A Designer's Top 5 Favourite Sources For Inspiration
"To be inspired, to fill the mind and heart with grace, to breathe and give life..." For all of you who don't know me personally (or those of you who know me but had no clue), I'm a big etymology nerd. I don't know exactly when it started or why, but I just am. My search history is filled with "*random word* etymology". I just can't help it. Not a day goes by not asking myself the origin of any random word that I read or heard in a casual conversation.
As a creative, I'm always on the lookout for things that inspire me. And it is no lie, inspiration can come from the most random places. But if I had to choose a source of inspiration for design and art direction, these would be my top choices.
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Behance leads the list. It's the way you can see the evolution of a brand or project from the main concept and how it unfolds in every piece to come to life as a whole for me. Plus Behance has this cool thing where they feature projects on different areas such as Editorial Design, Motion Graphics, Art Direction, Illustration… Once you get to know Behance there's no going back!
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The wonderful thing about Pinterest, besides its community, is the ability to post from everywhere on the net. You’ll find projects from sites including (but not limited to) personal websites, agencies, and other creative pages such as Instagram or Behance…
Also, unlike Instagram which is used more like a shop showcase, the original source usually leads to a link with the full case. And those are the real keepers!
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This one can be a tad tricky because it really depends on you to follow the right people to get a curated pick. Fortunately, hashtags exist!
Also, quick hack, if you love a studio, a creative or an agency, you can take a look at the accounts they are following or the people following them to find similar creatives!
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What I love about Dribbble is that you get to see the process work before the whole thing is even finished. It has this casual vibe. Think it less “show & brag” and more “show and get friendly feedback” from the community!
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Calling all user interface and user experience designers! Awwwards is a renowned community to share breathtaking websites. It is a good place not to only get design user interface inspiration, but also user flow, animation and responsive design!
And these are my Top 5! They are my hard rocks of design inspiration. They’ve been there since I first started my studies as a Graphic Designer and I have found them so useful as a professional creative over the years that it felt like I needed to share them with you!
