What to Do When You're Out of Ideas
Originally published in “Graphic Define Magazine“
Designers love eureka moments.
You know — fabulous, game-changing moments when the perfect idea appears magically in your head, on a page, or on your screen. These kinds of eureka design moments are the designer’s idealized goal, but in reality, they happen only once and a while.
So, what is a designer to do with the remaining 98 of 100 moments when it’s hard work solving design challenges? I believe that by embracing the iterative cycle inherent in the design process, we can make iterations work to our advantage.
What’s Iteration?
I define iteration as the step-by-step process of refinement that progressively develops solutions to design challenges. This is a common process I and many other designers follow every day to move from concepts to final design solutions.
Why Is Iteration Worth Embracing?
Embracing the iterative process isn’t always easy. Wouldn’t it be great to make a single scribble and convert that rough idea into a perfect design that solves the problem — all with a single wave of your hand? Why tolerate the sometimes slow and steady progress of refinement?
I’d like to share several reasons I’ve found that make the iterative process worth embracing:
- Iteration allows me to start somewhere. There’s nothing worse than a blank sheet of paper or empty screen, when I’ve no idea where to start. Because the iteration process is long-term, simply scribbling a few ideas is enough to get the process moving forward. It’s a way to beat designer’s block, by sneaking in through the back door. My college English teacher always told me to write first and edit later, because editing when you ought to be writing can kill the flow and spirit.
- Iteration reduces the pressure to produce immediate and perfect solutions to design challenges. In a way, the process is like brainstorming, where I’m free to explore various ideas (and even go down a few rat holes) without the burden of generating a solution the first time my pencil hits the paper. I believe the freedom to explore and play actually increases my odds of a eureka moment.
- Iteration is a cycle: generate ideas, rest, refine ideas, rest, repeat, and so on. The space between iterations is important because it allows my mind to brew on the ideas I’ve just created. So many times I’ve stepped away from a design project for a few hours, only to return and solve a problem I couldn’t wrap my head around, or even see as a problem, just a few hours earlier.
- Iteration breaks large, daunting projects into smaller, more manageable chunks. If I’ve accepted the challenge of creating a brand for a large company that must look great in print, on Web sites, on trucks, and even on company bowling balls, the full scope can be overwhelming. It’s much easier to set my mind on spending 45 minutes reading and comprehending the brief, then sketching out a few ideas. For more on this approach, check out David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology.
How Can I Embrace Iteration?
I hope the above points convince you to explore and maybe even embrace a more planned iteration process in your own design work. Next, let me share some ideas for making the iterative process part of your workflow:
- Be ready to capture ideas anywhere. I highly recommend carrying a small notebook or sketchbook and a pencil or pen, so you can capture ideas wherever you are. I find downtimes between activities (waiting for an appointment) great opportunities to sketch ideas or write out my thoughts on a design problem. Something you see, experience, or hear might help you solve a nagging problem, or spark a new idea. Be ready to capture it. Check out pocket-sized Moleskine notebooks for about $10 and a pocketable pen or pencil.
- Write down specifications, thoughts, ideas, and other related information in your sketchbook before you begin sketching ideas. Processing the design brief’s information will help you filter out the last project and other distracting thoughts your mind might be stuck on. Writing first also focuses your mind on the design task at hand.
- Write notes of defense for each concept in your iterations. Most of the communication and design work I do for clients is via email, so I’ve become good at writing and defending the ideas I present on a project, telling clients which are my favorites and why. You must be able to articulate why you believe a concept works and why it best solves the problem. Even if your clients never see this defense text, having written it helps you fortify your reasoning, should the client call for an impromptu meeting on the project.
- Intentionally break your design process into phases. For instance, my normal logo design process includes pencil sketches (1-3 rounds), black and white art (1-2 rounds), and color art (1-3 rounds). By breaking iterations into phases, you have a better idea what’s next yourself, and can communicate to your clients what to expect. If you don’t know where to start, observe your process and document it, then optimize it by adding or removing steps.
- Save all major iterations. When I make changes to a design, I duplicate the latest file, rename and renumber it, then use this new file to create the next version of the artwork. This way I can always revert to a past design if needed, or see where I’ve come from if there are any questions.
- Get feedback on your iterations from trusted colleagues. I think designers are sometimes a bit too protective of their work, when the most helpful and knowledgeable feedback could come from other designers. Share your work with trusted colleagues in the field and ask for their feedback. Non-designer friends can also provide good feedback. They see things from a non-designer perspective and therefore can show you things that you otherwise would have overlooked or may have blocked out as a designer.
- Enjoy the process! Rather than dreading another iteration, accept it as an opportunity to improve and perfect your work. Imagine this moment as your chance to make the design something special — something you can be proud to show others. Another way to enjoy the process is to step away from the office and do some work at a café, or reward yourself at the start of an iteration with a favorite beverage for the great work you’re about to do.
Go Forth and Iterate!
In my own design practice, consciously making iteration a part of my workflow has helped me relax and enjoy the design process, without the pressure to perform eureka miracles on every project. I also feel a rhythm in my design work, which recurs, providing a sense of structure and flow.
Not only is design more fun, the design solutions I’ve created are better. I hope these ideas have encouraged you to accept iteration as a way to manage, loosen up, and enjoy the design process.
Mike Rohde is a designer and art director living and working in Milwaukee, who loves designing logos, icons, Web sites, and anything else he can get his hands on. To access audio and slides on the topic of iterative design, see his Web site.
This article was last modified on July 11, 2023
This article was first published on September 14, 2007
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