Did the egg come first or the chicken, it makes you go round and round in circles. That’s the feeling you get when you start designing something new. 

Inspiration can come from everywhere, especially if you are a designer. To create your finest design, you must get into the nitty-gritty of everything. I began my journey as an interior designer which gave me an edge when I transitioned to UI/UX Design. When we start working on projects, the first thing we do is construct a mood board. But for me, the challenging part was deciding what was good or bad and what worked in the real world.

So, I began with extensive thought about the problem at hand, followed by conceptual visualizations of all possible solutions. It seems intimidating, but it worked for me. I’d later project all those things from my imagination onto the screen. This process didn’t always produce viable solutions, which was a major problem to cope with. After all, what’s the purpose of having a good design if it doesn’t work? So, I merged this approach with swiping and gathering inspirations that I loved by favoriting my way through multiple sites to create a perfect Mood Board.

Next, was putting the mood board into action and creating something unique.

And, in my opinion, this is the most basic process chosen by designers.

Then I joined Mantra Labs, which was intimidating since I went from being a loner to being a loner in a group. From analysing my own ideas to working with a group of amazing designers who don’t hold back on their criticisms. (They never stop talking :P.) It was also intriguing to observe every designer as each one had a different approach to getting design inspiration and it was reassuring to know that there is no right or wrong way. It can come at any moment, anywhere, and in any form; all you have to do is enjoy the experience because it’s a Pandora’s Box, where you get lost and then come out with something amazing you weren’t expecting to find.

I try browsing design websites and talking to others about their work to get insights. And I can say that I’m definitely getting better as a designer day by day- the key is to stay curious and explore new things.

Here is a compilation of some wonderful exercises I intend to try on my projects as soon as I have the opportunity.

Creating a lot of different variations for one project and then critiquing it to bring it down to one which you like. 

Going crazy with the thought process, and breaking the stigma of keeping basic, and crazy is fun, and it might surprise you.

This includes everything we have done or do on a regular basis, such as opening a bottle or flicking through the pages of a book.

Like for an education app, look for inspiration on social media, in travel, or something else.

As you examine different types of designs, it inspires you and gives you a bank of ideas; all you have to do now is learn how to use those ideas on time and on the right project.

This is one of the best ways to get better insights and diverse perspectives which can be very helpful.

Conclusion:

The exercises listed above may or may not work for you because there is no perfect science to getting creative inspiration.  Lorinda Mamo once stated, “Every great design begins with an even better story.” So, in order to find design inspiration, you must first find the story. Keep experimenting with different ways; you never know what might work for you.

About the author: Neha is a designer at heart who walks and talks too fast and is always willing to try new things, whether in business or in life.

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