Cure Idea Block and Make The Ideas Work

When ideas flow it’s a fantastic feeling. But then there are those times, when for no apparent reason everything just becomes blank. And before you know it you’ve got a creative block with all the symptoms of panic, anxiety, and frustration. It happens to even the most seasoned designer or creative director. LifeDev recently put together a list of 15 tips to help remedy the suffering and get the ideas flowing. Any of these 15 tips plus a double dose of PSFK should get those big ideas rolling out. We’ve pulled out a few favorites:

• Relax your breathing, cool your nerves
• Use a different medium
• Think with your eyes wide shut
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions
• Surround yourself with materials

But then what? Getting these beautiful ideas to work often presents a whole other scenario of not knowing where to start. Smashing Magazine has come up with seven considerations and questions to make sure there’s some functional muscle behind the idea’s good looks. Here’s three:

• Consider what is the goal.
• Consider what your audience intends to do with it.
• How does your user know it’s working?

This is back to basics kind of stuff and essential DNA for any successful design.