How to Generate Design Ideas!

Summary

The video addresses the common struggles designers face, such as creative blocks and imposter syndrome, by sharing personal experiences and solutions. The speaker recounts a stressful branding project and the mistakes made, including relying on surface-level business knowledge and inspiration from Pinterest. The solution lies in implementing a thorough brand strategy, including deep research into the business, competitors, and unique design solutions. The video emphasizes the importance of brand foundations, positioning, and strategic design to spark creativity and deliver unique results, with tools like Milano to streamline the process.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Designers often face creative blocks and imposter syndrome, especially when working on unfamiliar projects with high expectations.
• 💡 Drawing inspiration from platforms like Pinterest can be helpful but can sometimes lead to copying rather than creating unique designs.
• 🔑 The root cause of the creative block wasn't addressed initially, resulting in frustration and a lack of original ideas.
• 🗓️ Having a structured design process can significantly reduce stress and make the project more manageable.
• 📞 Establishing clear communication with the client early on helps understand the project scope, deliverables, and the client's business.
• 📑 Creating a project proposal document is essential, outlining the design process, timeline, costs, and deliverables to set clear expectations.
• 🌐 Setting up a client portal ensures that all important project information, contracts, and payment dates are well-organized and accessible.
• 🔍 Conducting in-depth brand strategy research, including brand foundations, positioning, and design solutions, is critical for generating creative ideas.
• 🧠 Researching the business's purpose, mission, vision, values, competitors, target audience, and brand personality provides a solid foundation for design work.
• 🛠️ Using tools like Milanote for compiling research notes, mood boards, and creative direction ensures a consistent and efficient design process.

Q & A

What challenges does the speaker mention about starting a new design project?

The speaker mentions feeling pressure, stress, and creative block, especially when facing a blank canvas and a tight deadline. This feeling is exacerbated by the fear that the client may not think the designer's work is worth the payment.

Why did the speaker feel unprepared for the coffee company branding project?

The speaker felt unprepared because they had no prior experience designing for a food and drink company and were unfamiliar with the design style the client requested.

How did using Pinterest for inspiration initially help, and what was the downside?

Using Pinterest helped the speaker get creative ideas initially by showing real-life examples, which helped boost their confidence. However, the downside was that the final design looked too similar to the inspiration, making the project feel unoriginal.

What realization did the speaker come to after delivering the project?

The speaker realized that while the client was happy with the final product, they still felt frustrated and stressed. This led them to question why a project tied to their passion and skill was so difficult and unpleasant.

What changes did the speaker make to avoid creative block in future projects?

The speaker implemented a structured approach, including an in-depth brand strategy phase, a project proposal, and the creation of a client portal. This ensured better preparation and understanding of the client’s business.

What is the 'brand foundations' step, and why is it important?

The 'brand foundations' step involves taking a deep dive into the business to understand its purpose, mission, vision, and brand values. It is crucial because it prevents the designer from only understanding the business on a surface level.

Why did the speaker add a 'brand positioning' stage to their process?

The speaker added a 'brand positioning' stage to research competitors, analyze the market, and understand the brand’s target audience and personality. This step helps ensure the design stands out in a competitive landscape.

How does the speaker ensure their designs are unique after completing research?

After completing research, the speaker develops strategic design solutions based on the insights from the brand foundations and positioning stages. They also create mood boards to guide the creative direction of the brand.

What tool does the speaker recommend for organizing research and ideas, and why?

The speaker recommends using Milano’s design brief template to compile research, mood boards, and other notes. It helps them stay organized throughout the design process and makes it easy to share information with team members.

How does this new structured process help the speaker overcome creative blocks?

This structured process helps by breaking down the project into manageable steps, providing thorough research and strategic direction. This removes the pressure of starting with a blank canvas and ensures the designer is never short on ideas.