Graphic designers seek inspiration all around them; from the colors of a flower’s petals to the curve of an arched doorway. This fine eye for inspiring detail is essential for a graphic designer to create compelling design that conveys a message and connects a client to the audience. Graphic designers work in a variety of mediums, including television ads, magazines, direct mail, logo creation, and print advertisements. A graphic designer must be always on the lookout for what is inspiring and what can be used in future design work to convey a specific message.
Choosing to study at one of the graphic design schools in Miami puts you at the heart of design inspiration. A look around proves there is inspiration everywhere and that it’s all uniquely Miami.
Ocean
There’s no denying that the beach and the ocean have a strong influence on every aspect of life in Miami. This influence can be translated into your graphic design work. The colors of the ocean can be used to convey a feeling of serenity and peace. The movement of the ocean is a perfect inspiration and can be translated with motion lines and blurred edges. You can use design elements that are inspired by anything at the beach including waves, fish tails, the curl of a tropical plant’s leaves, the varying colors and depths of the sand, or the sunrise over the ocean water.
Architecture
Miami is famous for several different architecture styles but none are more iconic than the Art Deco influences of the 1920’s. Although Art Deco was popular across the globe Miami added its own touches to the style by incorporating tropical images, such as relief ornamentation of flora, fauna, and ocean liners, to portray Miami as a luxurious seaside resort. The Art Deco designs in Miami still feature the classic ziggurat rooflines, sculptural panels, porthole windows, encompassing symmetry, and glass blocks with an additional regional touch.
You can use the Art Deco buildings in Miami as inspiration for your graphic design work. Consider incorporating bold curves, strong vertical lines, geometric shapes, motion lines, sunbursts, airbrushing, and aerodynamic forms. You can also convey a retro Art Deco feel by using transportation images, such as steam engines, airplanes, or classic cars, as part of the design. Fonts inspired by the Art Deco style are an additional method of displaying the style’s inspiration in your own design work.
Vintage Miami
Vintage images of Miami are often filled with bright citrus colors; tangerine, lemon, coral, and turquoise. These colors, in combination, harken back to the 1950’s Miami sun worshippers enjoying the beach and lounging poolside in vibrant beach chairs. You can easily convey this same feeling in your graphic design by using these same colors to brighten a design and to produce a retro feel. The amount of color you use will be dependent on the specific design project but even small “pops” of these colors help to convey a tropical feeling with a retro feel.
Nightlife
Modern day Miami is known for its nightlife and party scene. Guests from across the globe come to Miami for a mix of relaxing days at the beach and vibrant parties at night. Many of Miami’s most famous nightclubs are filled with a combination of strong metallic elements against black and white decor. This use of metallic elements can compliment a variety of design projects. Consider the strength of a design that is simple and modern with metallic lettering on a bold white background. By using the Miami nightclub as inspiration you can create a design that is bold, yet simple.
Choosing one of the graphic design schools in Miami is a great choice. Look around you, what do you see that inspires you?
