Creativity doesn’t just ‘happen’. For designers or those individuals with creative flair, their inspiration often comes from the most unexpected sources — the world around them. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, designers are constantly finding inspiration in the ordinary, transforming what may seem like a normal experience into innovative concepts.

I work alongside a team of creative minds in the form of product designers. It still amazes me how they each continue to effortlessly mock up design after design, enhancing details and modifying here and there to achieve desired outcomes. Intrigued as to how they each fuel their inspiration, I asked the question; Tell me more, how do you continue to push boundaries and tap so naturally into your creative mindset? Here is what I discovered…

Inspiration is in fact, easily derived from common, everyday objects that surround us. For product designers in particular, it is not always about reinventing the wheel but enhancing or adapting the existing, for a multitude of reasons. Thus, taking aspects of one product and amalgamating them with features of another, can generate an altogether new invention.

Observing human behaviour and casually people-watching, offers one of our designer’s valuable insights into how individuals naturally interact with products. By witnessing people in real-world settings, creatives can identify patterns in behaviour, preferences, habits and even pain points. Observations such as this have helped our team create user-centred products, optimising functionality and ergonomics based on how people intuitively use them. Understanding how society engages with things around them, can provide you with information you didn’t know you required!

One of the most accessible and rich sources of inspiration is the natural world. Nature and the elements offer a vast and accessible source of inspiration through various forms -colours, patterns, even seasonal changes. Artists and architects especially, often incorporate features inspired by the world around us, into their work. Taking the time to immerse yourself in the natural environment, surrounded by water and greenery provides us with moments to appreciate its beauty. This mindful, observational process can transform what we see and feel into creative output.

Creativity is additionally, and most frequently however, sparked from man-made resources like articles, museums and social media platforms. These widely available and easily accessible sources provide individuals with insight into current trends, new ideas, industry shifts and real-time inspiration. In today’s modern world, obtaining these creative tips is quite literally accessed at the touch of a button! Therefore, it is easy to forget that there are other ways of enhancing your creativity should you broaden your mindset.

Developing and the nurturing creativity involves staying curious and receptive to the world around us, not just through engaging the tech world in front of us. By observing everyday objects, experiences and interactions, ways to innovate are born -it’s exciting!