Creativity for Web Developers, Continued

This is where the real fun begins. Finding inspiration is a crucial step toward uncovering solutions. Take it slow, make it fun, and don't limit yourself. If all you do is stare at the computer screen all day, you're not likely to find the inspiration you need. Rule #1 of getting inspired: Step away from the screen.

Sources of inspiration may be radically different depending on the project at hand. You may get personal inspiration from reading poetry, but it might leave you cold when it comes to planning an online banking application. Don't restrict yourself to obvious connections, though. Sometimes inspiration comes when (and where) you least expect it.

Let's take the example of an e-zine for teenage girls. The first thing you'll need to do is immerse yourself in the world of a teenage girl. What do they like to do? What do they tend to read or talk about? Where do they shop? What's cool and what's not? You'll probably go on some enlightening field trips in search of these answers. You might also talk to teenagers, browse magazines, go to an art museum, buy comic books, watch horror movies, or do any number of other things. One or all of them is likely to lead to creative ideas.

The most important thing to remember about finding sources for inspiration is that you need to keep an open mind. Sounds a bit simplistic, but it's incredibly important. If you go into the experience with preconceived ideas, you will unconsciously filter out new information. Think of yourself as an anthropologist, an observer, or a fly on the wall. Better yet, be a sponge. Don't test hypotheses or buttress theories. Just absorb what you experience.

During this stage and the brainstorming stage that follows it, you'll need to give yourself time for incubation. Creativity theorists agree that incubation is an important step in the process of generating solutions. Incubation is taking time out to allow your unconscious to work on a problem. There's no particular time period you need to set aside and you can't will yourself to consciously incubate, so the best you can do is leave a few weeks (more or less) to let things simmer while you rest or move on to other things.

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Articles and tips on creativity, including workplace innovation.

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