I’ve been doing quite a bit of original creative recently and it’s been helpful to have tons of design resources. Thanks mostly to blogs like Inspiration Bit, David Airey (and Logo Design Love), iLT, Just Creative Design and Smashing Magazine, I’ve found some great inspiration for my work. I thought maybe you all could benefit from a fairly comprehensive list of creative inspiration, too!
Galleries
deviantArt. There are tons of extremely creative individuals on deviantArt. I’ve previously shared some collections of images that I’ve liked and found inspiring.
Depth Core. Don’t mistake the work on this site as graphic design; this is definitely digital art (founded by Justin Maller and Kevin Stacey). Particularly note all the details these artists put into their work. Details really make or break a piece and bring a level of polish that artists and designers alike should strive for.
Flickr. Similarly to deviantArt, Flickr is full of inspiration. I have previously written several posts on Flickr Inspiration (taste of vintage, too).
Logo Pond. Sometimes hit and miss with this logo gallery. There are some truly unique and talented logo designers that have their work up here, but there are other designers that do not produce work of a very high caliber. Still, it’s a good source for sparking ideas. Logo Sauce is also similar, but overall I don’t think the quality is as good. The logos below for Castle Print, Zen Solutions andSwan Song.
FaveUp. Run by the folks at Eden (PSDtuts et al.) and has inspiration in logos, business cards and websites.
Smashing Magazine. Depending on what you’re looking for, Smashing Magazine can be a great source of inspiration. They even have a whole category of posts dedicated to Inspiration.
Etsy. If you’re looking for inspiration for handmade products (or how to reproduce a style digitally), Etsy should be the number one stop on your list. It is particularly full of letterpress goodness!
Portfolios
David Airey. David is a supremely talented logo designer. His mastery of everything from the design of the mark to typography to color shows in each logo he has presented in his portfolio.
David Pache. It must be something with the name because David Pache is also an extremely creative logo designer.
Boxcar Press. Beautiful letterpress work. I’ll be sharing some of my own adventures in
letterpress in the next few weeks as I’ve just started a four-week class in it!
Offline Inspiration
What? Inspiration can be found in the real world? No way!
Communication Arts. I especially enjoy flipping through the Design Annuals, but every issue features great designers, photographers and illustrators and I enjoy looking through the work they present and more often than not head to their website for more inspiration.
Snail Mail. Every so often I get invitations and other materials from AIGA, the graphic design industry’s trade association in the US. I almost always keep their stuff because it reminds me just how versatile the print world is with all sorts of finishes, varnishes, foils, diecuts, etc. It’s also not uncommon to receive marketing materials for various new residential communities that are going up in the area, or a new creative brochure promoting using energy wisely.
Antique Stores. There is something amazing and magical about seeing and touching authentic “retro” magazines, books, and posters. If you’ve never searched for inspiration outside of your computer, I encourage you to go to an antique store and hold the old magazines. Let this unique experience inspire new ideas for your next project!
Home Design Centers. Many businesses that exist specifically to aid homeowners in sprucing up their property—interior design businesses, landscaping centers, carpet and tile stores—spend a lot of money producing beautiful, glossy product brochures. Go collect some! If they ask questions, tell them you’re researching and you want to pour over the brochures in the comfort of your own home. It’s true! You don’t have to tell them what you’re researching 
Avoid Being Overwhelmed
When looking through all this inspiring material, it’s important to not be too overwhelmed with how creative other designers have been and get down on yourself for never having produced something so beautiful.
Rather than get discouraged, turn it into a learning experience. Use the elements of design to figure out why something looks so good. By breaking down the design, you’ll get a better handle on how to create good design yourself and you’ll gain skills you wouldn’t have otherwise!
So where are your favorite places to find inspiration and how do you use it?
Compfight.com is really helpful for creative commens images on flickr. Often its difficult to search for this criteria alone and compfight makes that process a breeze.
Im looking forward to hear about your experiences in letterpress, its hard not to falling in love with the process. Are you planing to get one on your own Lauren?
Esben,
I haven’t heard of Compfight before. Thanks for that! As for the letterpress, I have 2 large C&P presses (not sure the model and one is missing a belt) and a Vandercook SP15, but they’re all pretty rusted so I’m working on cleaning them up. I have more hope for the C&Ps than the Vandercook, though. It really needs a new drum. They are at a friend’s place and no one is using them, so I have free use whenever I want to make the hour-long drive.
thanks for putting this great collection of inspirational resources together, Lauren. Stumbled.
I too look forward to your posts on letterpress. Perhaps I could order my new business cards from you? I love the look and feel of letterpress
oh, I just came across this great scene from American Psycho, where the characters brag about and showcase their business cards (letterpress).
Somehow I’ve never watched this movie all the way through, so I didn’t catch that scene earlier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y
uhh! you should post some images, so we can see the transformation from rusty iron to fully functional machines.
I loved to get a hold on one myself, but I think its very difficult in Denmark :-/
Lauren, thanks for the tip about Depthcore. Also, I agree about Faveup being a great source for inspiration.
Esben, thanks for the tip about Compfight.
I’ve not actually browsed DeviantArt much, although from time to time, someone will always point me in that direction. Certainly worth a look I feel.
I love that treble clef swan from Maggie Macnab. Great inclusion, and thanks so much for the recommendation. ;)
Nice collection, but dont forget http://www.designflavr.com
Great roundup, there’s some wonderful artwork to be found both online and offline!
Vivien,
Thanks for the Stumble! I have heard about that business card scene from American Psycho, but I have avoided seeing the movie because I don’t like violence and gore. I do like Christian Bale, though (Dark Knight = 10 thumbs up!!!)
Esben,
I’ve talked with the letterpress instructor for my class and showed her pictures of the poor machines. She said they will most likely require some serious professional restoration, probably beyond my skill to do. So I’m waiting to see if the owner is willing to pay for it…
Tracey,
Depth Core is awesome, isn’t it? There are some extremely talented digital artists out there.
David,
deviantArt is definitely worth a look. There are even some stock images there that photographers may let you use. There are some high quality reference photos for drawing, too.
Andrew,
Good addition! Thank you!
Chris,
I’m coming to enjoy the offline stuff more than the online I think. There’s just something to be said for that tactile connection.
I like browsing through architectural magazines for inspiration, too. Old typography and magazine ads are also great resources. I find a lot of them at thrift stores and garage sales. I’ve never been too enthused with DemonArt, although many people seem to like it.
Doug,
There is definitely a specific type of art that you find on dA; tends to be dark, gothic and fantasy. I like it, but many times it’s not useful for my real work. Yeah, there’s just something magical about authentic vintage ads! Thrift stores and garage sales are probably cheaper than antique stores!
Thank you kindly for the mention
David,
My pleasure. It is well deserved!
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