Staying Creative in the Mac design world

Staying creative in the Mac design world
03/14/2005 14:06 | By Kristie Masuda


Working in the Macintosh design industry can be both inspiring and rewarding, but maintaining a solid stance in the increasingly competitive field takes the latest software and hardware, a creative mind, and artistic talent.

Just as Mac users often show an incredible amount of enthusiasm for their computers, creative individuals show passion for their work. Being passionate about creative work also takes a certain amount of inspiration. So, how do design professionals stay inspired and maintain a creative outlook?

Brian Brisebois is a Senior Art Director at a Minneapolis advertising agency and manages to stay creative by studying everything around him from a design aspect. "I constantly experiment in different styles, techniques and mediums... testing in different art forms gives new perspectives," Brisebois told Spymac. "I read several creative trade magazines, go to museums and don't go anywhere without my camera. Try to keep-up on applications as much as I can."

Chicago designer and artist, Matt Maldre also tries to keep on top of what's new in the computer industry and art world. "It's just almost a standard to look through Print, CA, etc., but I just don't just look at the pretty pictures," Maldre says. "I try to read these magazines from cover to cover."

Self-educated graphic/web designer and cartoonist, Thomas Michaud, has been working as a freelance or corporate employee on and off for 17 years and has maintained a creative outlook by carrying out different design work like drawing cartoons, designing clothing logos as well as doing freelance work.

"I started out drawing political and strip cartoons for the The University Daily Kansan, at the University of Kansas, between 1988 and 1991 where I studied Political Science - with an English minor. After graduation, I moved onto t-shirt design and corporate newsletter layouts and then onto ad and catalog layouts. After moving to southwest Michigan, in 2001 to marry my wife, I've been working as an in-house graphic designer/illustrator and some video production for Lane Automotive, along with various freelance projects through my personal business IVfx."

There are a number of things that Michaud says help him stay creative. "The first thing that helps me to stay creative is to just get away from all design for about a week or two - taking a vacation to just recharge my mind." With time off from design, Michaud enjoys reading, playing sports, video games, and working on his house and yard. To gain inspiration, he subscribes to design magazines and reads various blogs published by graphic and web designers. Some of Michaud's inspirational sites include Mike Davidson, Camron Moll, Jason Santa Maria, Netdiver, Core Industries Gallery, monc, HOW Design, Veer and Speak Up.