Create a storm, not a drizzle.
Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of articles and other resources themed around brainstorming, or activities that will strengthen your creative thinking. As a former art director and creative director, I’ve spent a significant amount of time trying to think of new ideas and concepts for ads and other marketing materials. Here are a few things that work for me. Perhaps they’ll do the trick for you, too.
Conduct some research. For instance, if you’re generating ideas for a logo, find out everything you can about the business or organization (especially meeting with the client), look at other logos within that category, wrap your head around your target audience (likes/dislikes, age, gender, trends, interests, etc.).
Conduct multiple brainstorming sessions of 30–60 minutes. Don’t try to do it in larger chunks of time, your brain will tire and your thinking won’t be as effective. It will probably take you at least 30 minutes before you get past thinking in clichés. Every once in a while, brilliance strikes right off the bat, but usually it takes more effort.
Incubate. Give yourself some time in between sessions to rejuvenate, digest what you have done, and gain a different perspective. Vary the time, place and surroundings of your sessions:
- In silence
- With music
- While you watch TV
- While you walk, sit, sleep (keep a piece of paper and pencil by your bed)
- Alone
- In a group
Remember: quantity drives quality. The more ideas you generate, the greater chance there is that you’ve come up with a great concept/idea.
Break your mind out of the doldrums. Sometimes we experience “designer’s” block. Here are a few ideas to break through:
- Look at well-designed and intriguing images (design annuals such as Communication Arts or Print)
- Surf web sites that highlight design, etc.
- Type some key words into a search engine or a stock photo web site and see what imagery shows up. Don’t copy the imagery, but it may open other visual avenues that you haven’t considered.
- Brainstorm words that are associated with the type of design you want to create (edgy, punk, geometric, elegant, etc.)
- Use a thesaurus.
- After a day or two, review your thumbnails and use them as points from which to jump off and extend your ideas.
- Try to take cliché-like solutions and add a twist. What happens if you add motion, perspective or abstraction to the design?
Get some feedback. Make sure you talk with someone you trust and that you feel has good judgement. It could be a co-worker or a designer friend. There are also plenty of web sites where you can post your ideas and get feedback. One thing you may want to be aware of: if you are generating ideas for a client you may want to make sure it’s okay with them to post your ideas—you don’t want a client’s competitor knowing what you are up to.
Don’t stop thinking until you’ve got something good. Hopefully that’s before your deadline : ) BUT there’s nothing quite like a deadline to sharpen your senses and create intense focus.
If you’ve got some things that help you when you brainstorm, be sure to post a comment below.
