Inspirational design quotes

As creatives we’re always on the look out for that inspirational device that helps us to get our creative juices flowing. It could be an advert, a colour or even a phrase that ignites our creativity, but no matter what the trigger is, as designers, we’re on the look out subconsciously all the time. And what better way to understand and see what’s out there than looking at what other designers are doing and thinking. This week at Bopgun, we’ve rallied together just a few of our all time favourite design quotes from some of industry’s top designers that really show understanding and creative thinking of our ever complex creative world.

“If you do it right, it will last forever”
MASSIMO VIGNELLI

Mini History
Vignelli, remembered for many of New York’s iconic monuments from the Bloomingdales logo and the New York City Subway Map (causing controversy in its time due to him, for example, using beige for the water that surrounds the city compared to the norm) to the American Airlines logo. The American Airlines logo in particular showed just how true to his words Vignelli was, when the 1967 logo saw a refresh in 2013, they took great inspiration from his branding and carried it forward into the new design. These pieces not only show bravery in how they pushed the boundaries of their time but also longevity, where his designs and elements are still used today.

What he teaches us
If we thoroughly think about our solutions and ideas first time round, positives and negatives and have all these answered, then our designs will last longer.

“Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated”
PAUL RAND

Mini History
With such branding accomplishments as IBM, UPS and ABC logos under his belt, we can see why many designers still take note of Rand’s teachings and design solutions today. In such logos as the ABC and IBM where they seem so straightforward and dare we say confusingly “easy” to do, yet so hard when put into practise, shows just how much of a genius Rand was in his time. But as we are always taught, the simplest solutions are usually the most effective, which he clearly was an endorser of throughout his highly successful career.

What he teaches us
Strip back our designs to the bare essentials and raw quality, what exactly do we want out of the solution? What does the user need from it? And what will the logo design say about the brand itself? Answering these will help us focus our creativity into staying on the main focus of any brief, the user’s needs and so hopefully encourage more focused design solutions. Don’t overcomplicate it.

“Design is thinking made visual”
SAUL BASS

Mini History
Although Bass did dabble in many corporate branding projects such as the AT&T and Kleenex logos, his speciality and passion was film, not only in the famous poster design such as “West Side Story” and “Anatomy of a Murder” but he was favoured for his storyboarding designs whilst shooting and also title sequences to create and set the tone for the directors and producers he worked with. His edgy typography and detached photography was very different to the usual scene grabs that most film posters adopted in his time, creating an atmospheric feel through his poster designs that almost became the brand for the film itself.

What he teaches us
Never ignore the creative voices in your mind, put your thoughts on paper and click Apple Save. Your thought processes and ideas are what make you different to any other occupation and person, use them, don’t ignore or delete them.

“Fail more often in order to find out what you’re capable of learning”
MILTON GLASER

Mini History
Probably one of the most famous designers throughout the world for one main reason, I HEART NY design. Seen and used throughout the world in numerous countries adapted and recreated, a beacon of New York souvenir workmanship, his design is probably one of the most famous pieces known today. Also known for his works such as his ‘innovative for its time’, ‘psychedelic Bob Dylan poster’, Glaser innovated the conceptual side of design, giving creative a meaning and purpose.

What he teaches us
Failure is not a negative as creatives, it’s a lesson of what not to do next time and in the long run will help us get faster as designers as we’ll know what not to do when another such project arises.

“Design is more than a few tricks to the eye. It’s a few tricks to the brain”
NEVILLE BRODY

Mini History
If you’ve ever seen an ‘Ocean’s…’ film you’ll have inevitably have seen Brody’s work through the films posters. His strong typography and playful silhouettes and angles really set the Ocean’s posters apart from those of its time, creating a new unique standard for poster design. With his pop art influence, Brody creates a world of surrealism and storytelling in every project, that absorbs its audiences, which is easy to see how music labels adore his unique takes on their artwork covers.

What he teaches us
Although design has a very big level of skill and theory, remember that it is you that makes your designs real and creative. Never let your design lose you in itself and remember that theory is all and well but the creative is what sets you and your solutions apart.

Bopgunners Quotes

In light of design and quotes that help us to understand our industry, we’ve asked a couple of members of our team to give us a quote that describes their creative practises:

“Don’t dismiss your first idea”
Jonathan Taylor – Creative Director

“Don’t be fearful of mistakes, the outcome is always the beginning of something new”
David Mathews – Commercial Director

“When designing for marketing try to keep the end user in mind at all times”
Emily Hayes – Senior Account Manager

“Success is a journey, not a destination”
Hannah Mathews – Finance and Studio Manager

“Do. Or do not. There is no try”
Lloyd James – Developer

“You never stop learning”
Hannah Walker – Studio Designer

“Don’t throw anything away, on or off screen”
Samantha Atchison – Creative Designer