The day to day workload for the majority of designers is dominated by client work;as a result many designers struggle to find time for innovation and experimentation .Following on in a similar vein to my previous articles which talked about ‘Offline inspiration’ and ‘Diversifying styles in Sectors’, I now make the natural progression to the topic of innovation

WARNING - Innovators will face opposition at every turn!

Firstly let me warn you that innovation won’t be easy…but then when has anything that was ever worth doing been easy? This may seem tantamount to a Churchillian speech but you will meet much adversity along your path. I think it is vital not to be afraid to innovate; it is not as huge a risk as you might first think and from my experience I have been met with more praise than criticism. You can even test the water before you put your designs into the public domain. My thoughts on innovation are aptly quantified  by theatre Director Joan Littllewood

“If we don’t get lost, we’ll never find a new route”

In summation failure is a major contributor to success….so don’t be scared of it! However in some instances there is often good reason why you shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel; namely changing the layout of ecommerce sites, where certain layouts are proven to convert. But when the time is right we can strike a compromise with our clients by providing two solutions….

Smile at your headstrong clients

Okay, so the client is definite in the way they want something doing; essentially there is no talking to them. This problem is pretty common so don’t try and fight these clients; you won’t win…instead smile…present them with the design they require and then present your alternative solution. By giving them what they already wanted they will be far more receptive to viewing your second, more innovative design.

I havn’t got time to innovate

The other big question is:

“Where do I find time in my jam packed schedule…there is no free time!”

This excuse is far too easy to give; I have literally heard this a zillion times! The bottom line is there are simple techniques and alterations you can implement to ‘make time’. You only need a relatively small amount of time to innovate.

By putting a couple of hour’s aside each week you are making invaluable time to ‘innovate’.  Within every working day we all have lulls or periods when we are less productive. Instead of mindlessly grinding through these periods use these times to experiment. What I’m trying to say is don’t work for the sake of working; take breaks…have a rounded approach to your work and life and you will reap the benefits in your design work. In conclusion to this point work smarter…not harder.

Experimentation is just as important as client work

Experimentation is vital for progression…it is the pre requisite for originality….do you want to be a follower mimicking your competitors or do you want to be one step ahead of the competition, offering your own unique solution? Some companies can see experimentation time as dead time because the results of this are not instantly measurable. The truth is however that these moments are fundamental to ensuring a successful future for your business, keeping you one step ahead of the pack.

How do we innovate?

Well in terms of web design there are several techniques which I find useful:

A sketchbook: Use a sketchbook which you can add scraps of inspiration to and sketch out ideas that float into your head.

An experimental Photoshop or illustrator document: Use this area to work up some of your sketchbook creations.

A test area on your server: Use an area on your server to experiment with code and start to implement your ideas.

A Whiteboard: Put one up in your studio and use it as a collaborative area for ideas….you got an idea…then write it on the board!

Experimentation doesn’t have to be a solitary process, make the area one which your whole design team can contribute….essentially a vast collaborative project. To phrase one of my favourite quotes:

“Good ideas come from individuals. Great ideas come from the chemistry between them”

So from next week try giving client work a break for a couple of hours….kick back and watch your ideas flourish!

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