Any project that comes across our desks sparks big design ideas before we even dig in. And finding those ideas means more than sitting at a desk. Because research for us doesn’t stop at onboarding meetings or client strategy sessions. We tour spaces, interview community members and immerse ourselves in our clients’ work. We will watch documentaries about dinosaurs or study musical theater shows if it means sparking something.
Our pro bono work with Colorado’s Dinosaur Ridge is a great example of how our team looks outside the box to find inspiration.
Design with Purpose: Researching and Synthesizing
We toured Dinosaur Ridge and the Martin Lockley Discover Center exhibit, chatted with volunteer Dinosaur whizzes, and visited with paleontologists and artists who explained the little details that go into creating their exhibits.
While walking the hills, I took note of the shapes and textures of bones, tracks and foliage that once marked the beachy sands of Colorado (wild, right?). As a history fan and designer, I relished being transported to a landscape where millions of years of history are preserved in the browns, greens, yellows and reds, present and prehistoric.
The immediate hit of passion and education from the Dinosaur Ridge crew rushed through me like a toddler tasting apple juice for the first time. “I can’t believe I didn’t know about this!”
Getting pumped is an important part of the design process.
Once I spend some time immersing myself, I return with ideas that will eventually become scribbles and screenshots on a messy moodboard.
Ideating and Prototyping: Exploring What Works
Through play and exploration, I will often discover that something that I was excited about does not work in practice. This is one of the things I love about design thinking: not every idea needs to reach the final stage.
With Dinosaur Ridge, one of my first sparks of inspiration was the prehistoric trees with bark textured like pineapple, featured in the new exhibit at the Martin Lockley Discover Center. I had planned to use this texture as a background pattern. Once paired with elements I felt were more important, the graphics ended up feeling busy and disjointed. So, I tossed it. All good artists know this feeling; however, it often opens doors to further exploration.
Testing & Implementing: Bringing the Dinosaurs to Life
For this project, I worked in tandem with PR Associate Emily Keely to dig into what Dinosaur Ridge needed and how we could get their new exhibit in front of the right audiences.
Through an iterative process of exploring, testing and refining graphics, we developed a flexible set of social media graphics and illustrations that felt engaging, clear and true to the heart we experienced while on-site.
Great design can come from just about anywhere. We’d love to find inspiration with you and see where a little research, curiosity, and creative exploration could take your next project. Schedule a call to learn more about how we can help bring your ideas to life.
