50 способов найти вдохновение

Design inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an illustrator working on a glossy magazine cover or a graphic designer working on a logo mock-up for your client’s latest product. The right kind of inspiration will always help you come up with creative and unique ideas for your projects.

But sometimes you need some help getting inspired. Luckily, there are a TON of great resources for design inspiration.

Between the three of them, they have a few decades worth of design experience and acumen—not to mention an encyclopedic knowledge of the best places for design inspiration.

You might be surprised at how often they go offline for inspiration. Big lesson: Don’t be afraid to venture outside away from your computer to get inspired.

With that, let’s jump in.

1. Travel

From William:

“I’ve done a lot of solo traveling (upwards of 60 countries by myself). To me, this is about expanding my ‘visual library’ but also getting time to challenge some of my deeper rooted assumptions. As a design researcher, one of the key elements is reflecting and knowing yourself. There’s no better way to do that than adapting yourself to a new context.”

Travel exposes you to new cultures, people, and experiences. It’s no wonder professional designers like William use it as a source of design inspiration as well. By immersing yourself in an area that’s far from home, you break out of your comfort zone and open your eyes to new possibilities in your creative projects.

Tip: Scout for last-minute flight deals and head to a city you’ve never heard of or planned on visiting for a weekend. Ask locals for restaurant recommendations, take long walks, and keep your headphones in your pocket while you focus on these new surroundings.

Go deeper: How traveling for a year changed a remote worker’s life

2. Take walks

From Greg:

“As a creative, it is so easy to get lost in your head. For me, I go on walks or bike rides to clear my head and soak in my environment. I find inspiration everywhere from tags and murals to weird cars to nature and architecture.”

Sometimes the best way to get inspired creatively is to leave the office and simply go on a walk. This isn’t just conjectured either—a 2014 study by Stanford University found that walking boosted creative output by 60%.

Tip: Think about how you can start incorporating mindful walks throughout your creative process. Force yourself to take regular stretching and movement breaks, especially on stressful days.

Go deeper: What’s your creative ritual?