Retronaut: a curated collection of visual ephemera

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The use of inspirational works by designers to create new ideas

"Designers immerse themselves in environments rich in inspiration: collecting examples, amassing libraries, pinning notes and images around their workspaces, and so on. There is a broad recognition that much of the design proceeds by modification of previous ideas (e.g., Oxman, 1990) and that experts amass collections of examples and precedents to employ in design (e.g., Lawson, 2004). Indeed there are attempts to introduce students to relevant design precedents (e.g., Heylighen and Verstijnen, 2003). However, much of the previous research has tended to focus on reference, recall, and reasoning, and to neglect the vital role of explicit external sources of inspiration in triggering and guiding designers' activities. It appears that many attempts at computer support and most research starts with conceptual design; this paper reports on research which attempts to investigate the even earlier gathering of sources of inspiration and exploration of ideas and hence to understand the mechanisms by which inspiration is harnessed (see also Eckert and Stacey, 2000)."

(Marian Petrea, Helen Sharpa and Jeffrey Johnson, 2006, Design Studies)

Marian Petrea, Helen Sharpa and Jeffrey Johnson (2005). "Complexity through combination: an account of knitwear design", Volume 27, Issue 2, March 2006, Pages 183–222

Striking ideas and inspiring showreels

"Maybe you noticed that I'm a big fan of showreels. I like it to see how is the style of an artist in one film. Here I collected 21 fantastic examples you should see. So take the time and you will be impressed by so many stylish pictures and amazing ideas."

(Toni Polkowski)

The Fox Is Black: a design community destination for creativity

"The Fox Is Black, formerly Kitsune Noir, was started in April of 2007 as a way of sharing interesting ideas with likeminded people. The blog has now become a staple in the design community as a destination for creativity and fresh ideas. Updated daily, the blog shares a melange of topics ranging from design, culture, music, and films. Every Wednesday we release a new desktop wallpaper on The Desktop Wallpaper Project, a way to decorate your computer background with the work of the best illustrators, designers and photographers in the world."

(Bobby Solomon)

Fig.1 Hans Andersson's "Time Twister" clock.

Fig.2 Fleet Foxes, animation by Sean Pecknold using illustrations by Stacey Rozich.

Fig.3 Lei Lei/Raydesign "My… My…".

FFFFOUND!

"FFFFOUND! is a web service that not only allows the users to post and share their favorite images found on the web, but also dynamically recommends each user's tastes and interests for an inspirational image–bookmarking experience!!"
(FFFFOUND!)

Fig.1 Funki Porcini (2003). 'Fast Asleep' Ninja Tune.

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