Afterchaos :::Archives::: [Ideas! A closer look at creativity] :::

Summary:

One of the most daunting task for a designer is to generate ideas. Sometimes this task is considered a minor undertaking for unknowing people. Why so? Because the results may look convincingly simple.

:: Ideas! A closer look at creativity

by Carole Guevin

So how do we in fact become proficient idea generators? First, ideas = creativity. The root of creativity stems from the word creation which is to create from nothing. Nice theoretical assumption. Now what is the practical side?

Thus, a creative concept is a generic idea conceived to make an impression, carrying meaning and generating understanding.

Here are four steps to quick start the process.

a_ imagination ->: power to shape the intangible
b_ conceptual ability ->: notional pondering and musing intelligence
c_ originality ->: freshness -> uniqueness
d_ inventiveness ->: generative of productivity

a_ imagination -> power to shape the intangible

Creativity core meaning is the ability to generate ideas. Any project starts with a brief - which acts as the corner stone, guide, and director. One way to make sure that you *get it* so to speak, is to use a thesaurus, an etymology and regular dictionaries. Why? Simply because if you think you know what a word (or series of words) means - you will discover that you don't. Or at the very least, you know of one meaning, or first level meaning, which is not enough to infuse meaning into a design.

To shape the intangible you need a starting point. One thing I would like to point out is that *communication* is not to interpret a message. Efficient translators are capable of putting into another language its inherent cultural context. Their role is to interpret meaning. Bad translation is transliteration which means translating letter by letter. Results? Poor meaning and understanding for the reader. Possibly you may have used at some point simultaneous online translators... which transliterate and gives some times... spoofy sentences.

In communication design - we are not translators. Our role is to find the symbols that are part of the cultural psyche. Mind you, these symbols are (almost) universal and talks across (almost) all cultures. Symbols are inherently simple and yet may contain complex nuances depending on the context. So our role is best described as transliterators. A word by word transposition of the message around which we build a concept. That is why using tools like thesaurus and etymology dictionaries will open the door to expanding your understanding of a word. Meaning is conducive to finding symbols and symbols underline strong ideas.

A lot of the present communication theories are to either shock you out of your socks, use unrelated props or items, seductive and sometimes blatant out of this world (reality) assumptions, in short, asking the audience to reach beyond the obvious. Any given day, look at tv ads on mute and try to figure out the *message* without hearing it... and you will discover that a staggering 85% of the messages will be completely incoherent until you actually see the products and even then, you may never link what you saw to what is presented. This generates confusion and the worst scenario: disbelief and defensiveness.

In view of the growing trends towards schematic reading (ie a balanced act of short text and supporting imagery), discarding how an audience *gets it* is to alienate our efforts to communicate effectively. Remember our audience is not stupid. Use their imagination well.

b_ conceptual ability -> notional pondering, musing intelligence

Once you have your short list of 4-5 words that you have researched, write down the definitions. Once you have munched over their alternate meanings and what immediately struck you (at this point you may well brainstorm with colleagues if they are available), you are now ready to extract the most out of this exercise.. and something wonderful will happen.

Meaning sparks ideas! Now try to isolate which symbol(s) will best convey the message (the words you retained). This is when the intangible via your talent (your imagination) will start forming links between meaning, symbols and lead to a concept.

The next step is to start mixing these into a cohesive yet simple concept. By the way, if you think *simple* is easy or even a lowly expression of intelligence, beware, you are wrong! To be verbose is sometimes perceived as being intellectually robust. Well if your role in life is to speak to oneself - there you go!. Since our job is to communicate - keep in mind that anything you need to explain in more than a couple of sentences to be understood...is already... well... no longer simple... and is missing the point altogether. Simple, is what I call the "less is best" principle.

Concepts are an assemblage of ideas. Here you are with many ideas - maybe too many ideas. So how are you going to take the chaff off? Think notions. Can it be sketched it easily? If not, garbage. Are the initial sketches conveying meaning? If not, garbage. Are intangible symbols rendered in simple elements? If not, garbage. Can you make an holistic rendering? If not, garbage.

In fact, whatever you can't unify in a simple initial sketch that bakes the idea and get your creative juices flowing. Garbage!

c_ originality -> freshness -> uniqueness

So perhaps your concept relies on a universal good business practice (ex: people are everything to a company) it needs to become embodied into a fresh design treatment.

The notion revolves around you, the designer who has acquired the skills. Is your talent baggage an asset or a nuisance? Find out, by being the first person enthused... or not. Ask yourself: is this original? Are your efforts to get it right rewarded? Are you facing a fun challenge? Are you capable of fleshing the concept into a brand new design. New, as in never have done it before! You may have had to deal with similar briefs, and or constraints, and or clients, and or even the same universal concept but your task at hand is to push forward by experimenting with the notion of designing something *new*. Your design idea needs to jump out... at you first!

Fresh is easily understood when compared to going to the market to buy fresh vegetables. Nobody wants stale produces nor want to produce staled ideas. So freshness in design is???

At this stage best to browse the web to your fav inspirational launch pads, trade magazines or design books. Don't look for somebody who might have done something like what you have in mind... hence proving... huh... you are not doing something original. Instead, since your imagination, your mind is brimful of new meaning (words) look out for associative impulses.

You may look at something which will trigger the little tiny weenie bit that you could not resolve spatially. Be thorough - but don't push it. You know, when ready for mock-up production. You are so hyped and driven with inspiration that you need to *see* how it looks. Don't hesitate to build master files with bits and pieces of stuff you like that may work for this particular project. Stuff like: fonts you like; design elements; relevant key colors, etc...

d_ inventiveness -> generative of productivity

Most companies attempt this type of communication:

Company (ME) = MEssage (project/contract)

The company has already a set of pre-organized communication material and feels utterly in control of what the project/contract should result: their MEssage being delivered. The expectation that leads to more than lousy results is that the Company is thinking in a linear way. ME issues this MEssage and there should be the least possible disruption between the two. The problem with this lateral equation is that the = sign is neither taken into account and also a mysterious 3rd element that makes any communication effort a success.

= is the intermediary, in this instance, you. Without an intermediary there is no message delivered. Your job as the intermediary is to make sure to include the ingredient that makes today communication efforts a success: the AUDIENCE !!! It is crucial to contextually communicate a message with a targeted *audience* in mind and that, my friend, is the 3rd mysterious element that, your client, needs to identify with your help. Not putting the niche audience as the corner stone equals verbose corporate back slapping. Your role is to make sure that a message destined to the *point-click* and *rainbow* generations will include contextual symbolism and relevance. It may be the same message but the context will definitely impact on how it is presented.

A concept is a general assemblage of ideas that needs to be cookie cut around a context (audience). You are now entering production stage. Have fun!

imagination conceptual

originality inventiveness