Fuel Your Design Process

Collecting Images and Clippings for Ideation and Design Processes

• Images are abundant in various media and can be collected to fuel ideation and design processes.
• Scissors, scanner, camera, or image clipping software can be used to collect images and clippings.
• There are three common ways to store collected images: on a computer, in shoe boxes or physical file folders, or in a sketchbook or scrapbook.
• Storing images on a computer may not be beneficial if the collection is not accessed, used, and annotated regularly.
• Shoe boxes or physical file folders are quick and easy to use for storing images but accessing them may be less quick and easy.
• Collecting images in a sketchbook or scrapbook is highly recommended as it involves a deeper study of the image and allows for annotations and notes.
• Annotations should include information about where the image came from, parts liked or disliked, and any thoughts on how to adjust or use the approach.
• The act of printing, cutting, and pasting images often involves a deeper study of the image.
• Reviewing images in a sketchbook or scrapbook is easy, especially if it is carried around.
• An example of a collected image is three colored rectangles atop a photo, illustrating the idea of layering translucently colored information with annotations included within the layers.
• Collected images can be applied to interface problems or design processes.
• Collecting and storing images can be useful in generating ideas and inspiration for design projects.