Creative Inspiration | Advertising and Marketing

Even with the best strategy, research and analytics, no advertising and marketing campaign is complete without dazzling, eye-catching creative. It is more than colors and fonts and fancy style elements; it is the feeling behind the creative that causes people to stop and take notice.

And it’s complicated, this thing called design. Art director and graphic designer Paul Rand, widely known for logo design for companies like UPS and ABC, once said, “Design is so simple. That’s why it’s so complicated.”

So, where do creatives get their design inspiration, anyway?

We talked to another one of our designers, Assistant Creative Director Kevin Carnes, to find out what inspires him when he creates award-winning advertising and marketing work.

1. How long have you been working for Commit?

Five and a half years.

2. What got you interested in graphic design?

Music, actually. I’ve been collecting records since I was a kid, and I always loved the photography, illustration and typography associated with albums. I would spend hours listening to the music while being completely immersed in the artwork. Then I realized that somewhere in the world there are artists producing this work. That’s when I realized that graphic design might be the thing for me to do.

3. What’s your favorite thing to design?

I’m not sure if I have a favorite thing to design. I like the projects that take me out of my comfort zone and push me to find a new and unexpected solution.

4. What’s the hardest thing to design?

It has to be a corporate identity. To try and embody an entire company’s brand into one mark is very difficult.

5. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I have a bunch of resources, but I am always finding new things that inspire me. A lot of time it depends on the project. I find myself looking at publications, watching films, listening to music and visiting places that might lend some inspiration.