THE FIRST STEP TO GREAT DESIGN IS...
habits can cause you to miss an opportunity or see something new. A huge part of good design is focusing on the tiny little details to make each touchpoint seamless, easy, and in tune with people's needs. If you aren't aware, you can miss some of these design opportunities.
So how can you snap yourself out of your habitual views?
Conscious attention.
Most of the time, we walk around in our little worlds, moving through daily life habitually doing what we know how to do, unconsciously going through the motions. I do this, you do this, your mom does this. Sometimes, it's really helpful. If you're taking a shower, for example, it would be such a pain if you had to consciously think how to wash your hair or use a bar of soap.
But sometimes, habits can cause you to miss an opportunity or see something new. A huge part of good design is focusing on the tiny little details to make each touchpoint seamless, easy, and in tune with people's needs. If you aren't aware, you can miss some of these design opportunities.
So how can you snap yourself out of your habitual views?
Take a step back and ask questions. Ask yourself if the way you're doing something is really the best way. Could something be changed for the better? Could you add something to make life a bit easier (ie: a few easy-to-access links on your homepage, a bold and bright pop of color to make your business cards more noticeable, etc)?
Look closer. Design is in the details. It's hidden in the little conscious decisions that make something more user-friendly. Think about how someone who knows nothing about your brand will interact with your website or logo. Are there ways you can make them clearly understand your mission?
Think younger. "That's just the way the world works" is a phrase adults tell kids because it's the easiest way out. But kids haven't been around long enough to get used to 'the way the world works.' They see the world through fresh eyes. Getting into the mindset of a child can help you think outside of the normal, day-to-day habits.
If you want to practice these tips, go exploring. Try to ask questions about things you think you already know everything about. This applies to everything from the stars to your website.
Keep an open mind and see if you can't get those creative juices flowing!
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WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
Creativity is defined as the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.
There are a few words that jump out at me from that definition...
Creativity is defined as the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.
There are a few words that jump out at me from that definition:
- meaningful
- progressive
- original
- imaginative
I think each one of these words could generate a whole post in and of itself. The thing is, though, these words aren't mutually exclusive. You don't always have to have an original idea to be imaginative. And you can create something meaningful without necessarily being progressive.
In order to be creative, you simply need to be able to view something from a different perspective. Allowing your mind to open up to the possibility of seeing and exploring something common in a new way. If you are trying to paint, for example, you may apply a new technique that skews the reality of what your subject is. This is exactly was Picasso, Monet and Seurat did. Their subjects weren't unique, but they broke the 'rules' and applied new methods of painting them.
So I wanted to explore the elusive act of being creative. I think so many people believe they simply aren't creative at all. And on the flip side, people who spend their lives and build their careers by being creative often feel like they are chasing this elusive muse. Creativity is so highly valued, and we're all capable of embracing creativity in our work and lives.
Keep an eye out for more posts on this subject including how creativity works in relation to fear, imagination, and passion PLUS what the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need to live our most creative lives.
