Think Outside The Box

A commonality with most designers is to think boxy. How can you blame them? The majority of websites started out with content boxes, and WordPress, a popular CMS, integrates boxes into the majority of their themes. Like most habitual tendencies, these things aren’t easily broken. It’s the things you implement “outside the box” that will liberate people’s minds from the things they see daily, which is really what people seek – refreshment from the boring norm.

Look At Other People’s Designs

Now, I know what you’re thinking, but don’t let pride get in the way of what could possibly be your best design. The important thing to do here is to take elements you like from a particular design, NOT the design itself. Plagiarizing not only robs the artist of their creativity, but your own as well.

Assess The Design

At specific intervals, assess the design and see how it sits mentally with you. If you’re not completely on board with something, chances are you’ll hate it later. I’ve gone through THREE revisions of my personal site design, which have ironically gone from complex to super complex to super simple. I find minimalism is generally the best medium, but I’m not foolish enough to say it’s the only medium. People can make complexity work – it’s just harder to pull it off.

Take Breaks

I often say that breaks are for Kit-kats, but the truth is they help ease your mind from the grind. Think of it like Words With Friends or Draw Some when you rescramble the letters. What once was blank is now a bubbling brook of sparkling thoughts ready to be implemented.