Imagine the situation: you have just received a new logo design project, but the product or service does not really inspire you. You sit down and start thinking, but nothing comes. What to do ?
1. Create a mood board
To succeed in creating good ideas, you must first nourish your brain. One of the best ways is to create a mood board made up of inspirational images. First think about the target group you want to attract. What does he appreciate? What is he looking at? What does he read and what does he listen to? What other brands would be likely to interest these same people? Visit some sites they might like and download some reference images, watch a video clip and take some screenshots. Buy a few magazines or newspapers relevant to this demographic and cut out interesting pictures and characters.
Don't stop on such a good path! Grab your phone and go for a walk , taking pictures of things you find interesting, like half-torn signs or old posters, interesting textures or shapes.
Once you've accumulated enough images, you can either create your digital mood board using Pinterest (or whatever), or make it physically. For me, I do both, but there's no doubt that when I'm short on inspiration, tearing and repositioning images on large sheets of paper helps unblock my mind. Plus, when finished, you can display them all around you.
Then observe your mood boards and identify what you like among the elements that compose them. Are there any colors, typographic styles or shapes that stand out that you could use in your own work?
2. Make a mind map of your ideas
Mind mapping is one of the first creative “brainstorming” techniques that I turn to when I need ideas. It's a way to put all your initial thoughts on paper , which then allows them to evolve through associations. Start with one or two words that represent what the company/product does. For example, if it's a plumbing company, you can write the word “plumbing” right in the middle of your page. Then create a branch and write an associated word in itto plumbing, then link to another branch to another related word. Continue this flow of associations and allow yourself to digress, as it sometimes leads to interesting ideas. By the way, you don't have to limit yourself to writing, try adding scribbles or sketches to your mind map. Drawing can give you additional ideas as you establish visual associations. For example, you could draw a drop of water, the shape of which will remind you of a leaf, or a face, which you could also draw.