

Do something out of your comfort zone or something you always thought would be interesting.

Hard core gig? Sure. Nude art exhibition? Count me in.
Even if you despise what you see, it narrows down what you could be looking for.
Still stuck? Impossible.
Turn your over worked computer back on and look at websites such as:
fffound.com
justcreativedesign.com
designflavr.com
or my favourite graphic-exchange.com

Tenfold Collective have a vast range of excellent design

Don’t just screen grab (apple shift 4 for all you slow pokes..) things that apply directly to your brief- expand your ideas by looking at anything you like.

Why not look up some designers and even email them asking where they draw inspiration?
Research and inspiration are key components to creating fresh looking and excellent design.

British graduate Nick Cocozza draws inspiration from children's drawings

Don’t try to think of ideas all by yourself- you’ll give yourself a hernia.
After filling your head with ideas, get some blank paper and begin drawing, brain storming, scribbling doodling caboodling anything that pops into your head.

Elegant, stunning design is a just a few words to describe Purpura Design

Don’t hold back.
Ready..Set..Go.