Design philosophies can be useful, but inspiration, creative strategies, and efficient work habits are what really get the job done. Designer, instructor, and author Curt Cloninger provides a multitude of strategies, tools, and practices that readers can use to inject a big dose of creativity into just about any design project. With illustrations drawn from 20th-century French philosophy, medieval manuscripts, punkrock posters, and more, Curt's innovative text introduces readers to his personal toolkit for hot-wiring the creative process. You'll learn strategies to:

Recognize and believe in your creative powers

Develop effective methods for evaluating your own work

Draw inspiration from the past

Use standard software in experimental ways, and find nonstandard applications to create new effects

Maintain a personal design playground

Mine your subconscious with the Oblique Strategies Cards, developed by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt

Un-stick your imagination by "blitz-designing" mock-ups

Curt Cloninger is an artist, designer, author, and instructor in Multimedia Arts & Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. His book Fresh Styles for Web Designers: Eye Candy from the U nderground (New Riders, 2002) is an industry standard on creative Web design solutions. Curt's art and design work has been featured in I.D. Magazine, HOW Magazine, The New York Times, Desktop Magazine, and at digital arts festivals from Korea to Brazil. He regularly speaks at international events such as HOW Design, South by Southwest, Web Design World, and FILE. His pirate signal broadcasts from lab404.com to facilitate lively dialog.

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