I'm A Student That Has Hit A Creative Block, How Can I Overcome This?

[Guest kat kinkead]

Hey there guys, I've been lurking around the discussions here for quite some time just as an admirer. I go to school for product design, and I seem to have hit a creative standstill on a project I'm working on. Can anybody give me some suggestions on how to overcome this? What do you guys do when this happens? I need to work my way back out of the box!!!

 

Please! hope to hear back

[Guest Karl Baxter]

I would do a couple of things. I would just try doodling around the idea or project without really trying to think about it too much, but only for a short while. Or, depending on the time frame, just leave it alone for a couple of days, watch some movies and play table tennis. I feel if it is a creative block, rather than a technical or practical block trying to force it is somewhat futile.

[vander 10]

try doing an image search of existing designs, sometimes you will see some elements that you find interesting and that may spark some new ideas.

 

I am by no means saying to copy anything, as that doesn't develop your skills as a designer. However by putting up existing designs on a wall it not only serves as a bit of market research, but it also helps you to identify the shortcomings of current products which almost always sparks new ideas.

 

Good luck with your project!

[Guest Bj.R]

Sometimes funny games can help too. Pick a random animal and draw a product like that animal would use it. How would it be in space? Also, exagerating certain elements in a drawing can help too.

 

Good luck!

[Guest nicanor]

Talk to classmates about your project, maybe their insight will spark a new direction/idea. Talking with other designers is always a good thing. Take advantage of how many designers (classmates) are in your area while in school, when you graduate you'll never have the same amount of opportunity anymore.

 

Also try a different design approach. If you're sketching, do scale models prototypes or 3d renderings.

[Guest jonarves]

The main ingredient in creativity is impulsive inputs. ..so you always need new input!

 

If you are at a 100% creative standstill, thats probably because you have only one subject on your mind. ..The current project. ..and little other input.

 

To get the new input, you have to change focus, take a brake or do something else!

 

.. take a walk in the park, watch a very interesting movie, go out with some friends and try as much as possible to leave the subject you are working on until creativity comes back!

 

 

(!) Recreation and distraction is necessary to get creative input, so sufficient recreation has to be a part of your creative job!

[Guest zarniko]

Hey there guys, I've been lurking around the discussions here for quite some time just as an admirer. I go to school for product design, and I seem to have hit a creative standstill on a project I'm working on. Can anybody give me some suggestions on how to overcome this? What do you guys do when this happens? I need to work my way back out of the box!!!

 

Please! hope to hear back

 

 

collaborative design thinking is the way to go.. find people and start thinking with them you will never run out of ideas as a team.

[Guest Creative Edge Products]

I usually just ask different people for their opinions.

[Ronnie_Space 2]

Try alcohol, a sketch pad and some good music. Works best in the evenings, up to stupid o'clock.

 

Ronnie

[Guest porcelain]

Thanks for these opportunities!

[Guest indy2878]

Here's a few suggestions...

 

 

 

*Try doing something else during your summer or spring break. Travel abroad. If you have the money I highly recommend traveling to Europe like sitting down in a cafe in Paris France and just

sketching whatevers with a cup of coffee, or seeing the sights in Holland which I hear is a pretty dynamic place....

If you want somewhere REALLY dynamic then there's Tokyo which I'm REALLY sure you'll be able to get some crazy, but interesting ideas there....

 

*Bj.R is right in playing funny games. If you think about it a key component of creativity is humor! So don't be afraid to think and BE different and unique!

LIke my art professor said in school, "NO idea is stupid!" :-)

 

 

 

*Videogames. As long as you don't have ADHD or something like that I actually could recommend playing videogames. Just remember moderation IS key! So as long as you don't play WOW or whatever game you like all day you should be fine.

 

*Vander's idea to google search the "images" section of google is a good way of finding new design ideas in an intuitive way....

 

 

*Ronnie's way of alcohol + sketchpad + good music is another good idea. Its very basic, affordable and fundamental and you SHOULD do this all the time anyway. Practice practice practice! I tend to do this a ton and you can go anywhere like say Starbucks or a local coffee shop and just sketch stuff there.

 

*Jonarves is correct in that you SHOULD draw and sketch DIFFERENT types of subjects and not just say cars or mp3 players.

That's the reason why in school they have you take life drawing classes and draw different objects and people. Like drawing people's clothes teaches you how to draw form and the use of negative space around the subject, light and shading, etc....

 

 

 

*Also try going to your school library and look at some design books. Look at some art history books to help you develop your style of drawing. Borders or your fav. book store is a good place as well. Look around the magazine area and explore looking at different subjects that might capture your interest.

 

Here's an interesting, but effective creative exercise I do all the time.... Pick a magazine say something from the music section and another magazine from a totally different section like for instance,

grab an architecture magazine. Put the 2 subjects together and form a new idea!

Your ideas may vary, but TRY your best to come up with a new design idea or invention based on 2 unrelated ideas. Don't be afraid to stretch your imagination and push fiercely through your normal way of thinking!

 

Like for instance, how about the idea of music that plays a particular music genre in the room according to the time of the day and weather outside? For instance, its raining hard w/lightning and very windy and the room is dark, so your invention plays beethoven... Or on the other side of the fence, its sunny outside and nice and warm. So your invention plays Beatles "Daytripper" etc....

 

Or a magazine of scale model trains + housing magazine = a "Train House" Where you can design a train that also provides a "hotel" like experience.... We have 20 million dollar boats with house like furnishing, Recreational Vehicles, Boeing 777 jumbo jets, Limos, etc.... Why not for trains as well? If you study U.S. History this country was built on the use of trains!

 

 

*Look at untapped areas of life and create a new opportunity for the good of human kind. For instance, creativity isn't just in design, but how about in the business services sector? For instance, how about a 24 hour freeway "shelter service" useful for people traveling to another sate or country overnight? I don't know who would fund this type of idea, but its a good idea for instance, a "service van" can act as an overnight shelter where the driver can pay a reasonable fee to sleep in for a few hours with a driver that includes food and other essential items. Think of it as an extended cab/tow service for the freeways....

[eobet 0]

If all of the above fails (which happened to me), ask yourself this:

 

What is it you really want to do? What is it that really interests you? What is it that YOU personally want to accomplish?

 

I found that, subconsciously, my latest projects basically went against everything I believed in, so I found it incredibly difficult to complete them... until I managed to put my own spin on them and guide them in the direction I felt I could stand behind.