I’ve been sitting at my laptop working on a design for my new, forthcoming Hidden Mickey photo blog. I got nothin’. My throat is tightening up and my heart is starting to pound. How can I, the Infinitely Talented Designer, not come up with something brilliant in four days? No idea; it’s a freaky world. So I decided to take a break and come up with a list of techniques for overcoming designer’s block. (These ideas will probably work well for any kind of creative problem you’re trying to solve.)
- Browse Web site galleries for inspiration. One of my old standbys is CSS Remix, but I am a great fan of finding any random site about Web design and following a daisy chain of “Related Article” links. You never know what might pop up.
- Start a morgue file. As you browse the Web (or thumb through magazines or walk by something interesting on the street), collect images of any visual element that strikes your fancy. Lots of people save their Web design morgue files on Flickr, but a manila folder full of clippings will work just fine, too.
- Take a hike. Or go cycling. Or hit the gym. Just get some fresh air and exercise. I tend to think of things while I’m walking around the neighborhood.
- Brainstorm and sketch. Set a time limit and force yourself to sketch six layouts, no matter how implausible or lousy you think they are. I usually grab a piece of scratch paper from the recycling bin and divide the page into six boxes. Then I fill those six boxes–no stopping at two or three.
- Try some reverse psychology. If you have a vision stuck in your mind of what you’re trying to accomplish, go design the polar opposite. Do something with a completely different layout, tone, or look-and-feel (no matter how garish, tacky, totally against your aesthetic sensibilities).
- Make a word association chart. I call these “bubble charts,” where I start with the name/subject of my site in the center of the page and draw a spider’s web of associations around it. Let your mind roam. Indulge in word play. Explore the emotions you want to evoke in your audience.
- Snort a few lines of coke. Just kidding.
Now I’m going to try to follow my own advice and see how it goes. Hope my next post includes a link to my new Hidden Mickey site. Wish me luck, folks!
UPDATE: HOLY COW, I THINK IT’S WORKING. HOORAY!
