Creativity From Without

As designers, we will often be working with a client who is asking us to design a product for them.  In this case the designer is asked to create not from an inspiration that comes from within themselves, but from without.  They are asked to draw creativity from the client’s ideas and from what the client wants and envisions for the product to make the idea a reality.  It is a challenge that designers often find themselves faced with, and every designer must learn how to handle and work within the restrictions that a client places on you.

 

I remember a show that used to air on HGTV called Get Color, in which the designer, Jane Lockhart, would create a personalized color wheel inspired by something that the client was passionate about and use that color wheel to design a room for the client.  Sometimes the inspiration would be a favorite place, a historical period, or a favorite past time such as cooking, gardening, or scrapbooking, but in every case the color wheel would be made up of objects that relate to the theme and was always different.  I used to really enjoy watching this show, because I found the designer’s approach to interior design and color use very original and interesting.  It was great to see how the designer and client could draw inspiration from absolutely anything and to see the way that color could be used to evoke the memory of a favorite place, time, or hobby.  It was definitely one of my favorite shows on HGTV and really made me think about the powerful effect that color can have on you ….I wish the show was still on the air.