7 Strategies to Push Your Design Skills Outside of the Box

By Aruna Mall

We’ve all seen one too many websites with the same basic design. The colors may change, but fundamentally, web design, like anything else goes through phases with certain elements coming in and out of favor over time. Some of these trends are dictated by outside forces — like the trend towards “mobile-first” responsive design. Others are dictated by our own limitations.

It is the design choices that we control that we want to explore. Pushing design limits is not about being avant garde — it’s about being intentional with your design decisions. Intentional design puts users first and ultimately creates a more personalized experience for them.

Here are 7 ways you can push your design decisions outside of the box.

1) Expand Upon a Logo Element

Borrow from the nuances of the brand. Is there a small element or flourish you can expand upon in other areas? Is there a piece of the logo that can be isolated or used in a new way?

The LatinasRepresent website uses the swoosh of the logo mark to define the content space of the homepage.

2) Don’t Look at Other Websites

It’s easy to surf the web for inspiration. But when we look at other websites we risk falling into the same old patterns. To find fresh design inspiration look at other mediums that convey the same feeling you are designing for. Posters, magazine layouts, movie title screens, billboards — any of these might be a new source of inspiration.

Take a look at posters, movie title screens, or billboards for new inspiration.

3) Create at Least Three Variations

Let yourself be creative. Work on the obvious design choices first, but then try treatments that push your boundaries and make you feel slightly uncomfortable. You might go big or just vary one small element in a variety of ways. Let these variations open up new channels of creativity.

We explored several navigation layouts when designing the Rewire website.

4) Explore Extreme Sizes

Experiment with the sizes of supporting elements as much bigger or smaller than in the wireframes. What happens when you make something small extremely oversized? Or minimize something you expect to see front and center? The changes might surprise you.

By blowing up the logo mark we created an unique and special feel on the Wellstone About page.

5) Keep Pushing

When you think you’ve gone far enough. Push it even further. Then, once you’ve pushed yourself firmly out of your comfort zone take a step back. Consider what you’ve created and how you can start to simplify it and find the heart of your design.

The Unite to Face Addiction website uses staggered photos and bright pops of color to break through design boundaries.

6) Go Back to Basics

Don’t handcuff yourself to your computer. Print out your designs and pick up a pencil. Sketch elements that add personalization or additional design interest to your work. Then find ways to make them a digital reality.

7) Clock It

In the same way you gave yourself a goal for the number of iterations to create, set a timer so you are forced to begin to make decisions. Without this, your brainstorming might turn into creative procrastination. A design deadline keeps you focused.

What strategies do you use to break yourself out of the box? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.

Aruna Mall is a Creative Director at Teal Media, a full-service creative agency with a conscience. We pour every ounce of our passion and skill toward your success, because we, too, want the world to be a better place. We believe purposeful design can transform organizations, inspire action, and enable progress.

Learn more at TealMedia.com and find us on Facebook and Twitter.