There’s an old saying that goes “you cannot paint from an empty palette,” or something similar to that. The meaning behind it is simple enough: to come up with new ideas and new ways of thinking, you need to see and hear new ideas and new ways of thinking.
In every field, in any industry, this rings true. In the digital age, technology grants us access to so many stories and opinions, the question becomes how can you dig through all this information and pull out that little tidbit that strikes a chord, that makes a difference, that resonates for you?
The answer is clear: by taking each bit in, one story at a time. After a while, you begin to build a collection of stories, tales of limits pushed, of boundaries broken, of challenges overcome. Once this library of lesson learned is assembled, it should be synthesized and organized in a way that it can be disseminated and shared. Cataloging these stories fashions an arsenal of innovation, so when that palette feels empty, a dose of inspiration lies in wait, to expand thinking and spur creativity.
The goal of this project was to create a system to share these Inspiration Doses in a clear consistent manner. Each dose is composed of two parts: a modern “fable,” the example of inspiration, and an activity, something for the reader to do or think about relating to the story. The stories are compelling enough, so I wanted to keep the design should be understated. Layout should be varied, but controlled. Formats were created in two vertical and one horizontal layouts. An “arrow” masthead appears on all, with a subtle numbering process, insinuating the grandness of the collection available.
These elements are easily reformatted into an email message or attached as a PDF, where hyperlinks to more information or back to the author's home page can be embedded. Doses can also be easily printed.
This "Inspiration Dose" recounts the orign of the High Line Park in New York City, and how the passion and clarity of an aligned vision can bring success.
Despite tragedy, balance in perspectives and the regenerative power of the human mind can conquer anything, as told in this dose.
In this "Inspiration Dose," patience and commitment combine in a process that promotes growth through exploration and iteration.
Empathy, as shown in this "Inspiration Dose," can change perspective, ground reality, and provide insight to create innovative and lasting impact.
The horizontal template places the story at the bottom of the page, and the mechanism to the right. Depending on the headline, the story area can support 2000-2200 charaters; the mechanism area is best suited for 500-700 characters.
The first vertical template offers the same space for story and mechanism. The bulletted list in the "Now You Try" section can be applied in any of the templates.
The second vertical template uses the same safe area seen in all the layouts, keeping key text within the conservative margins of a print area while maximizing image area.
