Oftentimes, the best inspiration comes when you look outside of your circle or industry. You see a fresh perspective and gain new insights for your own field. The reason this works is a lot of fields are creative.
So even though, say, music and design don’t have much in common on the surface, the creative parallels are pretty clear.
It’s true that an electronic music producer or rock band or jazz outfit or whatnot aren’t crafting visual or web designs. But the way they do their craft and the value they bring to the audience is more or less the same as a designer.
Thus, you can find out some pretty relevant tips from how the best musicians do what they do. And then you can apply it to your own field. You’ll become a much better designer in the process. Here are 3 things that musicians can teach designers.
Emotionally Connect With the User
The best music isn’t just something you listen to – you get an emotional reaction. Of joy, of inspiration, of fist-pumping excitement, of reflection. The best music artists emotionally connect with you, the listener.
You don’t just hear, you feel.
And that’s what your designs should be able to do. So the viewer doesn’t just see, the viewer feels an emotional reaction. You go just beyond functionality or a pretty surface and emotionally connect with the user.
Visual and web designs are not unique cases. Any creative work can and should emotionally connect with the user. Whether it’s an incredible tune, or a moving painting, or an involving film, or a lust-worthy gadget, or a supremely elegant and joy-to-use website – the best work invokes an emotional reaction.
Make your design not just functional and visually pleasing, but a joy to use. Or so elegant that the user is blown away. Or add little details that makes the user smile when noticed. Whatever you do, just make sure to go above and beyond to emotionally connect with the user.
That will separate just a great design from a truly memorable one that’s worthy of passionately describing and sharing with friends.
Have a Clear Style and Direction
Practically all of your favorite artists have some distinct style. Or they have a clear direction they pursue. If it’s dark, it’s broody and atmospheric. If it’s futuristic, it’s cutting-edge and synth-based. If it’s fun, it’s humorous and cheeky. And so forth. There’s no clashing of styles, or incompatible vibes being combined. The style and direction is very clear.
And that should be no different when it comes to your designs.
Do you do more industrial, grungy stuff? Or slick, futuristic? Or clean and minimal? Or natural and Zen-like? Go full-force with that style. Make your style very clear. Otherwise, you’ll be middle-of-the-road with no distinct direction in your work.
Think about it: the most prominent websites and brands have a very clear visual style. There’s no mistaking an Apple webpage, ad, or packaging for another company. The same goes for the greatest designers and visual artists. Their stamp is made in the work they do – no matter how much they do tweaks for the client, the distinct style is subconsciously included in all the work they do.
Your style and direction shouldn’t be forced, either. It’s pretty simple: your style is the sum of your influences. You inevitably fuse what you like into your work. No need to over-think your direction: just break down any self-conscious barriers of what you think your work should be like and just create as if you were making it for yourself.
What would you get most excited by? Create like that, and then that becomes your clear style and direction.
Don’t Become a One-Trick Pony
You know those one-trick pony artists. The ones that find a trick or technique which works, and then they proceed to use it in every single tune of theirs. What was a fresh musical aspect quickly becomes repetitive and boring.
Your favorite artists no doubt keep it fresh. They don’t rely on some technique, or use a trick as a crutch, or repeat the same ideas over and over. That’s why they stay relevant to you and other fans, and why they remain exciting and vital.
Be the same with your designs: don’t become dependent on one trick or technique.
When you do find some clever trick, it’s fine to use it in your designs. But don’t rely on it to carry your design work for ever and ever. Your design worth should come from your skills, style, and ideas, not from some trick. And the other thing is others can copy that trick, after which you stop being as unique. Again, it’s the same with music: an artist discovers a technique, others copy, it becomes stale.
Focus on developing your skills, style, and ideas, not crossing your fingers that a trick or technique you discovered will carry you far.