How to Come up With Ideas Using References - Design Tips

[@kayaeki]

I can't believe I get to watch these videos for free, so high quality!

[@TheFuturAcademy]

You're welcome

[@dalesteyn7715]

True. this is what i needed all this time

[@dracckun]

@@dalesteyn7715 Fancy seeing you here Steyngun

[@tnasser7363]

yeah HD and stuff

[@dan110024]

The stop thinking is so true. It makes sense because you always seem to come up with the best ideas when you're trying to get to sleep or in the shower, not thinking about the actual project.

[@chats-bug]

The hard part about any strategy is not knowing the strategy itself, but using it in the workflow.

[@reemab3403]

That was a treat! Straight to the point, easy to digest, and super practical. Thank you so much Tom for sharing your knowledge! I hope to see you more in here.

[@imanenacib262]

just written all these incredible tips to start working ... can't thank you enough

[@ankurranjankakoty8382]

People who's missing these VIDEOS are lacking some vital information! And all this information for free is what Makes it even more WORTHY! Thank You so much guys!💕

[@TheFuturAcademy]

You're welcome

[@ankurranjankakoty8382]

@@TheFuturAcademy 😍💕💕

[@clangsison]

thank you for this! what a pleasant surprise to see this video. i'm watching this now because i want to re-orient myself into a groove (i'm currently working on a creative project) and was surprised to see and realize that most of these things i already do -- down to the choosing a playlist lol. thank you for reassuring me that i'm doing something right.

[@Harshalonthetrack]

this is what i was looking for... Coming up with ideas was a struggle. But now its easy !!! Thank you Futur 💙

[@TheFuturAcademy]

You're welcome

[@AliceTorres-x6j]

Very informative and insightful. I'm a novelist and my protagonist is a young graphic designer with her first serious assignment. I learned a lot of what she is going or must go through. Great stuff!

[@nindatika]

I wonder what kind of keyword that Tom used when searching for references, like all of his image reference is so beautifully curated. Is it the eye of the experts that makes difference?

[@swoosh3684]

Unsplash has beautiful images

[@acvideography3354]

@Ninda, this is called "critical eye" every artist develops this over time, the more you do it...the better you get!

[@cindolindo21]

I can guarantee some of the most high-level design was not created out of thin air which is what you are explaining. I constantly get from my beginner designer friends who are starting out at college (I've already graduated), that they can never get ideas flowing. I honestly go on Pinterest, Behance, and start spamming search terms in google related to my design project to get references. Obviously the idea isn't to copy the designs I find, but to start out by plucking elements that are working in their design, and use it as a foundation for my own to create something that works for my project. I tend to also look at design that has nothing to do with what I'm designing. For instance, I was designing typography explorations for a book cover and instead of looking at book covers, I looked at posters. You don't have to limit yourself to what you're designing, you can grab reference from anything.

[@printatlasng]

Did i hear him say "I hope this was useful?" Bruh stop tryna be modest 😩- you know you dropped gems here!!! I'd have really liked to see the finished "Crime Drama TV Show" project though.

[@chaitanyaram8184]

Last video I had concerns regarding the design process and this video cleared all the concerns I had... thank you so much💯

[@MatthewEncina]

You’re welcome. Was there anything in particular that stood out to you?

[@chaitanyaram8184]

The effortless explanation and also the way the practical approach to all the methods he spoke about... and Mathew sir your tutorials also helped me a ton... 💯

[@nabiru9050]

Whoa!! Such a high quality content, my native language isnt english but i understand and inspired by this video. Thanks

[@rahatistiak7895]

Ohhh boy. That's gonna help me a lot. Thank you so much TFA to bring him and give us so many information. Thanks again ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@Tommytuffnutz15]

Love the video, just wish it was taken one step further. I feel like their are a lot of videos online that share a similar and really great process, but they stop at the concept phase. We hear so much about "great artists steal" but all of the content stops right where this video stops. Would love to see the next step of the process, combining the references and creating something completely new within the concept. How to properly steal to create new I guess is what I would be fascinated to see in the eyes of some of the worlds best designers.

[@floydparkermusic]

Coming up with ideas is like trying to get to sleep... Best analogy ever

[@sidathramesh]

Wonderful and a minimal process! Thank you!

[@willace9605]

These the types of videos I love.

[@cingizata]

There is more quality here than i can process.

[@tiktaktictac]

that's when you know it's informative

[@FObbO7]

Very useful. I would like to see deeper dive in this process. There is many of us right now who have a struggle coming up with the original ideas.

[@sakru007]

I recently practiced this strategy and I have to it really helps.

[@MatthewEncina]

👌

[@n.a.1625]

This is content I like - short, informative and straight to the point.

[@Artist77osi]

This is what I was looking for to define my creative work process, Thanks lot for sharing

[@maksymilianbylica2532]

Damn... this commercial blew my mind! Sick!

[@muhammadkhairulfatihin4203]

thankyou so much tom

[@theprof_ie]

Thanks Tom, Very inspiring

[@mguerra79]

Thank you Matt and Tom. Very cool «wrap up» of the method. Very nice! It helps me also solidifying my ideas! Thank you guys, indeed!

[@TheFuturAcademy]

You got it.

[@zil_silver]

Woow. Seems illegal to watch this level of content for free. Thanks ❤

[@games-k8u5k]

Nope 😂

[@JohnBaronian]

Thank you all so much for sharing this. There's so much to learn. There's so much to try. I can't wait!

[@DesignDrawDo]

Amazing. This is amazing. Would love to see how the ideation process turns into the creation process.

[@tomcrate835]

@Noor M, @Hanna S. Thanks for the feedback! I plan on releasing more videos on my own channel over the coming months. I'll put this on my content list. There's nothing there at the moment sadly but you can always subscribe for future updates :)

[@md.likhonmahmud9091]

Thank you

[@TheFuturAcademy]

You're welcome.

[@nathanieljosephgutierrez]

Thank you @TheFuturAcademy. I appreciate the video's insights on the importance of references in the creative process. It provided me with valuable guidance and inspiration and helped me to develop my skills.

[@shalinitanti5686]

I was searching this so long thank you

[@juliegibsonlay1979]

Gorgeous!!

[@wejdanaljehani5431]

thank you guys!

[@ngoleankha4798]

What a great video! Thanks so much.

[@favouroyende1111]

I love watching your videos, I always learn something. This was very educative and refreshing. Keep up the good work!

[@gregorynuttall]

Great how-to demonstration vid. Thanks!

[@TheFuturAcademy]

You're welcome

[@hakeemadjei2035]

Needed this. Tom is amazing.

[@pinchum.]

this is gold.

[@iara.8614]

This is really interesting!! Thanks! :)

[@_genkisuzuki]

This was so helpful! Thank you so much

[@bernatoliva7774]

That's amazing guys

[@Musafirbanda109]

This was soo awesome & it just helps a lot in the way I used to design. Thank you so much

[@micahhansen]

Thanks Tom,I loved this video. It really takes the abstract concept of ideation and makes it practical and repeatable. It's very close to my current process. I will be paying closer attention to these 5 steps on my next project.

[@josefine1664]

OMG thank you!! This was awesome

[@BuffyKNC]

Designspiration is bomb!

[@koichiyoshino8383]

Thank you for the quality content.

[@ranakh9299]

nice i like the process and the vid was awsome good job

[@yuliaryzh4038]

Wooo, this was super helpful. Thanks

[@cobacoba6069]

i need that playlist!!1!1

[@donharry20]

I was so into the video, I didn't know I was already at the end when it was being concluded. Very similar process to mine

[@andrewb5743]

More input = more output. There actually is characteristics of people who are more creative. People with high openness to experience are open to more ideas, experiences, and novelty in general. High openness to experience makes someone seek more diverse input which = more diverse output.

[@tharothrong3964]

This is great if the deadline is not crazy. IF you don't mind please Kindly let me know how many percentages of your given timeframe should be put into pitching?

[@tomcrate835]

The time spent on a pitch is always different depending on the project. Having said that, even if I only had one day to create a design or animation I would spend at least 20% of my time gathering inspiration and references

[@tharothrong3964]

@@tomcrate835 OMG! can't believe you actually reply, so honored

[@tiaalex]

This just might be one of my favourite videos on youtube. Thank you so so much for sharing!

[@andresvasquez2700]

wow I love this!

[@anammorar]

Woow! I thought I was te only one to think in that way. I got more info to express my ideas visually from the video .Thanks for the help!! I would like to know if you could teach us how to create digitally with the program the idea we have in our heads. Turn it into a reality

[@tomcrate835]

That would require a much longer video :) But the next step once you have defined your concept would be to sketch out a loose storyboard and then start designing style frames using the images you have found as reference, combining all the parts that speak most to your concept. I go into the process in much more detail on my course. If you're interested to know more you can check out elvtr.com/course/directing-motion-design

[@nelaepowt]

Thank you so much!! I already use the 3-step process on one of the Futur vids by Matthew Encina(I just don't remember the exact title!), but this is also another lovely way to make ideas! I'm currently a HumSS student, which means we write a TON of articles and literary works. I design for fun and am a visual learner, so I think this 5-step process will help in visualizing my ideas, then applying those in writing.

[@carolinaperez7858]

Did anyone else saw the Mate on Tom's desk too? (Argentinian drink) Alguien más también vió el mate en el escritorio de Tom?

[@alexmahone7735]

Hi Tom, I really like your advice& my process is quite similar to your 5 steps, However I feel very guilty sometimes as if I'm simply compositing other ppls ideas and not necessarily building upon them, Have u ever encountered this dilemma and if so! whts your take on it, I'm really curious to hear!

[@tomcrate835]

Hi Alex, great question! I think it's good to be constantly aware of how you are using other peoples work in your ideas. The more varied resources you can pull together into your ideas the more unique they will become. That's why its good to avoid drawing too much from one specific artist and also look beyond the medium you are working in for inspiration. Austin Kleon has a lot of great stuff to say about the subject in his book "Steal like an Artist". This image from the book breaks down the differences between "good" and "bad" stealing austinkleon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/poster-8-500x666.gif

[@masonthompson3284]

@@tomcrate835 A1 feedback!!!!! I've been going through this same kind of issue myself. A follow question I would add is this: How much does your ability impact the way you think about concepts? Reference: I find myself going with ideas I know I can create or find tutorials for reasonably easy. This is doubly difficult for a class I'm currently in where we're thinking about concepts in motion/3D (something I've never done as I've been strictly PS, AI, and AE centric). Trying to navigate focusing on unique concepts when a lot of my time also has to be dedicated to learning the tools is my dilemma in a nutshell. Thanks so much!

[@tomcrate835]

@@masonthompson3284 I can totally relate to that dilemma. It can be frustrating when you are restricted to a tool you have a limited knowledge of. I would recommend trying to get clear on your priority for the project in this case: - If your main aim is to learn a specific tool then sometimes it's necessary to put concepts in the back seat and focus on learning the craft. In this case copying other work can be really useful. It's a necessary phase we have to go through in any medium before we can really unleash our unique vision. - If your main aim is to create something fresh and expressive then the specific tools become less important. Perhaps you can lean on your existing skill set and use it to fill the gaps in your 3D knowledge? Can you use footage or illustration in place of 3D to communicate your message better? Maybe your work will stand out even more this way? One advantage to really investing time in the conceptual phase is that you can let your ideas branch out into multiple areas and then select the direction that is most realistic to execute. I hope that helps!

[@masonthompson3284]

Tom Crate it did!!!! Thank you 🙏🏾

[@graphicsjourney299]

thanks for helping us

[@hihasam1]

Thank you!

[@kwostah]

dope, thanks

[@BozhidarGugushev]

Tom Crate.. More like Tom Create!

[@ethana1]

what is this note keeping / image collage software we see at 4:32 ?

[@alansosalara]

Hello! Can you please share with us the other sources from where to take inspiration (I could only take notes for pinterest and designinspiration) thanks!

[@Ahtashamhanif]

That video is very helpful

[@AbbyBane.]

This was really enlightening. My kid and I both are artistic types. Kid wants to do art professionally (just turned 18), works currently in digital art with side work in ceramics, metal and murals. Any tips to help encourage and inspire?

[@tomcrate835]

Amazing! I think having skills in multiple crafts/disciplines is really valuable. I think a lot of people make the mistake of looking at the kind of work others are doing and try to fit directly into that mould. Keep exploring what interests you and then see where you can combine your skills to create fresh and unique ideas.

[@Gwiux]

Really help full advice thank you.

[@johnrainsman6650]

Do I have any animaters or drawers who are into Pokemon and would like to make a KZbin video? I have a few visions, depending on your art. *If you animate and operate characters:* *1.* Geodude having a fistfight with Machop, Graveler in acrobatic combat with Hitmontop, Midnight Lycanroc doing martial arts with Lucario, Cranidos with Scraggy headbutting each other, and Regirock brutally fighting Urshifu, with touches of grappling. To give context, I think the five Rock Pokemon ought to be Fighting types too, so I wanted to see my theory onscreen. *2.* Kadabra and Braixen having a magical duel with the spoon and stick (respectively), until they evolve. Alakazam uses Alakazite to Mega Evolve, so now it's a wizard Pokemon dueling Delphox, a witch Pokemon *If you make comics:* *1.* Misty panickily running away from Bug Pokemon in an infested forest. Wherever she goes, a different Bug type is there. Here's what makes this interesting: this includes Vibrava and Lurantis, who aren't even Bug types, and yet are modeled after a dragonfly and mantis (respectively). Misty's _gotta_ be afraid of those bug-resembling Pokemon, even if they aren't Bug type. Also would like to see Escavalier in "hand-to-hand" combat with Beedrill, who Mega Evolves to continue the duel. *2.* A sequel to season one's _"The Punchy Pokemon,"_ in which Brock registered his Geodude for a Fighting Pokemon tournament. I can think of other non-Fighting Pokemon that should be allowed, like Greninja and Incineroar. This comic would feature martial arts in a ring. Please let me know if you're interested, and ask any questions you have.

[@brianfong5711]

English Speaker: *Points to a graphic "It's very graphic" Foreign watchers: *visibly confused

[@rayhananthaaa]

Lol true, I was thinking something that's very gory.

[@HannahxHero]

Absolutely loved this video as always! Thanks to Tom for sharing this insight, it was super helpful. I do have a totally unrelated question though, what was the track that was playing at the end of the video?

[@quangminhnt5666]

Many thanks @Tom Crate for this wonderful tutorial. May I ask what app are you using to organize your inspiration artworks at 4:35

[@tomcrate835]

Feedly.com. It's an RSS feed reader that you can use to collect a feed of all your favorite inspiration blogs

[@locdandloaded]

Great video, thank you! What are your top three reference books/magazines for inspiration? Any other sites besides Pinterest? Continued creativity to you both!

[@kaisiyasin]

His name is creative hh Great video and Thank you!

[@felixle7663]

What internet sides are you using for inspiration und referencing?

[@tomcrate835]

Hi Felix! There's too many to list here really. Pinterest, Instagram ans Behance are the obvious ones but I also use an RSS reader where I can keep track of and create a feed from all the various art and design blogs I find. I use feedly.com but there are others. Whenever i find a nice image I usually try to find out it's original source and bookmark that.

[@BrysonPrice]

3:22 what light is that? Thanks for the awesome video 😁

[@ArthurAsPedras]

4:35, someone can help, which platform is this?

[@tomcrate835]

feedly.com

[@ArthurAsPedras]

@@tomcrate835 Thanks Tom!

[@adamtemple9417]

Any one looking to make boards, you should use pureref, it's the best program to use for keeping inspiration

[@delightfulsquirtle]

4:35 what is that software/website?

[@enochma1488]

can anyone tell me what app he is saving everything to at minute 4:37 ?

[@harishd3303]

Feedly

[@AashishSingha]

Please share your playlist 🙏🏾

[@VivekKumar-sl6pc]

He is freaking funny man 😂😁😁

[@TheDudeway]

It would be cool if u guys could cover more personal projects. Currently working on a personal portfolio to the theme "Skateboarding" but can't get started -_-

[@lawrencechristenson7653]

Yo! I'd love to follow you on pinterest. Your boards are inspiring, and I want to steal some of your inspiration😆 What's your pinterest handle??

[@Eric.Abraham]

4:35 What's the name of this organizing software?

[@matthewhibbard4624]

after some digging, I found out its called Feedly

[@jennifergrainger2480]

Hi This was perfect as I will be able to reference this video for a course I’m creating on branding. I usually use Unsplash for royalty free images. I create collections which is the same as boards in Pinterest. What were the sources for images you used to create your Pinterest boards? Is it okay to use people’s images as reference if you’re not using them online, and when using images in presentations how does it fit with copyright to the creator/photographer? Thanks it was a great tutorial.

[@tomcrate835]

I’m really glad this was helpful Jennifer! The images I used were from a few different art/design blogs and from Pinterest itself. Regarding copyright - I’m not an expert but my understanding is that using images for personal research or for educational purposes is considered “fair use”.

[@jennifergrainger2480]

Tom Crate Thanks Tom, I’m not really sure either. But if your pinning images to Pinterest. Pretty sure that’s safe. I just wondered if you could use them in a presentation? I think it’s only problematic if you use them on the inter net or make money commercially it’s an issue. Showing someone’s work is like showing a book. Anyway it was a great video. I’ve not used Google slides so I’ll try that next. Thanks for the reply. 🙌🏿🤟🏽👌🏼🖐

[@WorldDj4Ever]

Whats that Blog/web site at 4:24, it has a really cool aesthetic.

[@tomcrate835]

kav-k.tumblr.com

[@mae2309]

I get my inspirations from cold Gloomy rainy days and listening to Depressive Black Metal.. DAMN it I need to move to Seattle or any other city in the word that rains awful lot!! perhaps Liverpool.. hahahaahhaah. cheers!

[@tomcrate835]

Hahaha! Liverpool IS an inspiring city! And not just cos of the weather :)

[@mae2309]

@@tomcrate835 no kidding. we have the best football club int he WORLD... thats my starting point of inspiration.. hahahaha. UP THE RED!!! great video.. cheer!

[@tomcrate835]

@@mae2309 YNWA

[@MrKevcostello]

Thanks for the tips! Is your accent Liverpudlian meets Brooklyn? Handwriting is crazy tiny

[@tomcrate835]

Haha well spotted! It's actually Liverpudlian meets Danish :)

[@sharonxhazan]

not gonna lie i had few breakdowns trough collage when i thought that i am not creative person...now it gonna change in step 5 - when he say solidify ,that mean it when you make the sketches of the previous steps?

[@TheFuturAcademy]

Make sense of the information. Connect the dots and make them presentable.

[@rezouknorddine8378]

what are the websites please?

[@manosalexakis]

Matthew what mic do you use? Thx

[@MatthewEncina]

This is my video kit (VideoMic Pro+): kit.co/MatthewEncina/matthew-encina-s-essential-video-kit

[@sophiopopkhadze2053]

Matthew ❤️ Guys Maybe you can share with us an additional websites, for good stock images? Because we know some of them but from you we might hear an additional thing?

[@MatthewEncina]

My top two favorites are Shutterstock and Unsplash.

[@sophiopopkhadze2053]

@@MatthewEncina Thank you so much!

[@aniszammer3241]

Does anyone recognizes the websites he uses for inspiration? Besides pinterest and design inspiration, what websites is he browsing? Many thanks!

[@d8nya1]

Can you become something like this without knowing how to draw? How does one be the ideation person like he is? I feel like I am good at this stuff, but not well at drawing or using some programs (which I am currently learning)

[@tomcrate835]

Hi Danya, I'm not a great drawer at all. It's not a necessary skill to create concepts in this way. Using this process won't make you a master of drawing or rendering overnight but it will make your work stand out if you have well thought-out concepts behind the work you do. I actually leaned into the ideation process because I've never been very technically gifted at software. I figured that if I wanted to create standout work then I need to rely on something other than pure software skills.

[@d8nya1]

Tom Crate oh man thank you so much!! This is really helpful. Just one more question if you have time to spear. With your first jobs (I’m in my final term of college) did you apply for a company being the ideation person? Or did you start off somewhere else and how did you become the ideation person?

[@tomcrate835]

@@d8nya1 I started out as an intern so I certainly wasn't the "ideation guy" to start with. I actually learned the process and saw how important it was by watching the more experienced people around me and gradually started incorporating it into my work wherever I could. I also had to spend time learning the many other aspects of my craft before I was given the opportunity to direct whole projects myself. You can apply this thinking to any creative work though, even if it seems quite restricted. If you always do your research and bring fresh ideas to what you are doing people will notice. I hope that helps!

[@kayaeki]

I'm an artist, now learning design, great a drawing and painting. But really bad at ideation and putting my context in clear words, learning it! all the best for your journeyy

[@raindropsneverfall]

I wish you would go more in depth with curating and concepts. That's very difficult for me.

[@meg2282]

How did you get so many good images from Pinterest

[@123tobiiboii123]

Lately, I've really struggled with my research and design process to develop distinctly different approaches. I always end up creating variations on the same idea. I was wondering how I can open myself up to more varied potentially better ideas. How do I find ideas that apply to the brief but also have distinctly different visuals approaches?

[@MatthewEncina]

How many ways can you interpret one word? (infinite). Before you spend the time designing anything, spend a lot of time exploring. Don't start connecting the dots until you have many to play with. Alternatively, if you have something created, what can you throw in there that's completely unexpected? Perhaps something that is the opposite. Contrast in concept and form goes a long way to make your idea stand out and different.

[@123tobiiboii123]

@@MatthewEncina I really appreciate your response Matthew. I suppose I've not been pushing myself to find a diverse set of inspiration, I think throwing it almost random tangential ideas has helped. Speaking of infinity another problem I find is optimal stopping. I could spend infinite time exploring infinite interpretations, do you have any advice for knowing when to make the call on an idea?

[@tomcrate835]

@Tera keep pushing! It’s always a good idea to have some kind of timeframe for your exploration before you start. Sometimes a limited resource like time can actually boost your creativity