Idea Generation

I spoke about this in last semester's class but I thought it'd be worth going over again, plus there are some "new" (well, new to me) people here.

If editorial work is based upon ideas, how exactly does one come up with those ideas?

I wouldn't consider myself a conceptually brilliant illustrator, but I've devised a method of generating ideas that seems to work for me. Everyone has a different conceptual style (and an illustration problem can be solved infinite different ways, successfully), so you'll have to find your own process. Here's what I do:


1. If possible, sit on it.

Personally I think the ideal situation is read the article a couple of times and let it jostle in your head for a little bit. I know that isn't always possible as a student, but lots of ideas will pop into my head just before sleeping or while I'm in the shower. I think that being aware of the problem but not "focussing" on it makes you more open to free association.


2. Read the article thoroughly.

This sounds par the course, but you'll be surprised how often a great idea is actually right there in the text. Read it several times, underline key phrases and interesting "scenes".


Here is an Op-Ed piece that I did a few days ago. It's about Tiananmen Square. The concept for it sprung directly from the text.



The city had come out to support the protesters: workers, entrepreneurs, writers, petty thieves. After the tanks drove the students from the square in the early hours of June 4, 1989, nearby shop owners turned up with baskets of sneakers to hand out to protesters who’d lost their shoes in the confrontation.

and later in the article, a great visual image is mentioned:

There is an expression in Chinese that says, “One can only stand up from the place where one fell.” If China is to truly stand up and deserve its powerful position in the international community, it must return to the place where it fell.

So you can see how the final image came about. Furthermore, the woman's outfit echoes the man in that famous still from the protests. I was reminded of that image via...


3. Research.

I don't think students do this enough. Never jump into sketches right away; sketches are not the first step. Run some searches through Google Images, Corbis, Gettyimages, etc. For example, the current article is about Depleted salmon stocks. I would do some image searches of not only "Salmon" but what about "Death", "Extinction", "Overfishing", "Salmon + Food", etc? Furthermore, what about "funeral", "vanish", "memories", etc? Make a list of words just write all that stuff down as you re-read the article... even if it seems only marginally relevant. Then run a search on it. Stuff will pop up that you would have never been able to think of. Plus, you may see a photo that inspires an idea. Don't expect yourself to pull great ideas out of thin air... research will help you arrive at unexpected and unique solutions.


4. Thumbnails.

Do quick thumbnails of ideas before perfecting them. Sometimes the act of loosely drawing helps you see connections or combine symbols. Do many of them, then do larger, tighter versions of the best ones. Those should be the ones you send to the art director.



So that's my process. Of course sometimes it doesn't follow according to plan, sometimes you happen upon something great right out of the gate, etc. But more of than not, it's a bit more of a slog.

What about you? Do you guys have any tips to share?