Designers are an elusive bunch aren’t they? Once you think you’re on top of the latest and greatest in design trends, it’s all pulled from underneath you as the industry introduces a new shiny trend. From fashion and interiors to graphic design and print, keeping up to date with the fast paced world of design can be tough. Here are our tips on how to stay current and recommendations on which creative types you should be following.
1) Follow your favourite designers on social media
Instagram is a winning platform for keeping abreast of interiors, art, graphic design, fashion, print and anything generally creative. This image sharing platform allows you follow artists, brands, designers and everyone in between. By doing so you will have real time updates on the latest developments in your field.
You too can share your daily inspirations from your work and own creative endeavours. Follow influential designers on Twitter and participate in design conversations on Google+ by asking questions, joining design related circles and become active in groups around a particular industry. There is a group pretty much for everything.
Here are some of the best to get you started:
- Boy Girl Party, @boygirlparty – a well curated account from this talented artist, crafter and illustrator.
- Kelly Wearstler, @kellywearstler – this famed American interior designer publishes beautiful imagery ranging from her latest works to stunning art pieces.
- Instagram, @instagram – essentially this account publishes all the best photos from instagram. A constant source of inspiration from technology to graphic design.
- Sonyayu, @sonyayu – instagram is famed for streams of food shots and latte art, however this amazing food photographer is worth following.
- Flat Vernacular, @flatvernacular – This Brooklyn based design company specializes in handpainted and handdrawn wall paper. Never leaves you short of inspiration.
- Anthology Magazine, @anthologymag – this quarterly print magazine is all about travel, design and culture. Be prepared for greatness.
2) Create a RSS feed for a daily stream of inspiration
Imagine all of your favourite design blogs in the one place. Setting up an RSS feed is the first step in streamlining your online reading and research. Programs such as feedly make it easier to subscribe to websites and blogs. Here, we have selected some of the best blogs from around the web for you to start gathering inspiration.
- The New Graphic – Graphic Designs by Cina Associates in the US.
- The Design Files – One of Australia’s most popular interior design blogs.
- Abduzeedo – Illustrations, photography, architecture and typography.
- Mr Cup – Graphic design, packaging and trend spotting at it’s finest.
- It’s Nice That – Championing creativity across the art and design world, this website is a melting pot of all things new and trendy.
- Miss Moss – This cute blog shares a stunning imagery of fashion, art, design and photography.
- I Love Typography – a beautiful lesson is typography and graphic design. This blog is a must.
3) Participate in Design, Photography, Art, Illustration Forums
By participating in design forums, you will quickly hear about the new trends within the industry from people in the know. Here you can take the opportunity to reach out to other designers, share your opinion in the design community, get professional feedback and generally collaborate on ideas.
4) Disconnect to reconnect
Despite the influx of daily, seasonal or yearly trends, sometimes the best way to rejuvenate your design senses and inspiration is to get outside, explore the world, visit art galleries, park yourself in the sun and people watch. Soak up the culture around you and spot the trends in the little things.
Whether you’re online or offline, keeping up with design trends can be simple and time efficient when you have the right tools in place and you know the best resources to follow.
Image source: Chris-Håvard Berge via Compfight
