4 answers
Candace
Student
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What if in the Graphic Designer field you get serious art block? What will happen if that hinders your work flow?
#graphic-design #graphic-design
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4 answers
Julia Hinger
User Experience
8
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Julia’s Answer
Most creative folks will develop strategies to deal with those times when you can come up with nothing and you have a deadline looming. here, i will share some of my strategies:
- Refer to the project strategic documents and be really clear on brand and audience and what you are trying to solve/achieve
- Remind yourself that it doesn't matter if it's beautiful only, it needs to actually solve the problem you have been given
- Create a competitive and comparative review. Know the answer to what works, what doesn't in the field. Where is opportunity?
- Have a list of Pinterest boards or bookmarks of anything that inspires you that you can refer back to when needed
- Talk to others about it, get advice, get crazy, brainstorm
- Use 'how to generate ideas' techniques (Google it, things like: rephrase the problem, think in reverse, 5 ideas in 30 seconds etc)
- If nothing else helps: Walk away and do something else. Go for a walk, take a shower, work on something else, sleep on it. Your subconscious will continue to work on it.
As a last piece of advice: I would stay away from 'the big reveal'. Going into your design cave and working for a month on something in isolation is a pretty big risk. Working on a concept for a little while and then coming back to the stakeholder and getting incremental feedback helps you answer questions as they come up and ensure everyone is on the same page and small course corrections can be made as you go along.
- Refer to the project strategic documents and be really clear on brand and audience and what you are trying to solve/achieve
- Remind yourself that it doesn't matter if it's beautiful only, it needs to actually solve the problem you have been given
- Create a competitive and comparative review. Know the answer to what works, what doesn't in the field. Where is opportunity?
- Have a list of Pinterest boards or bookmarks of anything that inspires you that you can refer back to when needed
- Talk to others about it, get advice, get crazy, brainstorm
- Use 'how to generate ideas' techniques (Google it, things like: rephrase the problem, think in reverse, 5 ideas in 30 seconds etc)
- If nothing else helps: Walk away and do something else. Go for a walk, take a shower, work on something else, sleep on it. Your subconscious will continue to work on it.
As a last piece of advice: I would stay away from 'the big reveal'. Going into your design cave and working for a month on something in isolation is a pretty big risk. Working on a concept for a little while and then coming back to the stakeholder and getting incremental feedback helps you answer questions as they come up and ensure everyone is on the same page and small course corrections can be made as you go along.
Pamela Galante
Senior Graphic Designer
23
Answers
Manchester, New Hampshire
Updated
Pamela’s Answer
If I find myself really stuck on a project, I will usually do 1 of 2 things:
1. Step away from the project and work on another project, or do some non-creative related task. When I come back to the original project, I usually am able to view it from a different perspective and figure out the solution.
2. Ask others for their feedback. I work with other designers, so I am able to ask their opinion on what I am currently working on if I feel really stuck. I also sometimes will go directly to the project manager, and ask if this is not he right path/for them to explain a bit more about what they are looking for. Sometimes just getting that extra information will help me think of a solution!
1. Step away from the project and work on another project, or do some non-creative related task. When I come back to the original project, I usually am able to view it from a different perspective and figure out the solution.
2. Ask others for their feedback. I work with other designers, so I am able to ask their opinion on what I am currently working on if I feel really stuck. I also sometimes will go directly to the project manager, and ask if this is not he right path/for them to explain a bit more about what they are looking for. Sometimes just getting that extra information will help me think of a solution!
Danielle Pierce
Global Marketing Director
3
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Danielle’s Answer
As an artist I found it hard to overcome a block. We are always on, I can be laying in bed and the shape of a shadow on my wall can inspire me. It’s hard to “flip a switch on” when you walk through the doors of your employer and the flip it off when you leave. I’m not sure our minds work that way. What I can say, it to avoid burn out I would take quick 15 min mind breaks throughout the day. If I was really struggling with a subject or idea I might google it. Sometimes the research would help me understand something better and I’d feel inspired.
Crissy Bogusz
Graphic Designer and Motion Graphics Artist
4
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Crissy’s Answer
Everytime I would get a new job I would be worried about this :) no matter how old you are, and how many years you're working this is a fear that comes up, and it's normal! But to be honest, even though it's a fear, it's never happened to me. And it doesn't happen to others.
When I was at Vogue at one point I was creating 10 completely different animated designs a day. That's coming up with 10 ideas a day, everyday! But I did it and it was fine. When you're a creative it honestly just comes to you.
Everyone works differently. Some people prefer to plan all their ideas out, and sketch them and have an idea in mind of what they're going to create. And sometimes a job requires this - as in their want you to show them a 'storyboard' (if it's a video or animated video) or a proposal (for static graphic design, for example a rough idea of what you're going to do). In some jobs they even create the storyboard or proposal for you, and are very specific with what they want you to design (I find that's the case in 50-75% of my job)
The way I work is, I don't plan. I just start and start experimenting and see what I come up with. So if I get stuck for ideas it'll be during that stage, and i just start with anything i have. Often projects include assets - for example photos that already exist. In that case as I'm collecting the assets it's giving me ideas.
You can also look on websites such as envato which has loads of templates and look up a project similar to what you're creating, and get ideas from that.
Look up the website https://envato.com/
When I was at Vogue at one point I was creating 10 completely different animated designs a day. That's coming up with 10 ideas a day, everyday! But I did it and it was fine. When you're a creative it honestly just comes to you.
Everyone works differently. Some people prefer to plan all their ideas out, and sketch them and have an idea in mind of what they're going to create. And sometimes a job requires this - as in their want you to show them a 'storyboard' (if it's a video or animated video) or a proposal (for static graphic design, for example a rough idea of what you're going to do). In some jobs they even create the storyboard or proposal for you, and are very specific with what they want you to design (I find that's the case in 50-75% of my job)
The way I work is, I don't plan. I just start and start experimenting and see what I come up with. So if I get stuck for ideas it'll be during that stage, and i just start with anything i have. Often projects include assets - for example photos that already exist. In that case as I'm collecting the assets it's giving me ideas.
You can also look on websites such as envato which has loads of templates and look up a project similar to what you're creating, and get ideas from that.
Crissy recommends the following next steps: