When faced with a blank Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign canvas, I like to spend some time cramming as many visual references into my brain as humanly possible. Inspiration is everywhere — it’s a cliché, but true. Past sources of inspiration for me have ranged from wine bottles to hand painted store signs. With a sprawling network of design blogs and image bookmarking sites literally at our fingertips, we don’t have to look “everywhere” to get inspired; all we need is a few curated collections of cool things to keep the ideas flowing. Here are some of my favourite sources of creative juice refills.
1. http://ffffound.com
The original. Good for when you need to get inspired but don’t have a specific idea of what you’re looking for. The “I’m feeling lucky!” button of image bookmarking sites. Beware of occasional random nudity.
2. http://designspiration.net
Very similar to ffffound.com, but with actual category filters and search functionality. You can also search by colour, which is pretty nifty. Definitely my current favourite.
3. http://www.underconsideration.com/quipsologies/
A collection of “the most curious, creative, and notable projects”, updated daily. Also on the UnderConsideration network: Brand New, a stellar branding blog and another one of my dailies.
4. http://siteinspire.com
An excellent showcase of clean and beautiful web design. Also a good refresher on the latest capabilities of HTML and CSS.
5. http://lovelypackage.com/
And lastly, package design! I have a soft spot for this stuff. Sometimes nothing beats a good alcohol bottle design. Except for perhaps drinking the alcohol inside.
Honourable mentions:
Where do you go to refill your creative juices? Let us know in the comments.
Comments |
Post a comment