Starting Line
This blog (in its entirety) is about so many things, but I originally wanted it to be mostly about design. However, I have been having so much fun posting about other random things like what I’ve been learning as I read through my Bible or about the fantastic world of Disney! So this is getting back into the design aspect of creating for our Creator…
On a daily basis here’s what I do to help get into design mode –
Google Reader
I might be the last person on the planet to discover this, but previously I had been using Yahoo to collect RSS feeds, and I didn’t like it so that stopped awhile ago, but Google Reader is AMAZING! I have taken a lot of my favorite design blogs and compiled them all together so I start each day with a dose of amazing-ness!
I’ve had a Twitter account for over a year now, but I am just a silent follower, I rarely tweet myself. I just love to read the articles and the “Best of” lists. It’s fun to see what these mega-bucks designers are making, creating, and inspiring.
And then if I am starting a new project, I check these accounts –
delicious
When I do find good Twitter articles, tutorials, or graphic showcases I bookmark it in Delicious with the appropriate tags so when needed I can look it up later. It makes starting a new project just that much easier. Say I am starting a new website that is aiming for a minimal design, I look up web_design and minimalist. Easy! Inspiration right there and ready to go! Or I need to accomplish something in Illustrator that I just haven’t got a clue on doing but I know it’s possible I search for Illustrator and tutorial, and there you go.
Evernote
This is my favorite tool! After scouring all the previously mentioned, I find a great image snapshot and this is where I put it. My design taste is far ranging and this is a great place to keep it all organized. I also like that I can keep such a range of imagery from photography to paintings to magazine article layouts to web screenshots. If I see something that inspires me but it might not be needed at the moment, I Evernote clip it. And that is what makes it amazing. It’s candy for my visual brain.
But if I am already involved in a project –
Inspiration Board
This is a collection of images, textures, and colors that I found that relate to my current project that I gained inspiration from.
I wrote that the above gets me into design mode, but really where does design mode end? I find inspiration everywhere! I love just snapping a photo of whatever I find, the rust texture on a side of a gas barrel or the colors of bracelets found at a Mexican market, and then uploading it to Evernote so that my inspiration can be stored up and poured out later.
And if this post wasn’t long enough, here’s a chart from my friend Ethan demonstrating the fact that a designer is always thinking about design no matter where you are!
So there’s a look into my starting process and design resources to get me started each day!
