
Creativity in Web Design
Websites are challenging to complete but they should be fun as well. They should always be used as a tool to build your business and draw your audience. I just love it when technology meets creativity.
If I had to create of my own accord a definition for the word creativity it would be that creativity is left to the imagination of ones mind. If you can imagine a scenario then you could put yourself in a position to express that idea or that thought.
Dictionary.com defines creativity as, “the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work”. If I say so myself I was able to articulate that thought pretty clearly. Laughing Out Loud (LOL).
Creativity also lends itself to one’s culture, style, upbringing, mindset, belief and overall thinking process. All of these things that contribute to the “overall you” and basically defines how we express ideas.
One of the biggest conflicts I’ve found as a designer early on in business was, how to come out of my “makeup” and bring myself into another persons’ sphere of expression. As designer we are constantly tasked with making designs that appeal not just to us but to our clients, their demographic, their market, even their geographical demographic. To be able to consider what appeals to Northern U.S. and not necessarily appealing to Southern U.S. or even appeal east and west coast for that matter.
So creativity is very key in developing any idea or vision. Your creativity is what makes the design unique and will also make your website unique.
Here are 5 things that you could possibly do to be considered a creative website designer:
(1) Take a break and go experience your environment. Before the internet became as vast as it is now, I would use everyday life as inspiration. I would look at trees, flowers, patterns, colors, commercial animations, art shows, cars, or any objects that I felt seemed unique. I would take pictures of them so that whenever I had to be creative and was stuck; I could look through my pictures and get inspiration.
Maybe your inspiration comes from day to day life with your family or the pain and anger you feel. Use that emotion. No matter your inspiration use it to fuel your designs and watch your creativity bloom.
(2) Take that inspiration and create an inspiration board with all your favorite things or things you experienced and put them all on a board to fuel the creativity within. Put it in your office and reflect on these things whenever you create websites.
(3) Write down your clients needs and desires and create based on their needs. Jot down multiple ideas so you can come up with the best and most creative idea that’s the best fit. Make multiple renditions so that you have designs to fall back on and keep your creativity going.
(4) Aim to make your designs as unique as possible. Even if you’re one that takes templates and rebuilds them, you should always look at templates as a foundation and not the means to the end. Always add your own touch and your client’s style to every manner of work you put out.
(5) Take on viable challenges. It’s always good to be stretched but not if it’s something that you know you can’t do. Be honest with yourself. Being challenged offers you the opportunity to express your ideas in ways that have not come into the forefront of your mind yet and can prove to you that you are a better designer than you knew.
This is the things I do to fuel creativity when it comes to designing website. What are some of the things your do to fuel your creativity?
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