Incase you missed this (I posted it to twitter a week or two ago), here is a doodle with my thoughts on inspiration vs. imitation. To see the full size image, right click and open it in a new tab/window.
Inspiration vs. Imitation
Jessica Hische
Good explanation!
Do you think the process of getting from imitation to inspiration is something that only comes with time or can you get there quicker if you just bombard yourself with stimulating influences?
A pretty inspirational diagram. It actually underlines how much more I need to push myself to be exposed to different influences instead of the usual suspects, specifically good looking websites.
brills.
I love this! I used to pour over the many design sites and collect magazine clippings. It got to where I would use them as so much of a reference, that my designs started to look like a copycat. I now refuse to bookmark or cut out specific designs. Instead I make myself use a sketch book to loosely draw a similar concept, then in the margins I write out the design elements that drew me to it, along with a few other associated words. Later when I refer back to it I’m forced to rely solely on my interpretation.
Well said! Excellent “semi-sort-of comic” Jessica!
As a design student, it’s easy to think that because you’re learning design, you can do it well straight away. Thanks for your version of what my teacher has been trying to explain all semester. This makes sense to me and inspires me to keep looking, always looking!
Erin. x
Can you make a poster of this please? Love, fellow Tyler GAID Grad.
this is brilliant! i’m just writing a dissertation on this topic and this is really inspiring
I second the notion of making this a poster.
Amen.
Excellent! I’m going to show this to my 1st year students this afternoon, it will backup what you covered at your talk on Tuesday evening. I can talk about this, and many other subjects until I’m blue in the face but when they hear it from someone outside the university you can literally see the lightbulbs switching on over their heads!
Hi, Jessica! I accidentally ran into you and God! I’m so glad I did! I love what you do! I wanted to ask you if it’s ok to use some of the pictures of your work (with links to your page, of course!) in my blog. I’m planning a post on typography and I’d really like to include you. Thanks a lot!
Cheers from Argentina! Miki.
Awesome illustration. Outstanding point and I’m pumped you shared it with us! I like the drawings better than text … my mind can comprehend it much better! haha.
This is brilliant & right on the money. I wish more people realized the difference between inspiration vs. imitation in the design world!
I thought this was awesome, and a simple way to explain what design teachers (or of whatever kind of art) have always been trying to tell their students. However,
taking a look at this: http://www.bantjes.com/project/you-me-3
against this: http://jessicahische.com/typographizes/veiny-type
& this: http://www.bantjes.com/project/aiga-holiday-tape
and then this: http://www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEP/Article/28931/0/page/14/index.html
oh and wait: http://www.bantjes.com/project/new-york-times-holiday-books
vs yours again: http://jessicahische.com/typographizes/pixel-ish-type
I can’t help finding this post so wrong.
definitely hadn’t ever seen the first two pieces by Marian and the third is totally different (pixel vs sweater type). I’m actually friends with her and I’m sure she wouldn’t communicate with me if she had a problem with the work I was doing. Style can be a bit of a gray area, a lot of people send me images of other peoples work that is similar to mine, but most of the time I don’t react about it or even think it as similar at all because I can see my “hand” in things I’ve done. I love Marian’s work, but in general hers is much more exact and complex than mine. We do have overlap with certain decorative elements (which is why we compete for jobs and she sends certain jobs my way when she has to pass on them), but as I’ve had to tell myself before when I see something someone else does that is a little too similar to my own work “I don’t own swirly decorations, no one does”.
You rock. I stumbled upon your blog after finding the “should you work for free?” graphic on twitter.
Love the depth and perspective of your graphic here, and completely agree!
Cheers!
Thanks for such an inspirational drawing! As a design student, I know it’s easy to fall in the trap and imitate the works of designers/firms when you are seeking inspiration for a project. Throughout school, I’ve learned not to imitate, rather, notice how the designer/firms successfully handles space, type, and imagery in a design.
This is genius! (Love your flow chart too…)
This is great! Love your work and your positive & healthy attitude. Cheers from London. EK
Completely agree! The more inspiration the better. I think the MOST important advice anyone can give an aspiring student is to look at as much quality design as possible. In fact, look at all design, even bad stuff now and again so you know what not to do. Be a sponge. Soak it all in and absorb it into your memory bank. You can’t design in a vacuum.
Jess—This is a genuine question, one I’m really curious about. How do you find the time to do the massive quantity of work you put out, as well as all the side projects and blogging? How many hours of sleep do you get on average?
One more question≥≥≥≥… Do you build your own websites or do you pass off your designs to a developer. Do you feel that programming and development skills are essential to all designers in today’s world? Even those focused mostly on print design?
Wow, what virulent diatribe! Love the passion/poison of your posters.
I’ve recently found looking back at old manuscripts from the 15th-17th centuries quite interesting for inspiration(patterns, lettering, colour).
I’ll usually try and copy exactly what was in these diagrams/illustrations, break apart elements to learn their techniques. Then rework them – develop my own versions using the examples as inspiration – and then morph them for use in a modern context.
I guess some of the commenters have a point about owning a style, it’s simply not possible. But if your trying to add value for your client, what’s the point in replicating others work?
Practice is paramount to learning your craft and by all means copy to your hearts content, but keep that stuff on your hard drive.
Designers spend too much time looking at the others portfolios instead of exploring a whole world of inspiration around them.