1. Metaphors.

Great ideas can stem from using themes and metaphors. Basing a site design around the idea of a school, for example, can open up a whole avenue of ideas. A great design works because the theme houses and conveys the content seamlessly.

2. Don’t take all day to brainstorm.

It always helps to throw ideas around with a colleague or friend (as long as he knows what he’s doing). Try to have a couple of short sessions of brainstorming rather than one massive one as ideas can quickly go cold.

3. Get off that computer!

Sometimes it’s best to just have a break. Leaving the computer can seem like going on holiday in rush hour, but it usually helps if you just take a 10 minute break and get some fresh air. If you can’t do that, try listening to some music, or taking your jumper off.

4. Join a forum.

A lot of creatives work from home, but that doesn’t mean they can’t talk to anyone. There are a lot of really helpful and talented people out there willing to have a chat about design, you just need to find them. Here are some of my favorite forums:

5. Think brand.

Try going to a few courses on branding, as brand thinking is vital to developing the way you think. Keep your ideas squeaky simple, and 9 times out 0f 10 they will work. Thinking in terms of branding means you can develop key words to stem your ideas from. Complexity just doesn’t work.

6. Use a sketchbook.

I almost always start with ideas that I have scribbled down in my trusty sketchbook. Whenever I get an idea I just make sure I get it down on paper. This always helps as whenever you’re stuck at a later date, you don’t have to go out and buy another book, just refer to your own! Don’t just keep it to ideas though, put URLs, book titles, words, and all the sketches down that you can. It will develop into your creative mind, on paper.

7. Draw a map.

I find it helps to visualise the brief. Highlight key words and phrases, and jot them down in your trusty sketchbook. Then see how these ideas could link up by drawing lines between them and branching out from those core ideas. Pretty soon you’ll have enough on the page to sketch out some decent ideas.

8. Save. Save. Save. Save again.

Are you getting the message? No matter how decent your computer is, don’t leave yourself in a position where you could lose all of your days work in one flick of a switch. Sometimes it helps to have had a dodgy computer in the past, as I now save every time I leave the window I’m working in. Sometimes my Mac just won’t play ball, and the only option is a reboot. Don’t let a reboot ruin your day.

9. Simplify.

Striving for simplicity may not seem too tricky at first, but when you have a wealth of ideas, it’s important not to complicate and distort your original message. If you are using a lot of complex visual elements, try to keep the colours simple, and vice versa. This way, your colours and design won’t compete with each other.

10. Experience is everything.

The longer you have worked in design, the more experienced you become. Spending more time focusing on the applications you use can really speed up your production, making you more efficient and more knowledgeable of their feature sets.