7 CREATIVE STRATEGIES
The purpose behind this project was to learn about seven creative strategies and how we can incorporate them into our ideation and work as graphic designers. The goal is to communicate ideas in new and interesting ways.
These strategies include combination, juxtaposition, isolation, metaphor or simile, change of context or environment, physical shape similarity, and material change, swap, or focus.
For the subject of these images we were instructed to choose an ordinary every day object and then utilize the creative strategies in creating a set of corresponding images.
I chose an artist's paintbrush, a simple object which has great value to me. What you see here is the final result of working through the design process of research, ideation, feedback, and final execution.
Combinations: Nature and Art
In this image I have combined an artist's paintbrush with a barren stick to create something new. Both are inanimate objects in their current state, but are eventually used to produce something beautiful. For this reason I think this combination is interesting.
Juxtaposition: Touch Up
In this image I have placed a very oversized paintbrush next to a regular sized house. The idea is to highlight the differences in size by placing these two objects next to each other. I also enjoyed thinking about the idea of working with a home in the way we do painting figurines and model sets.
Isolation: Be Bold
Here I have drawn the viewers attention to one specific element of the image, the lone colorful paintbrush among a basket of like colored pencils. Appropriately, this is titled Be Bold and so is also pulling from both the isolation and metaphor strategies.
Metaphor or Simile: The Suffering Artist
This image is one of my favorites from this project. I used the metaphor strategy to convey the well know expression that artists must suffer for their work. I get a very tactile feeling when looking at this image. The pain one would feel in picking up this paintbrush is a mental grimace.
Change of Context or Environment
For the change of environment I chose to place my paintbrush in an environment that you wouldn't usually find it in. Again, this image also uses the metaphor strategy in it's title Let Your Talent Grow and was drawn from personal experience when a professor said this to me during a moment of insecurity.
Physical Shape Similarity: Choose Your Weapon
A paintbrush can be compared to many items in it's physical shape. I found that a sword was most interesting and chose to replace the sharp steel blade with the handle of a brush.
Material Change, Swap or Focus: Wood You Like a Flower?
In this strategy I enjoyed swapping the bristle materials of this paintbrush for flower petals. And of course I could not stay away from the pun that was begging to be said, Wood You Like a Flower?
