All creatives are susceptible to variations of designer’s block throughout their careers. Even though it might feel like it sometimes, no one is 100% inspired all the time, and fluctuations of inspiration are completely normal to experience.
However, when it’s your job to be inspired, finding ways to resurrect that creative zeal is essential for maintaining a healthy relationship with your craft. No matter which way you look at it, design impacts everything, especially in the digital world.
Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available to help you do this. But one of the most effective ways to revive inspiration is simply to look at some of the most unusual or prolific interface designs from history.
So, here are three to get those creative juices flowing.
1. Skeuomorphism
Skeuomorphism is without a doubt one of the most iconic interface design themes to date. This makes it the perfect design trend to reflect on when your inspiration well is running dry.
Most widely associated with Apple’s earliest graphical designs, skeuomorphism is characterized by its mimicry of real-world objects. One classic example is the recycling bin icon, which mimics its real-life counterpart. This style was hugely popular in the 1990s and 2000s.
What makes skeuomorphism so unique is that it captures a zeitgeist of early user interface design like no other version can. With its realistic highlights, shadows, and forms, the earliest smartphone and website users were able to draw more succinct associations within an unfamiliar technological territory.
Skeuomorphism is all about truthful representation. It’s about reality, grounding, and the familiar. However, don’t let its straightforwardness fool you. This classical UI design theme requires high rendering, conceptualization, and technical skills.
When you don’t know how to move forward, sometimes you need to look back, even if you look at mistakes or designs that fell flat. The past can teach us so much about the context of contemporary interface design. This is what makes skeuomorphism the perfect point of reference for a fresh, new design.
2. Glassmorphism
And now for something completely different.
Glassmorphism first hit mainstream UI design in the 2010s, when users were more familiar with digital interfaces. This allowed designers to jump out of the real-life box and into something with a more otherworldly appeal. Now, it’s used by everyone from Apple to Microsoft.
The defining characteristic of glassmorphism is its frosty, translucent glass appearance. Instead of looking at something, users can look through it, creating a sense of mysticism and verticality.
Glassmorphism is spacious, playful, and open to possibility. If you’re stuck in a UI creativity rut, looking into the finer elements of this prolific theme may be able to pull you out of the trenches. Its lightness makes it buoyant and free. This can be useful for reimagining the heavier aspects of post-2020 design.
The three principles of glassmorphism are light borders, opacity, and either pastel or vivid colors. This UI design theme really understands how visually impactful softness and lightness can be when used in the right way. Sometimes, less is more. That’s an important truth to remember when struggling creatively.
3. Animation/Motion in UI Design
Even if you’re not a digital animator yourself, looking into the kinetic world of motion in UI design is another great way to kick-start some fresh creative energy.
Motion UI is a clever method of adding customized transitions and animations to a digital interface or website. By adding movement to what has been a largely static platform in the past, users are gifted a much more enriched and engaging interaction with websites and apps.
But even better, motion UI can be loads of fun to create in your own time. It’s a rewarding process that calls for a variety of different skills and perspectives. This gives designers an opportunity to get out of their heads and into something a little more visceral.
The key with motion UI is to find the balance between distracting movement and movement that enhances a visual experience. This requires a very different kind of approach to traditional UI design, which makes it a great concept to look into when you’re feeling creatively constipated.
Other Inventive Ways to Get Inspired About Interface Design
Sometimes, pushing through an inspiration rut is the opposite of what you need. Instead of forcing yourself to focus on a project that drains your energy, try to beat the brain by doing something completely different for a while.
- Give yourself a break: Step away from the screen. Not every problem can be resolved through resilience, so let yourself breathe every once in a while by taking a much-needed break.
- Share ideas with other designers: Networking and communicating with peers is one of the best ways to revive inspiration, regardless of the industry you work in. Lean on your community for support and a refreshed perspective.
- Embrace imperfection: Not everything is going to turn out the way you want it to. Remember that you are not invincible, and bad days are part of the package. Instead of allowing this to discourage you, find refuge in it.
- Move your body: When in doubt, shake it off. Go for a run, a swim, or even just a walk around the garden to get your blood pumping for better ideas.
Conclusion
As any designer knows, inspiration is not a tap that you can turn on and off. In fact, it’s more like an indifferent feline with a fickle personality. However, there will always be methods and tools you can use to win over its affection and make it your friend (at least, on most days).
Immersing yourself in past and current interface design movements is one of the most effective and simple ways to clear the cobwebs. Simply put, it’s a great way to find a renewed sense of inspiration to create work you want the world to see.
UI design forms a big part of the future of technology, and it’s not status or unchanging. So, don’t forget to take care of your relationship with creativity and move forward in new ways. Nurture your creative streak, seek inspiration, and show that dreaded designers block the door—for good.
