5 simple ways Ideoli sparks product design inspiration
Trying to generate creative product designs on the spot can be difficult for many reasons, unless you know where to look for inspiration. Whether you’re a furniture, fixture or lighting designer like we are, or a graphic designer, artist or any other creative professional, it’s important to have a portfolio of inspirational ideas applicable to whatever situation you’re in. This approach has helped Ideoli create innovative designs. So give it a try yourself, and see how much it helps to draw from sources of inspiration.
1. Consult with Clients
We work with some of the most forward-thinking people and companies in the world. They have vision and inspiration from all over and want to translate that into products that enhance their selling spaces. So rather than trying to force our preconceived ideas onto them, we feed off of their visions to collaborate and create new, complementary ideas that help make their visions a reality.
2. Search Social Media
Social networks, particularly visual platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram, offer a wealth of inspiration. To stimulate your creative juices, take a look at design boards, beautiful photography and videography, and even comment threads on sites like Reddit. Doing so helps us spot trends and keep up to date with people’s ever-changing likes and dislikes.
3. Travel
While social media helps you see the world on a screen, seeing new places in person gives you new perspectives that help you discover new ideas. We travel the world to meet with clients and partners, and when we see the architecture, landscapes and culture of these places, they take hold in our minds and influences our designs. Also, sometimes the simplicity in the downtime when traveling from one location to another is a great opportunity for creative thinking.
4. Explore Nature
The world holds astonishing beauty, so getting in touch with nature can help you shape new design ideas. Not only does it help inspire grand visions, but it helps on a practical level, because designs might need to take into account the local environment and climate. Similarly, as the seasons change, each has its own influence in terms of color, type, structure, durability and style.
5. Drink Up
Consuming some fun beverages, like beer and coffee, while socializing tends to help you think outside the box. Sometimes you might not even be thinking about design, but the different atmosphere can make an idea pop into your head. Or you can specifically have brainstorming sessions over beer or coffee to make them more productive, and as you relax or perk up, you’ll start to approach ideas in a different light. In fact, that’s how we came up with our company’s name—Ideoli— and several other great ideas that followed.
These approaches have helped Ideoli create innovative designs, so give them a try yourself and see how much it helps to have sources of inspiration to draw from.
