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It happens to the best of us. You sit down excited and ready to start a new project… and nothing. You’ve been waiting for a project like this for weeks, but now that it’s here, your mind is blank. Why does this happen? I’ll leave that answer for a design philosopher. (Is that a thing?) However, there are a few ways I have used to counteract the effects of creative block.

1. Brainstorm

   This seems like an easy answer, but there is a way to make your brainstorming more effective. First, make sure that you write down, draw, or sketch anything and everything. Something may sound like a bad idea now, but it could spark something that works later. If you keep an open mind to new ideas, it will help the creativity flow.

2. Explore Resources

   Pinterest, design award sites, or even google searches are great ways to gain inspiration. Also, websites such as Feedly.com pull in articles and design blogs that can be helpful. Using these tools, you can pull aspects of other designs and rework them into your own.

3. Take Pictures

   There are many helpful resources online, but sometimes it can be useful to pull ideas from your everyday life. If you see something that you think could help with the project you are working on, take a quick picture with your phone and save it for later when you sit down to work.

4. Set the Project Aside

   This seems like it would slow down the process, but sometimes it helps to take a break from a project if you have the time. Set it aside and work on something else for a while. This way when you come back to the project, you may be able to look at it from a fresh perspective, and possibly come up with a new idea that you hadn’t thought of before.

5. Poll your Peers

   Once you have an idea, or a few ideas, it may help your process to get the opinions of a few of your trusted peers. It can be helpful to have a few fresh eyes look at your concept from an angle you may not have seen. They can give you suggestions and direction that can help you make your design even better.

After you have a list of good ideas and suggestions from your peers, you can take those and work them into your design. By now you should have a better direction for your project, so it should be smoother sailing from here on out.