- Image by onlyben via Flickr
In school it was most students’ nightmare to be assigned yet another brand identity project. It seemed like every class, every semester, assigned branding or re-branding projects.
A professor of mine once pointed out that we were doing that assignment so many times because it is hard to do. On paper, it looks easy. You make a logo and apply it to some stationery and a few assets. But there’s the rub. It’s true, the rest will be much simpler (notice I didn’t say easy) if you have a strong mark to begin with. However, designing a concise, thoughtful, clever logo is difficult.
Naturally,we have ground rules for making any design, but how do we find the way to tie an abstraction like a thought or a feeling to something tangible?
Get out in the world. I initially felt like I was wasting time if I walked around a mall, or a bookstore. At some point it was brought to my attention that writing things down while meandering through public spaces could bring spades of inspiration. I now carry a notebook with me everywhere.
Listen to music. It’s no secret that this can be a powerful creative tool.
Read. The more information you take in, the more you will have to offer.
Write. Get out of your head. As visual people (this is from another professor) we need to see things to process information fully. Yes, even words.
Draw. Again, we are visual. Learn to solve spatial problems with your hands. Don’t forget that the computer will not make you a good designer anymore than a box of pencils will. Develop your hand skills and translate that into the digital medium. Everything a designer does with CS4 today was done by hand just 15 years ago.
Share. In graphic design, one of the most helpful tools is often another designer. Collaborating is one of my favorite things about the design business. It seems often that more is more. In other words, more pairs of discerning eyes on a project is likely to yield a more successful end result.
All of these things will help you be a better designer, and it is my firm opinion that you will be a happier person as well. In this world, success is based on how well your designs communicate. Perhaps you sold a logo you don’t particularly care for (aesthetically speaking). The real point is, did it get the client’s message across? That’s the measuring stick.
So if you’re stuck, go for a walk, look around you, and rethink your process. It’s nice when we get to make something pretty, but often that isn’t the task before us.
