As working from home five days a week becomes the norm again and we settle back into our finest comfies for winter. For designers, it’s more important than ever to have an outlet for creativity and inspiration to make sure we don’t all go crazy.
For those who thrive off constant interaction and an inspirational office space or busy atmosphere, being sat back at the dining room table all week can seem a bit of a bust. As a senior designer I have worked in my fair share of great office spaces over the years (and not so great!) and for sure having a clean, bright open space to work in is a must for me. But we don’t all have a fortune to spend or have endless spare room in our living spaces. There are little things, however, that you can do to help the creativity flow.
– Have an ‘inspiration board’, sketchbook or scrapbook of cuttings where you can save pieces of good design that inspire you. I used to do this a lot as a junior when print was more prevalent. Nowadays, I have a Pinterest board or ten (save the trees!) and I actively make time to look for design ideas and trends online that I like to help inspire my work and make sure it’s current.
– Stay connected. It’s easy to become isolated throughout the various lockdown measures we have going on up and down the country and we are lucky that we live in a digital world with instant access to just about anything. How about talking ideas through and getting your colleague’s opinion, or even the people you are closest to opinions on what you’re working on? Even if it’s just to chat – communication is key.
– ‘You’re a designer, be creative!’ …. If like me that phrase puts the fear in you, don’t pile the pressure on yourself. Sometimes it can be challenging to be creative when you’re put on the spot, so take the time to get away from your working space and if you can, grab a cuppa or take a walk outside —go someplace that you know will put your mind at ease; autumn is such an inspiring season! This will help you to come back refreshed.
As creatives we already have the ability to adapt and overcome quickly, especially when new design trends or technology are introduced, so now is a really good time to embrace this. Customer demands will change, the pandemic will not be around forever (we can only hope!) so making things work for you is paramount to staying sane and inspired throughout the rest of 2020 and beyond.
