The Passionate Observer

Out and About

Where does inspiration come from?  How do we continually come up with new ideas?  How are old ideas interpreted in fresh ways?  How do we recognize trends? What is the difference between trend and fad? How do we keep up with trends? How can design solve a problem? How can we be original? What is the key to design integrity?

These are all questions that have relevance in the design of anything. 

Inspiration comes from observation - being constantly in tune with our surroundings. It is being "out and about" in the world. If we become passionate observers, we begin to notice the unnoticed. When we notice the unnoticed, new ideas come to us.  We also start to see ways of interpreting things we have seen before in a new way.

When we become observant of our surroundings we notice new things that a lot of people are doing - whether it is a shoe style that is suddenly on every pair of feet or cruising the internet and seeing similar ideas popping up in social media.  When an idea flashes and goes - it has no staying power and become faddish.  When an idea hangs on, it has the potential to become a trend.  To keep up with these trends, we must continue in our role as the passionate observer.

Being original and maintaining integrity is a matter of creating from our own inner resources. it is not at looking at the idea of others and replicating them. It is about being out and about as a passionate observer - and turning those observations into new ideas.