As creative professionals and designers we sometimes talk amongst ourselves about what inspires us. What other work we like or admire. Or what we saw that led us to a new composition, technique or design solution. And whether it’s some mental notations, a digital collection of images, a bookmark list of websites or an old fashioned file folder of tear sheets we each have a collection we refer to when in need of an inspirational pick me up.

When starting a project, we learn the client’s material, research the client’s competitors and go back to that inspirational file to spark a solution that will resonate with the intended audience. But how often do we stop to think about how we are inspiring others? Designing to fulfill an objective or to communicate a concrete, or even abstract idea somehow seems easy in comparison to creating work that consistently inspires others. But through passionate and honest communication with our clients we have an opportunity. We can encourage exciting, creative risks that directly inspire an audience. Or at the very least, we can introduce a new way of thinking to established category — an equally impressive achievement.

Now seems like a great time to think about how we each can inspire the others we encounter every day; our teammates, our clients and our end audiences. It might be as simple as asking your clients what excites them about their business every day and sharing in their passion. You could even go as far as sharing your source of inspiration with the final creative solution to give your client an inside glimpse into the mystery of your creative process.

What is your inspirational secret weapon? … How are you going to inspire someone else today?

Tags: Communication, Creativity, Graphic design, Ideas, Inspiration

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