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Best User Interface Design Resources: The Round-up, a post on Dzineblog, includes an informative and inspiring collection of UI examples, designs, tools and more. The list covers multiple resources for discovering new UI patterns and templates (such as Pattern Tap and The UI Pattern Factory) as well as a host of interesting site samples. Another cool resource that made the list is Type Tester, which generates previews of text in different formats and provides the corresponding CSS.

Check out the post here to reignite your UI design muse. 

Missing out on all the fun at Mix10 in Vegas? The Seattle Times published this rundown of the first day’s events. Technology reporter Sharon Chan shares info from the conference, including the latest on Windows mobile development, Silverlight, mobile apps and new devices.

My friends all seem to think freelancers have it easy. Now, let’s get this straight: freelancing is no walk in the park. Not only do you have to be an expert in your field, you also need a serious helping of dedication and at least a few sides of panache.

But with that said, there are plenty of benefits that make the demands of freelancing worthwhile. For me, avoiding a “case of the Mondays” (a la Office Space) is one of them. And on this Monday afternoon, I invite you to revel in the joys of freelancing too. Whether you’re thinking about transitioning to a freelance role or you’re already there, here are just a few reasons to love life as a freelancer. . .

• Flexibility—work on a handful of different projects to stay fresh and feel challenged.
• The ability to work from wherever you feel inspired, whether it’s your dining room table, a coffee shop or a cabana.
• The ability to honor your body’s schedule and natural rhythms. Can’t be creative-on-demand at 8:00 am? Work late and sleep in. Need an afternoon siesta? Get up early then take the afternoon for yourself.
• The opportunity to learn from lots of different people. The variety of freelancing puts you in touch with a whole new network of professionals and interesting people.
• The ability to walk away. Freelancing allows you to focus on your niche, create an outstanding end-product, and then move on to the next exciting thing on your list.
• Time to balance work with your other passions. Dying to learn letterpress in your spare time? Longing to upgrade your Photoshop skills? Freelancing provides the flexibility in your schedule to make time for learning and doing the things that you’re interested in (and will ultimately benefit your career).
• Potential—there is no glass ceiling as a freelancer. No imposed limits. You control your personal and professional growth.
• Fulfillment—freelancing enables you to spend far more time actually doing what you love. Everyday.

Of course the list could go on, but we’ll leave the rest up to you. What do you love most about being a freelancer?

In the Information Age—with the internet at our fingertips and augmented reality no longer a topic for science fiction—knowledge is more accessible than ever before. Technology acts as a portal and distributor of knowledge and, in many ways, levels the playing field.

So, if knowledge doesn’t offer the edge it used to, what does? According to Tom Monahan, former ad agency bigwig and a creative powerhouse, it’s imagination that holds the differentiating power knowledge used to. 

When interviewed by HOWdesign.com back in 2008, Monahan commented that though we’ve come up with technology that “can do linear thought and come up with a conclusion,” that technology still “can’t use its imagination.”

How’s that for job security for creative professionals?

Imagination and innovation go hand in hand. In a previous post, we talked about methods for generating ideas and making innovation an action—becoming innovative in thought itself. So what if we flip the coin and look at innovation not from the individual’s perspective, but from an organizational point of view? What can organizations do to create an environment that nurtures and incubates innovative ideas?

Diego Rodriguez wrote an interesting article on businessweek.com, Happiness and the Art of Innovation, addressing how companies can support innovative thought. The gist: “help happiness bloom, and innovative behavior will follow.” Happy employees are more imaginative, more creative and more motivated.

Rodriguez goes on to talk about both personal happiness and achieving a state of mind referred to as “flow.” Summing up Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow, Rodriguez says, “Flow occurs when the complexity of the thing you’re doing just outstrips your ability to get it done. In other words, it’s challenging, but not overwhelmingly so.”

As the article goes on to explain, happy people who are “in a state of flow” are more likely to innovate. Just as fearful employees are less likely to share ideas, bored employees are less likely to come up with new earth-shattering ones.

Read the full article here to learn more about the concepts of happiness and flow in relation to innovation and imagination. Then, see what you can do!  

We’ve all been there. Suddenly a project feels just like the last. It’s the same IA, the same design, the same headline, the same creative brief, all over again. And while you’re confronting that monster of monotony, the word innovation rings in your ears (mocking you, maybe just a little).

So what do you do when you feel like you’re banging your head against the wall? It’s easy to throw around that million dollar word—innovation—in meetings and goal statements, but how can you make it not a noun or an adjective, but a verb. How do you put innovation into action?

Here are some tips and tactics for moving past the burnout phase (you know, when you want to just stick your head in the sand) to look at a problem or project with fresh eyes.

1. Rephrase the question or problem you’re trying to solve. Better yet, write down a whole series of questions (aim for 10) relating to the problem/project.
2. Think in terms of action. Make a list of verbs describing what you want your product/design/copy/etc. to do (or incite other people to do).
3. Walk away (literally). Take a break and do something physical, even if it’s just a walk around the block. Let your subconscious do the heavy lifting for a little while.
4. Keep an inspiration folder that you can turn to when you’re stuck on a problem. Stash magazine pages, images, designs, layouts, ticket stubs, text and anything else you find interesting or inspiring in the folder.
5. Form a focus group to discuss the project.
6. Look at the problem from a different vantage point. How might the point of view of an ant on the ground or an alien from outer space provide some new insight?
7. Reconsider the methodology. Ask yourself, “How would _____ think about this?” For example, how would a scientist, a painter or the President approach the problem? 
8. Free write—grab a piece of paper, a pen and a clock and find a quiet space. For 10 to 15 minutes, free write on the subject at hand. Don’t cross out words or edit as you go. And above all, don’t judge your ideas. Just aim to keep your pen moving the entire time.
9. Change your self-talk or inner dialogue. Beating yourself up or constantly mulling over how impossible a task is won’t help. Instead, engage in a positive inner dialogue. Be confident that you will create an effective solution for the task at hand.
10. Find novelty—change your environment by heading to a new locale or listening to different music. See what kind of new associations or perceptions arise from the change.  

So, what works for you? What strategies do you use to move from stagnation to innovation? We’d love to hear your ideas!

So this may be a few days late, but if you’ve slacked off in the New Year’s Resolutions department (like yours truly), then the resolution generator is just the ticket. At least you’ll have some creative answer in case the boss, a client or your cube mate asks. . .

My resolution according to the New Year’s oracle: “Stop. Collaborate. (And Listen.)” Vanilla Ice couldn’t have said it better himself.

Some other good ones, whether as resolutions or just simple daily reminders, include “Do what I love,” “Talk more, Tweet less,” and (my favorite of the bunch) “Frost cupcakes.” Who could argue with those?

From Swiss railway stations to the Michelin Man, design inspiration is everywhere. Thirty renowned creative professionals, including architects, designers, authors and brand leaders, talk about what inspires them most and what problem design should solve next on the site Thirty Conversations on Design.

In short video clips, these luminaries discuss a range of ideas and issues, challenging other designers to think broadly and design cultures, not just objects.

Thirty Conversations on Design is a great place to turn to stimulate ideas and reignite your enthusiasm for design.

Take a moment to read this thoughtful personal narrative by Jessica Helfand on designobserver.com, All Things Matter. Helfand recollects a defining moment in her design career and reiterates what it means as a designer to look at things anew.

I’ve written a few posts on Hugh MacLeod’s book, Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity (see part I, II and III), a sort of coming of age guide for the creative spirit.  

Now I don’t want to give away too many of MacLeod’s secrets or cynical insights—I’ll leave you to make what you will of his savvy street wisdom. But I will say that one idea from the last few chapters of the book really stuck with me, and that’s the notion of “creative sovereignty.”

Though he only fleetingly mentions the phrase in chapter 24, the entire book really revolves around the question of how to empower, sustain and nurture your creative drive (without relinquishing your originality or selling your soul).

So how does MacLeod encourage creative individuality? Here are a few of the pieces of advice he offers:

• “Do it for yourself.” Don’t focus on what others think about your work (or what they will think of you once your work hits the big time).
• “Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.”  In other words, live life. Gather experiences. Collect stories. Breathe deeply.
• “The best way to get approval is not to need it.” If you’re intrinsically motivated to create—whether it’s writing, designing, art directing, illustrating or some other creative endeavor—do it because you love it and it reflects who you are, and don’t worry about getting the stamp of approval from others.  

And finally, as MacLeod insists, “None of this is rocket science.”

Lumacoustics has redefined tagging, replacing spray paint with Adobe Flash and freeway underpasses with a massive digital screen. YrWall, as the roadside canvas cum interactive screen is dubbed, is a hybrid digital art paint program and animation program where users can create and explore colors, textures and movement on a giant, grown-up etch-a-sketch screen.

Artists still work with a spray can (sans the toxic fumes), though instead of paint they’re armed with a button and IR light source which is tracked using a computer vision system.

On YrWall’s massive interface, users can create digital graffiti that can be saved and repurposed as other art forms. Murals morph into emails which can then be sent out as virtual postcards. T-shirts and stickers can be printed from the designs, too. 

YrWall has been used at a number of events ranging from graffiti battles, festivals, opening night exhibits, and a design competition hosted by Oakley sunglasses. The built in content management system makes YrWall completely customizable too; the palette and tools can be changed depending on the type of event, location and target user group.

The YrWall is environmentally conscientious, user-friendly and full of possibility. Now, the question is how to get one over to the Filter office. . .