How can you encourage designers to take risks and push boundaries in their work?

1 Define the goals and scope

Before you start any design project, you need to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, who you are designing for, and what are the limitations and requirements. This will help you set realistic expectations and avoid wasting time and resources on irrelevant or impossible ideas. However, this does not mean that you should limit your creativity or settle for the obvious solutions. You can use the goals and scope as a guide to explore different possibilities and challenge yourself to find new ways to communicate, express, or solve a problem.

2 Seek inspiration and learn from others

One of the best ways to expand your horizons and discover new techniques, styles, or approaches is to look for inspiration and learn from other designers, artists, or experts in your field or related fields. You can browse online portfolios, galleries, blogs, magazines, books, or podcasts to find examples of outstanding, innovative, or unconventional work. You can also attend workshops, webinars, courses, or events to learn new skills, tools, or methods. You can also network with other professionals or peers and exchange ideas, feedback, or advice. The more you expose yourself to different sources of inspiration and learning, the more you will enrich your own design vocabulary and repertoire.

3 Experiment with different tools and formats

Another way to push your boundaries and try new things is to experiment with different tools and formats for your design work. You can use different software, hardware, or platforms to create, edit, or present your designs. You can also explore different formats, such as animations, videos, interactive media, games, or virtual reality. These can offer you new possibilities, challenges, or advantages for your design goals and audience. You can also use these tools and formats to test your ideas, prototypes, or concepts and see how they work in different contexts or scenarios.

4 Get feedback and iterate

One of the most important steps in any design process is to get feedback and iterate on your work. Feedback can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your design, as well as the opportunities and threats for improvement or innovation. You can get feedback from different sources, such as your clients, users, colleagues, mentors, or experts. You can also use different methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, usability tests, or critiques. The key is to be open-minded, receptive, and constructive when receiving and giving feedback. You should also use the feedback to refine, revise, or rethink your design and make it better, more effective, or more original.

5 Celebrate successes and failures

Finally, you should celebrate both your successes and failures as a designer. Successes can motivate you, validate you, and reward you for your hard work and creativity. Failures can teach you, challenge you, and inspire you to try harder and smarter. You should not be afraid of failing or making mistakes, as they are part of the learning and growing process. You should also not be complacent or satisfied with your achievements, as they are opportunities to set new goals and standards. You should always aim to improve, evolve, and innovate as a designer, and to enjoy the journey along the way.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?