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Where to Find Inspiration?

Lesson 14 from: Diversifying Your Product Line

Susie Breuer

Where to Find Inspiration?

Lesson 14 from: Diversifying Your Product Line

Susie Breuer

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Lesson Info

14. Where to Find Inspiration?

Next Lesson: Color & Fabric

Lesson Info

Where to Find Inspiration?

Ok, so we're not going to talk about where you find inspiration so has anyone ever been into a clothing store in a used clothing story could also be an interior store and just so what was the inspiration behind that you see something and he's him inspiration behind that jackets can a strange or it's kind of like that's amazing what got the designer to that place I find it I find it really interesting whether I'm looking at homewares or whether I'm looking at jewelry or also fashion to really kind of challenge also where the idea came from so with that in mind I'm going to go back to a couple of the shops that we've already featured two kind of almost reverse engineer the inspiration process and try and imagine what was on their concept so taking the minyan lampshades I kind of looked at that and I just thought ok, some very obvious things that kind of jump to mind so nature and nature and wood is the first thing because of the rule material that you've got from that geometric his own a...

rt deco on a kind of an obvious war can't transparency which you don't often think about for for wood being transparent for the whole nature of being ableto see through these different elements is, um is an interesting one it's it's kind of like a nice conflict of like, you know transparency and would um I like that they've kind of, like, mixed up the kind of geometric in the art deco it's two very different design ah, viewpoints or opinions really? But they work really nicely. I think the I mean, this is very different from nights probably a different customer who's going to buy into that, but because of the raw material being the same kind of sits really nicely together, I kind of like it, so I kind of focused in on this one. Um then I looked at confetti riot and again, I is we looked at these slides already, but looking at it from a different perspective, we have texture. Ah, when you have the kind of the texture of the woven travel cactus, I thought, you see where I went with that cactus and travel going to mexico communication um joining you do want to know where I got communication from? Yeah, interesting. Yeah, sorry. Cliff ix yeah, throw that one in the landscape a plant life and contrast could that they're very they're really contrast you've got here contrast of colors down here. Contrast of kind of the kind of the bold print the tassel on which kind of contrast nicely with the the body of the purse and there's nothing much kind of tonal going on with these tea towels either it's a very definite very strong print, very strong image and he works all the way through. So if she was going to put a concert board together I would expect there to be a beautiful landscape shots, some travel imagery definitely some nature, maybe some mixture of textures going on maybe some you know, wood and water together something like that to evoke a canada and interesting texture. So so I kind of thought I kind of put these lists these words down still need to get in touch with her and find out, you know, what was your concept boards just to see if I'm right? Um but it is interesting that to kind of reverse engineer you come up with a whole bunch of ideas that could be relevant. Teo the line I mean, guys in the audience here what? What else jumps out from from this image to you of kind of like ideas there. Anything additional you could add to that? Maybe something on the color really inspired by nature, right? Yeah. Yeah, I think that's very that's a strong inspiration thing on on that. Um so just kind of moving forward really kind of like a little hit list, so we have some inspiration zones that I just picked out, the stuff that I find really kind of interesting to look at, so we have architecture which which is a huge inspiration when you're thinking about structure that kind of a linear aspect, a kind of a nice contrast art and travel color books and poems on travel. Those of the first things. So I think what I would what I would do it if I was going to start a concept board or start mike inspiration hunting, I would start looking at different these different areas and kind of keep those, um, categorized as well, looking within that for color shape for for an emotion from mood and start kind of building out like that. If you become overwhelmed with the process, that would be my start. I have a couple of images here that I found just this kind of inspiration. Pictures just kind of like a random pictures I found which I wanted to share with you. This one, I have no idea where it is. I'm guessing it's it's, probably in europe, trying to get the european link back into the deck like the like the car. I like the kind of linear aspect of these of these streets here, and I like the kind of the contrast of the graffiti on the war there's something this car is just such a great car it's so small, so dinky but people still, you know, use on an everyday basis so this is something that I kind of liked for, and I can't really tell you exactly what I would use it for for a concept board, but I still find it interesting to look at, um, this is really nice beaten up leather sofa. I kind of get a lot of inspiration on texture on that on color, the way that the leather is worn so nicely with where, um, I get a feeling of mood of that you'd imagine kind of like curling up with a kind of a nice blanket over you, trying to figure out your time inaction, planning on dh that it and the contrast of the texture of between the leather in the wood, I think, is also really nice, um, kind of contrast ing elements that so really it's like, where do you find inspiration? This is a good one to kind of hit the twitter machine and get some kind of feedback from there, and then I wanted to show you something which was completely random. I went to dallas about ah, a month, so go for a weekend, my husband's family eyes down there. So I went to dallas, and these are just some of the pictures that I picked up from just like, you know, synapse on my camera that I wanted to just kind of show. And all of these are kind of interesting for different reasons. I have no idea how I'm going to use them with my scarf line. But, um, what I liked was really kind of a textural aspect. Um, this was in one of the museum's of using different textures. Tio, kind of, like display the letters. This was an interesting a mosaic without with the street name that I really liked. This was his amazing color combination. I could probably use that for a scarf if I wanted to. Because the colors are just so strong in the pattern. And the the layout was so interesting. I like the contrast of the gold on the neutral here for me, it's. Just such a strong punch line to a design. And, you know, I have to throw a little bit of architecture and every now and again because, you know, it's life without architecture, right? So so this was I really liked. I like the lines are like the contrast of the glass and also the concrete sculpture country structure rather know robin sculpture, so so this is just kind of like random. Um, nothing is composed here, these air just thrown on a piece of paper without any kind of real idea as to where they're going, but every one of these I can look out and kind of go it pleases me to look at it, there's something inspiring about each of those, but for very different reasons. So I think it's important to kind of find the time to find inspiration and you don't have to make it a sure you don't have to mean if you have nearly everyone has a smart camera these days or, you know, a smartphone on it smoke, not camera in a smartphone smartphone. Yeah, yeah, ok, so many everyone as him it's an easy thing to do to snap things and just to record it doesn't have to be kind of like a one hour session on pinterest, you know, every day into your calendar so kind of my my takeaway tip from this is just take a few minutes um, take a look at the world around you rather kind of like staring through facebook, stare the people around you stare at the world around you on the different times I've come into the creative life studio every single time I come, and I take a different picture of something else. Because the layout will the people or something about this building I find kind of interesting the way they put it together no idea where I'm going to use it but it's it's something which I see and I notice and it's it's fascinating for me so that's how I think you should approach kind of concept and inspiration don't go into it thinking you have to have an end result by the end of the day it's a very, very organic process so where do you find inspiration and when does it strike that's that's a big old question would be great to get some feedback from the chat room on their guys and your december where do you find inspire your inspiration so much of my line and what I do is based on a sense of humor and just, you know, one liners yeah. And for me it's it's just my everyday life you know it's like a, um the tree of trust of moats inside my brain. And every now and then I let you in and you can dream trust like that so it's a little bits out here and there, you know, and I just find inspiration and being a mom and the chaos that that ensues and juggling life and right relate ability, you know, and just those day to day things and I'm constantly jotting something down and just to organize it all for me all just title everything card idea so that if I need to find it in my smartphone or if I need to find it in my computer aiken typing card idea and they all come popping up right? Because they come at, you know, I always say my best inspiration is in the shower, and it is now it's and I think a lot of people have that, and I think that there is something of just being quiet time. Yeah, but yeah, just I think just everyday life. Yeah, now I think he said walking around if they're taking a mental break from all of the studio yeah, being kind of like, just be open toe, other interesting events or images which coming away, which is hard to do in today's it is still in society. Yeah, catherine, would you get your inspiration? Could you get some very unique products thinks I'm typically inspired by nature or cultural motifs that appear in the environment around me like the figure skulls, a sort of seeing them all over the place, some people's t shirts and mugs and jewelry and everything in san jose? Yeah, and, you know, I want to do my version of that right, and it certainly be amazing popular, I thought, I'll just be you know, sees holding for day of the dead and no people buy me around nice, and I thought of being primarily hispanic, you know, it's pretty much everybody. So you've been kind of cool out on the popularity, which is another good question. Is there a problem to have you on? And a couple of the ideas and bounce around for future collections would be inspired by indian textiles because eleven sunnyvale and every time we go out of my house there any women walking around wearing these beautiful saris and sell our commies and that's a great source of inspiration? You don't know the color and texture, everyone. Chris, what do we have? A lot of inspiration in the chatter and people are talking about specific places. Sandra glover cook clark says paris, barcelona, specific cities, specific locations, antique shops, scavenger and he says she loves going to antique shops and vintage stores for inspiration. Michelle visas everywhere is a place where she gets inspiration. There's no there's, no safe place. You don't think it's lost in fabric store is traveling through stores. Her mind never stops so people are always getting aspiration everywhere they go. Yeah, there is there's, no boundary.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Example Time Action Plan
Manufacturing Materials List
Time Action Assumptions
Diversifying Your Product Line Workbook
Example Comp Analysis Sheet
Industry Resources
Syllabus - Diversifying Your Product Line

Ratings and Reviews

Melissa
 

Thank you for an excellent class on a key pivot point no matter what industry you are in. One stellar quality of this course is how collaborative, friend focused peer culture and (rather than hostile competition or dysfunction competition environment and psychological atmosphere). The structure suggestions enable creativity and acknowledges different mindsets required in different phases. Susie honors the joy that comes from making and creating. She celebrates the interdependence between all stakeholders and the fun and flow as well as learnings and choices from being a 'business'. She is pragmatic but high on the inclusiveness of fun and satisfaction. She is interested and interesting: safe, enjoys being a customer as much as teacher and expressions of creative generation for herself. You can be caught up in the delight of her view of the world if you have become jaded or burnout. This brings perspective and empowerment to your desire and goals.

user-023d31
 

Susie has this most amazing experience in business - she is fashion royalty - but has an amazing ability to put all her knowledge across in a way that you can learn so easily. I was so pleased that she could show you how to learn from her experience and it would make sense for your business. Pretty much whatever you are doing. I came away from these sessions with so many ideas. But of course ideas are cheap. She has made me understand how once you have an idea, how to make it real. So many great learnings about avoiding pitfalls, practical check lists and honest to goodness 'know how'. I am already putting her advice into practice and can see I am going to transform my business just because of these classes. I am going to come back to those videos again and again. Thank you so much for making this great resource available.

flywheelpress
 

I LOVED THIS COURSE. After being a small business owner for 10 years it is easy to focus on what's right on your desk at that very moment instead of evaluating the bigger picture, to forget how to look at what is working as well as what isn't and how to improve upon your process. Courses like this make me want to jump up out of my seat and get back to work. Susie kept me engaged and focused. It can be a long day but time seemed to fly by. I am really glad I got the opportunity to take the course, not only would I take it again but would highly recommend future Creative Live courses and Susie's latest book. Thank you again for the opportunity and now I gotta get back to work!

Student Work

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