Let’s be honest….there are days when your creative juices are overflowing and you have a hundred great, new ideas, just bursting at the seams. Then there are other days, where you feel like you are wandering around a desert, hoping for just one idea to come along. During those dark and idealess days, I try and find inspiration to help spark something. There are thousands of different websites to get inspiration, these just happen to be my favorite places to go.
1. Google
This one might seem a little obvious, but whenever I need new ideas I start with Google. Now, google has a much more “business” approach to finding things. It doesn’t always give me great new marketing or design ideas, but it does show me what a lot of other brands are doing. It’s always a good idea to have a base line to start off from. Plus, searching on Google helps me to make sure that my product or design stands out among the rest of them.
2. Behance or Designspiration
The next place I like to search, is Behance or Designspiration. It is in the exact opposite direction of Google (which gives a more of a logical approach), and goes to the extreme artistic side of things. Most of the projects you will find on these sites are not campaigns or marketing materials. They are however, great places to check out different trends going on in the artistic world. This can help you figure out what direction you may want to take a project. I find myself seeing things done in ways I might not have thought. Seeing certain elements or textures that I really like, can give me inspiration to pull from.
3. The Design Blog
Another place I enjoy getting inspiration is from design blogs. One of my favorite blogs is The Design Blog. This is a great place to really focus in more on what you are specifically looking for, such as branding, advertising, print design and many more examples. You can also find a lot of freebies on blogs like this one, that might save you some time in the future.
4. How, Print & Communication Arts Magazines
A great place to get inspiration, especially if you are working on printed materials is by flipping through magazines. Things really are designed differently when they are printed, opposed to just seeing them online. It creates a different feel for the consumer. Personally, I love seeing what sort of ads a magazine has, how an article is laid out in a unique way and what kind of images are used. You can really find inspiration from any magazine, but my favorites are HOW, PRINT and Communication Arts.
5. Pinterest
My favorite place to go when I need inspiration is on Pinterest. I have come across so many people who have never thought to use Pinterest for marketing inspiration. They think it’s only great for DYI projects, but the truth is that they have some great marketing and design inspo. So many people pin items from their portfolios, or interesting facts and infographics they find. It’s a great place to see what types of things are trending and hopefully stir up some creativity.
There are so many different websites that are used to get inspired; share some of your favorite places with us!
