I was given a PDF which baisically explains one persons vews on creative processes. It insightfull, into the do's and dont's of creative working.
Surfing the Creative Process
Curt Cloninger
A current version of this outline (with active links) is online at: lab404.com/surfing/
I. A Process Primer
A. A Generic Design Process
1. pre-design (interview, research, creative brief)
2. design (theming, concepting, prototyping)
3. development (building, testing)
4. implementation (publication, distribution, maintenance)
B. Strengths & Weaknesses of Any Design Process
1. Strengths
* saves energy, you don't have to re-invent the wheel
* gives you something to "work" when you are creatively dry
* can take you to unforeseen places [1]
2. Weaknesses
* one size doesn't fit all (no single process will perfectly fit all
projects)
* a process can suggest and preclude creative solutions, but it
doesn't automatically generate them (themes don't transform
themselves into visual concepts simply by your following a
process.)
So... it's not just THAT you working the process, it's HOW you work the process. The
design process should be perpetually supplemented with strategies, tools, habits, and
paradigms. The process is like a bread recipe, and these supplements are like the yeast --
the active ingredients that help the creativity rise.
II. The Yeast (ways to best exploit the design process):
A. what this talk is NOT about:
1. yoga, meditation, diet, lifestyle
2. inspirational travel destinations
3. the perfect background music for designing
4. other intrinsically personal decisions
B. Strategies
1. Believe in your creative powers [2]
* timidity leads to lame design
* even if you're not very good, how does self-doubt make you any
better?
2. Implement Eno/Schmidt's "Oblique Strategies" Cards [3]
* use only when you're specifically stuck or at a crossroads
* commit to doing whichever card you get
* loosely interpret (they're just to get you started)
* edit the set to suit your practice; add your own cards
3. Don't pursue "Eureka"
* "eureka" moments are often mentioned by designers, but always
in hindsight
* more often than not something gradual leads up to them
* don't shortcut the process; don't get too specific too soon
4. Overvalue the Conceptual [4]
* Yes, God is in the details, but he was in the concepts first.
* A good concept poorly executed is more compelling than a poor
concept well executed.
* A good concept will focus and drive a good design.
5. Blitz [5]
* Limit yourself to 3 hours, and force yourself to develop an entire
mockup in that time
* don't do this until the prototyping phase, or it will be fruitless
* place your 3-hour mockup alongside a mockup that took much
longer, and see if anybody notices the difference
* feel free to fine-tune after the blitz, being careful not to dilute the
original approach
C. Tools/Templates
1. In General:
* keep alert and open-minded as you tweak (the solution may be
something unforeseen)
* much good design is simply good editing (harvesting the good;
deleting the bad; and being able to recognize the difference)
* don't just harvest "final solutions." harvest ideas, hints,
compositions, etc.
* it is cognitively difficult to simultaneously create and evaluate,
so do each in turn.
2. Autogenerative Software and Templates
* n_gen software [6]
* layout-o-matik software [7]
* büro destruct designer software [8]
* designershock OS1 software [9]
* grid systems in graphic design (Müller-Brockmann) [10]
* make your own auto-generative tools/systems (cf: John Cage, Sol
Lewitt, Josh Davis)
3. Standard Software
* tweak unfamiliar software
* tweak obsolete software
* use your usual software in an unusual
way [11]
- Layer the heck out of a design, with each layer containing
related design elements, then go back and randomly
remove layers, observing the results. Find
combinations that work, flatten them, and begin the
layering process all over again.
D. Work Habits
1. Maintain a Personal Design Playground [12]
* everybody needs a place to fail
* fail in the medium you hope to improve, not just in a sketchbook
* fail semi-publicly
* fail early, fail often
2. Be Less Derivative
* take a sabbatical from man-made stuff
* get out of the city and into the woods
* surround yourself with natural objects (shells, leaves)
* remove as much man-made media from yourself as possible (TV,
architecture, furniture, magazines)
* touch stuff
* turn off the audio
3. Be Hyper-Derivative
* surf the heck out of design sites
* watch two movies per night
* crank up the audio 24/7
* visit a museum or gallery per day
* play video games
* eat at the mall
E. Paradigm: balance the five layers (concentric circles) of design context:
1. General design aesthetics (does it look good to you and your peers)
2. Media constraints (does it work, is it usable)
3. Audience needs (does it meet the needs of its users)
4. Client needs (does it please your client's desires and perceived needs)
5. Ethical considerations (does it benefit society as a whole) [13 & 14]
• Most people focus on #4 way too much, because that is the pressing monetary
concern. But inordinately focusing on pleasing your clients may not lead to the
best overall design solution.
• By shifting perspective and focusing on various layers of context throughout the
process, you arrive at a more balanced, holistic design.
III. Summary
Take what you can use of these approaches, modify them to fit your needs, and leave the
rest. Nobody has to know that you are applying these tips and tricks. They can think it
all comes straight out of the creative genius that is your brain, with no prompting
whatsoever. Seriously, there is no shame in following a design process, and as long as
you're going to follow one, you should surf it well.
