One of the most important things I’ve learned in my career as a designer is that finding inspiration before starting any work is key. There’s nothing new under the sun, and plagiarism is bad. But looking at other people’s works is a great way to get inspired to come up with your own new ideas and can really get the ball rolling if you’ve been staring at a blank computer screen / piece of paper trying to get ideas.
I have also recently noticed that if you don’t already have good sources to find good artwork, literature, or images to inspire you, finding sources can be tough. So here are a few of my go-to favorites, and why.
1. Pinterest
The reason pinterest is number one for me is because whatever pin you’re looking at, it will show you related posts. This can be tough to try and go down the right rabbit hole, and Pinterest might show you posts that have nothing to do with what you’re looking for, but all it takes is one image that can open the door to many related images that really are what you’re looking for.
2. Designspiration
If you haven’t heard about designspiration, it’s excellent. It’s in the name, Designspiration is all about design inspiration. It has a wide range, which is good for finding inspiration for your project through different mediums. You never know what might inspire you. Dspn has a team that curates work, which can be a littled biased at times, but it also means that they sift through stuff that isn't as good so you don't have to.
3. Behance
Adobe’s Behance is a great tool for finding inspiration, but can sometimes get bogged down with young designers and creatives who are trying to make a name for themselves and try to post as many projects as possible, some of which may be sub-par. But the reason I like Behance is because unlike Pinterest and Instagram, it focuses specifically on creative work. So you won't have to wade through stuff like recipes, DIY, or anything like that.
4. Instagram
Instagram is one of my favorite sources of finding inspiration. Since being acquired by Facebook, there are more creatives and designers on Instagram than ever before. You can simply type design, logo, illustration, art, painting, etc. into the search term and find more accounts, images, and people who display their work. At one point I think I was following more creators and artists than I was people I knew in real life.
Happy hunting!
