There has been on-going debate that creativity is a trait that only specific people may possess or the fact that creativity is a skill that can be trained and picked up by anyone willing to learn it. Although there are people who are naturally gifted to give innovative and imaginative ideas, there are specific steps that people can take to create unique and impactful ideas.
Ideation is the birth of a concept that will be the main source of direction for what works that will be produced. Beautiful event key visuals, fascinating stage designs, artistic event themes, and many more design works all require effective ideation. Here are 4 steps of our creative process that we will normally use when coming up with new concepts.
1) Preparation and Research
Every project always starts with the client’s brief about the job that you are pitching for. We will need to clearly understand what the requirements are, what they are looking for and what their key messages are. It is important to learn about the client’s style by doing sufficient research online and look through their existing artworks. We need to tailor our ideas to our client and ensure that it fits well with their style.
Once you have understood what your client’s overall style is, it is time to think of a great concept to suit this style. Unfortunately, ideas do not just come out of nowhere or when you are having a random daydream. Ideas come from consumption; The more you consume, the more inspiration you can draw from. We need to gather as much information as we can and learn from existing works that are out there on the Internet. It is all about finding the right sources of inspiration, and then you may proceed to the next stage.
2) The Eureka Moment
Once you have collected enough information from your preparation, you can piece together different concepts into one solid unique concept. The Eureka Moment – also known as the Illumination Stage, is when you made a realization that the pieces of information you have collected all matches up to form an idea of your own. This stage is when you can finally craft your own concept and add in details based on your comprehensive research.
3) Brainstorming and Finalizing
Once you have got your ideas and concepts, it is good to bounce your ideas off with your colleagues and have a brainstorming session. It can either be done in a meeting or through casual conversation, getting the opinions of others will help strengthen your idea by their feedback and evaluation of your concept. You may even get a better idea from your colleague or figure out a missing factor to your initial concept.
After sufficient brainstorming, you will need to finalize what concepts to run with if you end up with multiple options to choose from. Choose the concept that you believe to be the most unique and the closest to what the client would want. Getting validation and evaluation from others will help you assess your own ideas better, it can also help with finalizing these concepts to start work.
4) Applying and Implementing
When thinking about applying your concept, it all starts with your creative brief to the designers that will execute your ideas. You will need to ensure that your brief has details and instructions to clearly communicate your vision to the designers. Having good details separates an average concept from a great one. You need to have clarity when creating your brief and when you verbally explain to the designers.
You should also think about how realistic your idea is. A good idea is good, but we always need to know if it can be executed. Know your deadline and know how much workload the designers have. It is especially important to think about how your ideas is implemented, thus you will need to be aware of the designers’ capabilities. We can never be too ambitious.
Lastly, it is time to see the results of your first draft and for your client to give necessary feedback if it has match their standards and expectations.