Your Creative Side

Design Your Own Inspiration Board!

Design professionals make use of inspiration boards at the very beginning of a new project in order to formulate the direction of their design, and to pull together ideas about texture, style and color. It is a method of summarizing a general design mood and feel so that concepts can be communicated in a visual manner.

There are a number of tips to help you to create an inspiration board and avoid style disasters while clarifying your ideas for the design and how they will work.

The first step is to gather together ideas for your inspiration from various resources such as drawings, magazine pictures, photographs, postcards or websites. Anything which engenders a strong response from you should be collected.

Colors, designs, sayings and quotes, pieces of art or handcrafted items that catch your eye and connect with your soul.?Start a board of ideas for new non toxic toys and games for your child! ?You could try taking photographs on your own while you are out and about, and then write down your favorites and try to articulate the elements that make you like it.

Possible themes may include holiday entertaining, gift or decorations; decorating a nursery for a new born child; weddings; vacations; landscaping; quilting; or decorating rooms; childhood school memorabilia; and interests/hobbies.

A great idea for a design board for young children is the Refrigerator board.

• On a refrigerator or bulletin board, put your child