An influence or agent to spark creativity.

Design projects often begin with a spark, an idea, or a moment of inspiration. Starting a project can be intimidating—like a blank piece of paper or a screen waiting for input—and a designer needs an expansive look at the where and how to begin. Whether it is the design of a product, the renovation of a room, or the reinvention of an entire building, there is typically something catalytic that serves as the impetus for an idea about how to move from inspiration to action. Examples may include a specific article of clothing, a type of flower, a specific era to strike a tone or mood, or a color or group of colors found in an abstract painting.

The origins of the English word “inspire” dates back to the fourteenth century, with the Latin root inspirare, which means “to breathe or blow into or upon.” With our interconnected world, we are no longer restricted to print media or our immediate environment when we look for inspiration. The advent of sharing platforms has made the entirety of design’s history available to us, which simultaneously opens the designer to a wide range of influences but also overwhelms with too many to choose from. Having a discerning eye for the cyclical nature of what is considered beautiful and “of the moment” requires a designer to maintain an active curiosity and openness to the world around them.

Inspiration is often the basis for selecting the theme, colors, patterns, and textures in a design project. There are many websites and services that serve as aggregators and storage for image collection. Subscriptions to design and culture magazines and journals can provide a reusable wealth of sources, and building a library of books and monographs should be the envy of every designer’s office and studio.