The discovery and imagining of new ideas.

Although creativity is rooted in innovation, interiors often draw inspiration from what came before, what are prevailing ideas about style and taste, and what new solutions can be implemented to make a project more compelling and successful. As a designer, being creative is often more than making an aesthetic decision. Innovations can come in surprising forms—a new use for materials, a surprising placement of an object in space, or new technologies to deliver a project.

The creative designer looks for opportunities within a project or brief to develop solutions that attract curiosity and establish a leading voice in the profession. In return, this can enable competitive advantages to obtaining work, which often leads to clients who are open to new and adventurous ideas.

Conceptually, creativity is bolstered by research, curiosity, and an openness to separating from the habitual responses we have to a design problem. It can be facilitated by a consistent effort to be enlightened by and engage with continued education, and by teaching and attending student reviews. It also comes in forms and images found when exploring all manner of environments—shadows on a wall or patterns of objects in an urban environment.