4 ways from brief to idea

So you've made the sale, received your deposit and the client has sent you their brief (or you've created one based on questions you've asked). What you do next will make or break you as a designer.

Every designer will have their own ways if finding 'inspiration'. Some are similar to the methods I mention below, but they are varied as much as the designs they create.

The list I've compiled here is a combination of personal experience, as well as some tricks I learned from seasoned creatives in the advertising industry.

1. Just Start

Although this is has probably the lowest success rate, some people come up with ideas on the fly. This method is as simple as it sounds. Fire up your design program and just start. You could try starting with type styles or creating the current logo. I find myself doing this if I get lazy, but the results are nearly always sub-standard. By starting with fonts, you usually limit your creativity, and end up using text as-is.

2. Box Method

Draw up a grid of 16 squares on a page (a quick way is to fold it in half 3 times) and get a pen ready. Now, close your eyes and picture a black square getting bigger and bigger until you can't see the edge any more. Now open your eyes and draw/write really quickly the first idea that comes into your head into the first square. It may be an idea of a letter variant within the logo, it may be an image of a hat, it may be a pickle - anything you can think of that vaguely relates to the brand or the name. Even if it doesn't relate, just sketch it quick and move on. This isn't a drawing exercise, its a quickfire idea generator.

Don't spend any more than 20 seconds. Now move onto the next square and the next square. Don't stop until you have filled both sides (or 32 boxes). The more the better. See if you can keep going for 30 minutes - and don't look back. If you average around 30 seconds each - you have 60 ideas.

Now go back and circle 5 or so you think have some serious value, and try to expand on them a bit more. I have a friend that makes a full page of expansion ideas for each of the 5 original ideas. If none of them work out, either go back and pick a few different ones, or do a completely new sheet.

3. Brainstorm

Similar to the box method, but here you're going to be writing a lot more than drawing. There are lots of ways to brainstorm, so I'll just share how I go about it.

Start by writing the business name in the center of the page and draw a circle around it. Then write a list of the businesses core values, circle them, and attach each one to the name. Next, write any aspects that the client would like to portray. Maybe it's 3 different departments of the business, maybe it's that they're eco-friendly or that they want to include some humor in the brand. Next, write a list of images that come to mind when you think of the business, or what the business wants people to think about them (try to stick to physical things). Next, write a list of adjectives that describe the company, then things that rhyme, and things that sound like the business name.

Now go and start circling with colored pencils or markers. Green = Must have, Blue = Would be good, Orange = Maybe.

Next try graphical thinking. Try to think of pictures that 'represent' some aspect of the company the company without using any words. Don't try to create the logo, just think of images that represent some aspect of what you're trying to convey. Once you've exhausted your first list, see if you can combine them to form 1 image or see if another image can represent a combination of them.

It may be good to stop after you've written all of your words and try the box method (above) instead of moving right onto the graphic thinking.

4. Drown

When I was doing my advertising training a lecturer told a story of a famous (but I was unable to find him online again to reference this article) Japanese advertising creative goes down to his swimming pool and sinks himself to the bottom. With his waterproof board and pen, he stays down there until he comes up with an idea. His theory is that the brain makes remarkably impressive and intuitive calculations when it goes into panic mode. I'm guessing it works because he's apparently one of the best.

I'll add more details on that if I can find them, and please feel free to help me out if you can. :)

Some things that will help

1. Always carry and notebook and pen with you, and keep one by your bed. Awesome ideas often come to you in the strangest places at the strangest times, so be ready to note them, even if you're not sure if its any good (remembering for later works 0.0001% of the time). I just got my first Molskine and I wonder why I never got one before - it's brilliant!

2. Try dedicating an hour when you first wake up each morning to be creative. Studies have shown that this is when most designers are most creative. Mostly due to the fact that the mind is fresh and uncluttered. Try fitting it in before breakfast (coffee may be needed though).

3. I can't verify this (and if someone out there can add some technical information it would be appreciated here) I've been told that moving water apparently releases positive ions into the air which stimulate brain activity. This should mean that sitting by a flowing river, or even in a running bath should all help your brain to do a bit of creative overtime. I also find that being outside in the fresh air can help to focus me on my work.

4. Although named 'identity inspiration', I would avoid browsing through places like Logopond.com until after you've started working on concepts. I find that looking at logos in a similar field will block free thinking thought, and you get stuck down a single line of thought.

5. Don't rush in. Once you've had the initial conversation with the client, make as many notes as you can, then let it simmer in your brain for 24 hours. Let your brain think about what you've learned about your client and sometimes you just come up with that brilliant idea without having to go through the whole process above.

6. Don't try to produce a logo in the idea phase, just try to get as many different ideas on the paper as possible. There's plenty of time to refine later, just get it down and move on. Don't critique ideas yet either - its all about quantity at this stage - the quality comes later.

7. If you get a mental block, push through it once, if it stays there, take a break. Have a cup of tea and do something else for a while. Take your mind off it and come back to it later.

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Well, I hope that's given you some ideas and I hope it helps you to start generating your own. Feel free to let me know if it helped.