Curiosity in designers

            One of the most common questions designers get is “Where do you get your inspiration from?” or something similar to “where do you get your ideas?” The answer varies depending on what type of designer or innovator you are and what industry your work in. But the most common denominator seen amongst designers or creative types is, curiosity. Curiosity to solve problems, curiosity to see things others cannot see and curiosity to improve or help others in their lives. Curiosity is a powerful tool designers use to understand how things work or how customers think. By adapting a more outsider perspective about your business or your customers, they can start forming visual clues as to what kind of problems you have and how to solve them. Designers are great at breaking down everything to its bare essentials, in order to come up with simple solutions or ideas which you may have overlooked or not thought of.

Designers have always been able to maintain a child like curiosity that helps them see through the habitual clutter around us. It gives them the opportunity to approach problems a with more of a fresh and positive outlook . We tend to use this hunger for curiosity to increase our knowledge by working in different industries or working on multiple projects. With every new project, we love to immerse ourselves into what you do, why you do it, and for whom you do it. Designers do not always end up becoming pro’s about your business, but they immerse themselves deep enough to see how they can help you solve a particular challenge. Their curiosity can form insights that can lead to ideas, help see the bigger picture about why and how your product is not resonating with your customers.

On the flip side of the coin, curiosity in designers needs to be nurtured all the time. It needs to evolve and be inspired. By constantly looking at what others are doing or creating, they are keeping their curiosity levels high. They like to get inspired by other designers and innovators, but also how past master designers used curiosity in their process, to come up with their great designs. It has always been the curious nature of Steve Jobs to come up with some of the greatest inventions of our time, so was the curious drive of Paul Rand to help us connect companies with recognizable and memorable logos. Rand studied artist like Picasso and Cézanne to understand how to draw the connections between their creative output and significant applications in graphic design. Curiosity was also the foundation of Walt Disney’s infinite world of imagination.

Designers also tap into their curious nature to expand their minds beyond the four walls of an office by traveling and exploring other cultures. Given them the opportunity to broaden their creative vision and observe different problem solving methods. This curious nature in designers fosters an appreciation of how other designers think, innovate and create.

Letting curiosity drive your creative thinking, is what makes design exciting and keeps you always on your toes.