Hey Design Sketchers!
Ever wonder how to constantly fill your sketchbook with fresh design ideas without spending a fortune on books or courses? Here’s a little secret from my student days that still works great: grab product catalogues when you go shopping!
Why Shopping Is a Goldmine for Design Inspiration
Product catalogs are like mini design libraries you can carry in your bag—for free! They come packed with colorful visuals, rich product information, and clever layout presentation that can spark amazing ideas for your own projects and mood boards. Plus, holding these catalogs makes it easier to study and refer back to whenever you want.
How to Get the Most from Shopping for Inspiration
Whenever you go shopping, keep an eye out for catalogs that you can take home. Don’t hesitate to ask store staff if you can grab extra copies. Use those catalogues as study material to understand different product designs, packaging, and presentation styles.
Experience Products in Real Life — Not Just on Screens
While the internet offers plenty of product images, seeing and interacting with real products adds an invaluable sensory layer. When you hold a product, you get a better sense of its size, scale, proportions, and textures. You can touch the surface, feel the weight, listen to the sounds it makes when buttons click, and really understand how it works.
Use Your Curiosity to Unlock Inspiration
Try chatting with salespeople to learn more about the products. Ask simple questions like:
- “How does this product work?”
- “Who buys this the most?”
- “What do customers love about it?”
These conversations can reveal usage insights and emotional connections that will enrich your understanding and give depth to your design inspiration.
Be Observant and Open-Minded
A designer is always connected to their surroundings—what they see, hear, feel, even taste and smell. Inspiration comes from everyday life if you stay curious and observant.
Using catalogs, real product interactions, and conversations while shopping, you can gather a wealth of inspiration without spending much money.
So next time you go shopping, bring along a sketchbook, grab those catalogs, and open your eyes and mind. Design inspiration is everywhere — let your curiosity lead the way!
Cheers,
Chou-Tac
Of course, Internet has a lot of pictures of products, but I invite you to see them in real. You will get a better idea of scaling and proportion. You will aslo be able to touch and feel the product surface, to manipulate it, hear the sound it makes when you push a button… and son on.
To get inspired, your curisosity is the key !
Hope it helps !
Cheers,
Chou-Tac
Related Articles
[…] your assignment is to design a doorknob. Your first impulse is to research doorknobs. Good. Look at catalogs, websites, and see what’s out there . . . not to inspire you, but to inform you about what NOT to […]
[…] A designer is 24 hours connected to his surrounding from what he sees, feels, hears, eat… His source of inspiration can come from anywhere. […]