What I collect

I find inspiration in basically everything. I've been into "collecting" new designers and artists through social media lately. I find myself to be inspired (both positively and negatively) by things as simple as billboards and advertisements I see on the street.

A couple of artists I've been inspired by recently are recent discoveries from instagram, no surprise!
The first is Nim Ben-Reuven, a really amazing hand letterer (is that even a word?!) He just has the most gorgeous handwriting. I discovered him initially from his Mineral Alphabet post, as it was similar to my current type project. The A is what I found, seen below. I also used amethyst for my A, so it was cool to see another spin on it!

Another Instagram find is the photo combiner Stephen McMennamy. He creates the COOLEST collages from two shots he gets at precisely the right angle. They're really mesmerizing to look at, and I would love to do something like this one day!

I'm also really inspired by fashion, and have been from a young age. I love looking at current trends and following fashion bloggers. Design and fashion have always been good bedfellows and I love to carry on that tradition. I love minimal clothing, simple pieces with little touches that make them special- much like my design work! I put some pictures of fashion shots that I love, and I hope you enjoy them too. 

In terms of more solid, continuous design inspiration, I find myself always inspired by nature- the mountains, to be specific. I'm totally a snow bunny, and love being in the cold. Skiing is a big part of my life and I always feel more alive when I get a chance to do it. This is more of a spirit recharging than a noticeable work inspiration, and I feel like my work doesn't necessarily reflect nature influences, but is inspiration nonetheless. I put some pictures down below that really just touch my soul, enjoy! :)

Self Portrait Project

Below are the two pieces incorporated in my self portrait project, as well as the original image. I loved the way this turned out! I don't think its my typical design style, which is part of the reason I love it so much. Its much more ornamentational and flowery than what I usually stick to, and I used Photoshop exclusively for this project (which is pretty crazy if you know me)!

Although this style isn't typical of my work, I think it represents me well as a person. It has enough witty copy- which I love writing- and type treatment to really feel like me from a design standpoint, and enough personal information and bold imagery to feel like me from a personal standpoint.

My Design Influences

I know some of my classmates like to follow particular designers or artists, but I find my inspiration comes from more general sources: Pinterest, Instagram, fashion & beauty blogs, and my fellow classmates on occasion.
I love to scan Pinterest, and follow many design Boards. I'm not very big on Behance, but Pinterest is my jam! I also find it really useful for beauty, fashion, and decor inspiration.

Another inspiration that's pretty big in my life is Instagram. I don't use Instagram like many people do; I like to follow many fashion/beauty bloggers, artists & designers, and some more popular art/fashion websites. I use it more to connect with my favorite bloggers and websites, and less of a personal social media site as many do. I like to use Facebook for personal communication and Instagram for more artistic ventures.

I do have two particular influences that also stem from one of my favorite lifestyle websites, Refinery29. They have two designers that have created some work for them in the past, and I very much LOVE their style. Its basically everything I create, only a little better ;)
The designer's names are Anna Sudit & Mary Galloway. I'm not sure if they still create for R29 as I haven't seen any of their work recently, but they both have done illustrations for several of their articles. They both incorporate simple, clean vector illustration into their work, a medium I love & believe I excel in. Check out some of their work below!

Some of Anna's illustrations above. She tends to favor more detailed designs, incorporating shadows and more dimension than Galloway.

Above are two of Mary's pieces. As you can see, she leans much more towards the flattest of flat design, and I love it! All of her work is so simple and clean, something I really admire. 

I think I get the most work done after class, usually at night. I can sometimes get distracted by friends or people talking amongst each other in class- I usually have to be by myself or really in the zone to get a lot of focused work done. It really all depends on my frame of mind! I can think of times I knocked so much out in one class session, but I generally do my best in the later hours of the day. 

Finally, the last question is how I define design now. I think this is definitely a loaded question, because there is so much that incorporates design nowadays. I still think its defined as visual communication, the things that are being communicated are just so much more diverse now. Design is more and more being used in mediums like Youtube videos, Twitter banners, and personal branding for ordinary people. I think design is becoming more accessible due to the boom of new designers out there, and it being incorporated into more "normal" peoples' lives- basically those that wouldn't have as much need for it as before. 

Additionally, everyone is trying to make it big on Social Media nowadays. I think this has opened up a new niche of design (as mentioned in the above examples). Everyone wants a logo for themselves or their brand!

Good vs. Bad Design

Good and bad design are both very obvious to me. I personally favor simple, clean lines and details in my work, and lean towards those that do the same.

One design I've always loved is all of the Apple branding, as obvious as that choice is. Every single one of their products is so simple and streamlined. They are a great example of a company that has found their niche early on and stuck with it since. Below is a picture of the front page for the new iPhone 6- so stunning!

The next great design example is from the restaurant Holly Burger, and is a great example of menu design IMO! The type is amazingly teated, yet simple and clean, making it very easily read. It has a little extra flair with the tropical leaf background, a print that is very in vogue at the moment.

The third example of good design I have is for a photography company called Blush, designed by Grit & Wit. I love the mix of simple, clean design with a more feminine, ornamental style. Even though I tend to lean towards less ornamentation and more simplicity, I really admire the mix of the two- I would really love to incorporate more of this style into my work!

One example of really terrible design is this logo from someone named Jeffrey Miller. I'm not one to trash someone's work, but the fact that he kept the feet in on the M makes for a clunky, amateur design. The stroke doesn't help either!

Another example of terrible design is this amateurish design for a company called Bench Warmer. The design is so terrible- while the woman's figure is somewhat clever with the W incorporated, the unfortunate placement of the ornamentation makes her look like she's passing gas- need I say more? Additionally, the stroke makes this design look even more amateur.

What makes or breaks design is very simple in my opinion- it must be clear, concise, and conveys the point quickly. This is especially apparent in design for businesses, such as logos or advertisements. Avoiding strokes, gradients and excess ornamentation is the right way to go!