Lupton’s section on “How To Get
Ideas” really opened my eyes to ways of brainstorming that I have never thought
possible before. She starts off
the chapter with the most common way of brainstorming, sketching (or visual
dumping in her terms). This is the
way that I have always used to get down my ideas before starting a
project. It is a quick and
effective method to plan out a project or at least get ideas down on
paper. I appreciated the examples
that were included on pages 64 and 65 of the sketches and the completed
project. I thought it was cool to
see how another designer starts from scratch and then from there creates and
interesting piece of work.
The section on the Visual Diary was
the part of the reading that caught my attention the most. Doodling is something that I have
always done throughout classes mostly just to pass the time. But to actually create a diary of
various random designs that just pop into your head seems like a great idea for
me. When faced with a specific
project to work on it can be hard to come up with designs on the spot. I think that having a collection of
ideas and sketches would be beneficial to look back and reference. I loved the way that the book described
the sketches as “sweet, unrefined creations” (100) that can help mental blocks
and be used for later creations.
It is so much easier to come up with ideas when you’re not being forced
to, so putting a few down on paper each day seems like an excellent idea to me.
What I also found beneficial about
this chapter was that it not only described ways to put ideas down on paper but
also electronically. Concept
presentations are used to both think and communicate ideas through the web, which
would be useful in many fields of work, not just graphic design.
I know that sketching has also been a large part of my work. I am glad to read that others also find retribution in sketching as well. I think that brain dumping is an excellent way to form idea’s and overall design direction. I also agree that using an image database to further your design is a fantastic idea. Look at other peoples work, compare it, scavenge it for ideas, and apply your findings / research to your own project. I am a very visual person, especially when it comes to education, so I say the more images the better!
ReplyDeleteThe Visual Diary is one of the strategies that I thought would be very helpful as well. I think that having an arsenal of creative doodles to review in a moment of an inspirational drought is ideal. The images and ideas that you collect, which are not useful for a current project, may become vital components of one in the future. Additionally, I feel that keeping a Visual Diary will inspire stronger ideas and more productivity during the “visual dumping” process. With ideas constantly flowing from brain to paper, the need to think alternatively at a moment’s notice becomes a breeze. Furthermore, I also agree that highlighting the application of these strategies for the web proves beneficial because so much of the design world exists on that platform today.
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