Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

It’s an age-old question. In the creative world there are all sorts of opinions on inspiration, and who inspired whom, or the belief that there’s no new ideas under the sun. However, how are we to deal with inspiration?

To some this may seem as a little elementary, but the more I deal with clients, or as more and more new designers enter into the world of graphic design, I’m struck with the lack of some to grasp how to truly be inspired by something.

We’re constantly bombarded with lists of all the latest and greatest CSS galleries, website headers, and logo designs. These lists are great to an extent, but so often just breed more of the exact same, rather than true creativity and problem solving. Recently I’ve come across a handful of examples in which it was obvious to me what or whom was the inspiration.

So here’s a few quick tips to keep in mind next time you find yourself hunting through all the list sites, or find yourself awe-struck by that new website or piece of art.

1Don’t allow style to precede the message.

I’m sure as I write more, you’ll hear me talk about the frustrations of “design for design’s sake.”Design is about communication... Design is about communication, and if the design of a piece does not effectively communicate the message, then it becomes no more than a piece of art.

Take this set of ads created for the new Google Chrome browser. I was actually shocked at how similar they were to what I believe to be their inspiration.

All moral or ethical arguments aside (I’ll let those infringements be handle by the original authors), I believe Google succeeded at duplicating a unique style but failed in effectively communicating a message to the masses about how much better their browser is than the rest of the bunch.

Don’t just mimic style because you thought it was cool. To truly act on inspiration is to take the core of the concept and use it to advance your own initiative.

2Don’t ignore the “Man in the Street” Rule.

Merriam-Webster describes the Man in the Street as “an average or ordinary person”, and oftentimes the Man in the Street Rule is applied in design by testing a design infringement out on two ordinary people. If they can see the similarities in the two, then that is all the proof needed to pursue an infringement case.

Be aware of your audience and the breadth of your concept. I don’t know how many countless times I felt as though I had this epiphany of creativity, only to discover that a similar concept had already been executed. Don’t always let this deter you, but take note of how others have implemented that creativity and make sure yours stands out on its own.

This example just feels too close to have any doubts as to by what it was inspired. As some of theWhen you are inspired by something so prevalent as a car commercial, be sure that you don’t completely rip-off concepts already played out in said-commercial. commenters on the band’s website point out, it was pretty obvious to them too. I could just as easily use this video as an example for the previous point. However, I think it’s worth noting that when you are inspired by something so prevalent as a car commercial, be sure that you don’t completely rip-off concepts already played out in said-commercial. See for yourself.

3Let your inspiration strengthen your own message.

Have you seen (or not seen for that matter) this guy? Recently the art world was aflutter with China’s invisible man. So then maybe you’ve noticed this recent series of commercials for bi-polar disorder medication?

Again, I’m not here to debate the legal, moral, or ethical implications of adapting a style, that was obviously originally created as a piece of art, for a commercial, but I will say this—at least the message is communicated effectively.

While searching for a full clip of one of these commercials (I had to settle for a screenshot), I came upon a blogger who suffers from depression and was commenting on depression commercials in general and noted how “they usually get it right,” while using this commercial as a prime example.

The communication worked. The emotion that needed to be communicated was felt, and the commercial effectively sticks with its viewers.

So, in your next project, make sure, when searching for that right inspiration, to not let personal style, or the cool factor, overshadow your message; keep your audience and contemporaries' work in mind; and start with a strong message, and the right inspiration and mode of communication will only make it stronger.

Keep in mind as well, that even though I've used mostly motion video examples, the same goes for print, web design, logos—you name it.

While we're on the topic of inspiration—last week I posted an article about what was inspiring me for the week. I've decided to go ahead and make that a semi-regular concept. Every few weeks I'll compile all of the links, images, tweets and anything else that may have made me stop and reflect. Enjoy!

  Please feel free to leave a comment, or join the conversation.