Taking Design Outside (Away from the Web)
Inspiration can come from all sources, and one of the popular sources is architecture. I don’t want to go into using the lines and flow in buildings in terms of a website, but more of an interior sense, to train your eye to make you the best designer possible.
This is more aimed at serious web and graphic designers that might be looking to take their skills to the next level. We all know everyone can always improve. You may not write some things down on your latest performance review, but personally you always have some self-conscious weaknesses.
To me, the one thing you can train is your “eye”. A simple way to put it is “talent”, but that designer’s instinct is something that is constantly developing in one’s mind and needs to be tended to, so you are always on your game.
You Have it
First, let me say this: everyone has that natural gift of design. You know what looks good to you. That’s all that matters. From there it’s just a matter of execution (your vision in conjunction with other skills, ie software) and how your views line up with the General Public.
So imagine you’ve walked into a restaurant. Say the last sit down place you’ve been, for example.
A Designer Sees…
Someone trained or self taught in the ways of design sees everything different than “everybody else”.
- Colours. Interior design has to have great colour, because they don’t have the luxury of being able to casually whip up gradients and images. So, it makes sense that you have to have colour matching skills like no tomorrow to design interior space.
- Lines. Many interior designs are very linear, for the same reason above. Sure you could soften every edge and have less linear presence, but inside a rectangular prism it is costly and more or less pointless.
- Accessories. The little things, down to the salt and pepper shakers on the table to the outfits the servers are wearing. It all matters, just like every element to a website matters.
- Big Picture. Last week we talked about what you look for in the big picture. Similarly, step back observe this building you have entered. How’s the atmosphere?
Someone Else Sees…
If you’re not observing the table layouts and paint colours, chances are you’re there for food and you’re hungry. In your mind the number one priority is to get in, be seated and start the waiting process for food.
That’s something you have to keep in mind when laying out your space. Just like you have to assume when designing a website that the user will not read things in the order you want them to. Design accordingly.
Newspapers
I love newspapers for their design aspects, and it is actually quite close to web design (especially blog design). We’ve been getting a new one in the mail that aims to sort of bridge the gap between two regions. The content? Garbage. The design? Fantastic.
I’ll be honest in that I hate actually reading newspapers. When I want depressing news of murders and abductions, I’ll turn my TV on. Though I do make a point of looking at every newspaper I come across for a few things:
- Typography. Most newspapers have 90% great typography. I just hate it when they through in a really bad Sans-Serif sub heading for no reason. Ruins the whole paper, if you ask me.
- Lines. Design is all about the lines, whether you seem them or not. A good layout for a paper runs on a nice grid layout that remains somewhat consistent throughout and isn’t broken by images and other features.
- Variety. It’s too bad you can’t find the one formula that works and keep beating the horse until it dies. Nickelback has done this already, so were left to create variations on the themes originally stated. This keeps people interested for longer.
Taking design inspiration from these sources is a great way to create unique designs, but the gold lies changing your perspective. What would you do in the shoes of an interior designer? A newspaper designer? A clothing designer?
Could you use your current knowledge and apply it to something else related to the field? I bet if you spent a week with an interior designer you’d start designing more simple, detail oriented and bold websites. The example runs all over the design world.
I’m not saying the trades are interchangeable, but the insight you can provide yourself by changing your train of thought is invaluable.
Design Thursdays on Blogtrepreneur are brought to you by freelance web designer Connor Wilson.
