A lot of experimentation goes into each design I create. I believe it’s the most vital, but also the most fun part of the creative process. Trying things out and seeing where you get, then comparing with other options you’ve tried etc. It’s one way to ensure the final design is created at your best potential. The process of my creations is usually very chaotic, due to all the things I try out along the way: looking for the perfect colors, perfect composition, perfect texture etc. A lot of undoing and deleting is part of this process, and maybe 90% of the things I create along the way gets trashed. I almost never have my exact final result in my head. It’s more like a basic concept, or sometimes just a vague idea of the direction I want to take. While trying all kinds of things out, I sometimes end up with a surprising result, and these results sometimes lead to new ideas. Sometimes the end result is way better than my initial idea. That’s why I think experimenting is so vital in each design process.

I often get emails from people who would love to “work together” with me or my company, which is great, but some of these emails are really vague. They often end with “let me know if you are interested” without actually offering or presenting anything concrete. They always expect you to “present something”. I don’t want to sound pedantic, but if people approach you like that, than they should not expect you to do their homework, right? It’s like they think you’re doing nothing, just waiting for their email… I believe it’s just a matter of being polite, and efficient. This kind of vague email communication is equal to a pure waste of time since you have to send emails back and forth a couple of times, asking questions etc. just until you might receive the email that you should have had in the first place. So it’s important to be clear and to the point, while introducing yourself and your project via email. Don’t expect people to answer positively if you don’t properly tell who you are or don’t make the effort to properly describe the project, or idea of working together.

There isn’t a magical formula that explains how to choose the right colors. I’m not a believer in strict rules when it comes down to design, because there is always a lot of grey area in this matter. I think it’s mostly about seeing what works and what doesn’t. Tools like Adobe Kuler, or the colors in my Inspiration Gallery can help in seeing what works together and what doesn’t. It’s something that comes with trial & error. I never know upfront if the colors I have in my mind will work well together. I usually do the test by looking at it from a distance. I enlarge the design, making it as big as possible on my screen, and I step away to look at it from a distance of 3 meters. A lot of times I feel I need to change certain colors, because it didn’t seem to work very well in combination with the other colors. Sometimes it’s just lack of contrast, or it feels as if it’s out of sync with the others. It basically comes down to feeling what looks good, and what doesn’t. Studying how others apply color also helps in becoming better at it.

Sometimes, the client’s feedback has no valuable points; then it’s up to you to explain why you think the client’s direction is not a good one. Finding a “middle ground” doesn’t mean you end up with a dull result.

Sometimes the client will agree with you, especially with people who actually choose you because they like your “design style”.

You just have to try to push yourself to the limit in order to be as creative as possible. Take the client’s feedback into account: that can only help you improve your design, whether the feedback is valuable or not, positive or not.

If you do that, in a lot of cases you’ll end up with a great result, and it’s always very fulfilling when that actually happens.

For me, the best thing to do in such moments is to take a break. It doesn’t have to be a long break; 10 minutes is already more than enough. The important thing is that I think about something totally different than what I’m working on so that I avoid thinking about design for a while. I like leaving the office; I usually go outside, or open a book, sometimes while listening to music, or I even take a shower… Anything that makes me feel relaxed and clears my mind.

Another thing I sometimes try —depending on my ongoing projects— is to work on some HTML/CSS stuff. It feels as if I’m switching to another mode. After that small break, I try to find some inspiration by browsing through my Inspiration Gallery, or the stuff I gathered on Gimme Bar, or in my LittleSnapper library. Just things I find beautiful.

I don’t always look at things that are directly related to what I’m working on. Inspiration can be found in many different things and in a lot of case it’s also related to my state of mind at a given moment. Taking a break is of course not a guarantee you’ll have the spark afterwards, but I came to see it as my best chance.