How To Find Your Inspiration
If you need a website or graphic design project and know exactly what you want, that's great and we're here to make it happen. Sometimes inspiration comes easy. If I walk into your shop and see dried flowers, fixtures made from reclaimed barnwood and a lot of dark reds, you and I both have some idea of what your website might look like and what your graphic design style could be. If you have a salon with loud indie-rock music, back-lit glass fixtures and Philipe Starck furniture, that's a great jumping-off point for the personality of your web design needs. Sometimes things aren't so simple and you might need help getting inspired or coming up with a visual "theme"... "feel"... "personality"... "atmosphere"... "ambiance"... "je ne sais quois".
Here are some ideas to find your vision:
Look around where you work. What colors and textures do you see? Green and brown of landscaping or gardening? Iron, steel and chrome with grease accents? Flowers, lace, rust, leather, marble, brick, fur? Is your business what the future looks like, or what people thought the future would look like in the 1950's. or 1890's? Is it as timeless the classic Aloha shirt, or is it as tacky and loud as the classic Aloha shirt? Do you see a patina or weathering on old things? Do you serve soccer families or D.I.N.Ks? A certain age group? Gender? Race? Socioeconomic group? Kids? The local college students? Yuppies? Hippies? The Proletariat? The Bourgeoisie? The upper crust or the hoi polloi? Do your clients listen to Jack Johnson, Social Distortion, Beyonce or Reba McIntire? What color is your collar? Is your name on your shirt, on your desk, on your door or on the building? Think of what experience you create for your customers when you serve them. Are you cutting-edge and twenty-first century, or old-fashioned and folksy? Is your business bold and capable? Relaxed and knowledgeable? Delicate, gentle and caring? Efficient and professional? Hip and edgy? Think about "who you are" as an organization and let turn your imagination loose. Imagine the colors, shapes, textures and imagery that can be evocative of any of the above. Together we can help you find the perfect one for you.
Sometimes inspiration comes from odd places. Maybe it will come from the painting hanging above your desk, a magazine ad that caught your eye, an amazing building, an old hemp marine chart or a product you sell. A couple times we have had clients snap a photograph, email it to us and say "this!. my site should be this!" The photo could be a neon sign, a rocky sea cliff, an artichoke in bloom or a graffiti-covered box car, but we know exactly "what they meant" because we speak the language of creativity. Legend has it that Elvis showed up to a auto paint shop with a white Cadillac. He smashed some grapes onto the hood and said "that's what I want." Now, you're the King and we can bring your inspiration to life.
You can imagine the cork boards full of hand-written notes on reused scraps, old-fashioned type-writers and messy work-benches and art studios that helped inspire this site's aesthetic. Most sites are a bit more subtle than this, but it's all up to you and the experience you want to create.
If you are having trouble being inspired, don't fret. We can ask questions about what you do and the personality of your workplace or business, look around for design clues and present our own ideas to you until you find the one that's perfect for you. We's love to make your ideas into reality, but if coming up with ideas is a daunting chore, we can be creative on your behalf and we know you'll love the results.