Key Principals: Research and Inspiration

Research is an integral part of project practice and development in the both the creative an 'academic' world as it broadens your understandings, helping towards problem solving. The research stage allows the user to explore their subject deeper, gaining a far greater knowledge and understanding which will likely reflect into the outcome of work. Although research can be quick and simple now days with the growth of the internet, such as gathering images from google or taking information from wikipedia, you are gaining a very shallow understanding of your subject. With this secondary research, you are gathering someone else's views and opinions through image and text (despite it being your choice what media to select). This may sound negative, but there is an upside, as through selecting these aspects you are able to see a vast quantity of 'other peoples opinions, views and adaptations' in contrast with each other, thus creating a rule of average: aka elements which tie the majority of the examples together are likely to be useful and influential. This is similar to tertiary research, where you take sections from other peoples research: even though you are selecting what you want to include, they are not wholly your interpretations and opinions.

Primary research on the other hand will yield a fresh wealth of knowledge and understanding. By going out and collecting first hand photos, sketches or feedback you are having to take a much more active role in the process, pushing to think about it in various ways. In the design practise, visual research is probably the best method, this includes anything visual from sketches to photos. In surrounding yourself with visual stimuli and noting down ideas as they come to mind, or even making a quick illustrative note of something which inspires you, you begin to feel more inspired and stimulated.

Illustrator Paul Davis constantly collects visual research, saying 'I feel sick when I forget potentially good ideas. I don't slack, I take photographs, I draw, I scan, I photoshop', this leads him to quote the iconic illustrator Saul Steinberg 'Boredom is the enemy of the artist'. Here he is otherwise saying without creative input you will become bored and uninspired, thus feel a lack of motivation and creativity. In the sketchbooks below, there are two examples of illustrative journalling. 

The first is an observational logging style, likely collected in a park while watching people. the use of watercolour and ink here creates a very bold yet detailed image, reminiscent of early Paddington Bear illustrations by Peggy Fortnum. Having illustrations  like this in a visual diary can be useful to the user when referring back for certain stances, dress styles or characters in a later project. Doing research so precisely as this will also help hone the artistic style, and develop it too.

In this sketchbook, we have moved away from the style of observational research, to more of an abstract research method, looking more at the context of emotions and senses. With the simple stimuli 'shiver' the sketchy drawing method and use of rough cold blue hues relates to the word, and becomes a visual representation/interpretation. By attempting a portrayal of words like this, a deeper understanding in the styles, feelings and mediums that can be suitably attached with it emerge.

This additional sketchbook page below, by C.K Koh can be a further example of visual research. Rather than drawing an object, or portraying a sensation, he is sketching the development of an idea. By drawing it in frames, he is able to reveal the full potential of it, with the aid of annotation. If this was purely written, it is likely many aspects and details of the idea would be forgotten

This leads perfectly to the second key point I have chosen; where do illustrators and designers find inspiration? Quite simply, all around them I believe. By observing, collecting and drawing, a creative mind is likely to find inspiration anywhere to some degree. Constantly heckled by mentors 'which icon inspires and influences your work the most', I find it difficult to respond, as while it is definitely important to have an understanding of prior artists, I find that an implied constant inspiration by them is virtually non existent. As the creative industry and its trends fluctuate massively, I feel that ones surroundings will always be the biggest influence upon a creative mind, reflecting the current trends of the culture. This collaborative inspiration source will lead to a far more original and creative outcome, than one inspired by a single figurehead. 

"Research should be broad and in depth, enabling you to innovate, not imitate" 

~ Mark Wigan, thinking visually 2006 ~

In terms of 'where would a creative mind find inspiration', the key is both in the world around them, and the world they create through visual research such as in the examples I displayed above.