Break it, stretch it, bend it, crush it, crack it, fold it.

Generation of new design ideas is not an easy task. What we see in design is the regurgitation of old ideas wrapped up in something new. "Our brains regularly tends to think of ideas it has thought of before, as if they were new" (Stefan Sagmeister). We tend to generate ideas on repeat, we see this regular pattern on any given designer’s folio site. Distinct styles appear. Although this could be seen as a positive, as the designer can produce work quickly, eventually stagnation will accrue unless there’s willingness to change and experiment. 

There are many ideas out there on how to break this pattern but one I found particularly interesting was from Bruce Mau Design studio manifesto for growth. Below is a sample list, the full list can be found here: Bruce Mau Design 

Process is more important than outcome 

When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we’ve already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we’re going, but we will know we want to be there.

Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child) 

Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day.

Capture accidents

The wrong answer is the right answer in search of a different question. Collect wrong answers as part of the process. Ask different questions.

Keep moving

The market and its operations have a tendency to reinforce success. Resist it. Allow failure and migration to be part of your practice.

Collaborate

The space between people working together is filled with conflict, friction, strife, exhilaration, delight, and vast creative potential.

Don’t clean your desk

You might find something in the morning that you can’t see tonight.

Avoid fields

Jump fences. Disciplinary boundaries and regulatory regimes are attempts to control the wilding of creative life. They are often understandable efforts to order what are manifold, complex, evolutionary processes. Our job is to jump the fences and cross the fields.

Break it, stretch it, bend it, crush it, crack it, fold it.