Impressions - June/July 2021 - 21

There isn't a way to naturally predict what we'll think. The images and notions
come to us when we try to connect the randomly chosen words with the customer.
were printed on glass and then slightly moved around. I can visualize
a modern and sleek look for this type of design.
2. Balance: Create tension by stacking the words or letters vertically.
Play with the visual weight of some of the letters or words to
create asymmetrical balance.
3. Plastic: Among a sea of plastic pink flamingos is the Fred's Bar
and Grill logo. This is fun and quirky.
4. Understanding: I connect this to empathy. Maybe a big, bold
headline - " FREE FRY FRIDAYS! " - and underneath: " We know
what you crave! "
I like this technique because there isn't a way to naturally predict what
we'll think. The images and notions come to us when we try to connect
the randomly chosen words with the customer. The words stimulate
your brain; if you're open to receiving new ideas, they'll flow to you.
Don't like the words you chose? Pick again; there are no rules here.
Index Cards
For a long time, I used index cards and it constantly drove some of
my best work. It's similar to the random-word generator but you're
purposely choosing the words. This can quickly be done with a cheap
stack of index cards and a marker.
Jot down one word per card that you can use to shape your creative
imagery. Here are some examples:
* Shapes: " round, " " square, " " box, " " amoeba, " " cloud "
* Colors: " black, " " red, " " green, " " brown, " " pink "
* Power Words: " strong, " " bold, " " dense, " " thick, " " rough "
* Weak Words: such as " thin, " " clear, " " smooth, " " small, " " light "
* Descriptive Words: such as " brave, " " cheerful, " " sporty, " " old, "
" clean "
* Nouns: " time, " " thing, " " point, " " line, " " group "
Jot down as many words as you can think of in one sitting. The
great thing about this trick is that you'll stumble across a new word
and want to add it to the stack.
Shuffle the index-card deck and pick three or four of them. Better
yet, you can combine the two techniques. For example, choose the
pink plastic flamingo idea and add these words for a place to start
the design process:
* Round
* Bold
* Thin
* Sporty
After this, you can come up with some ideas to doodle. What about
a round design that uses bold colors, like fluorescent pink, seafoam
green and black? It can feature text with a sporty look. The flamingo
illustrations have that classic minimalist style you see with professional
sports logos. Double thin outlines with the pink and seafoam
green colors give it a slight art-deco or neon look.
Random Things
This method may necessitate a field trip to Fred's. If you can't go in
person, have someone give you a tour via video. What do you see?
Is there something unique about the place that inspires you? Don't
start the process with your mind focused on one thing. Be open to
the ideas that come to you and jot them down.
When you walk in the door, what's the first thing you see? Maybe
there's a big fish tank front-and-center. What do you smell? Is there
music? These are the things on which you can base a creative design.
Maybe the smell of barbecue overwhelms you and gets your stomach
Choosing random words from a
book can help you think of ideas
that can be the basis for designs.
JUNE/JULY 2021
P.21
Impressions - June/July 2021

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