Need design ideas generators.

Question

Hello guys
I am a web developer and sometimes I have to do some design myself for my customers but design actually is not my best thing to do. I am looking for a program that can help me getting fast and reliable design ideas but I am not looking for code generator like Artisteer.
Actually design is a hard task and my designs always look ugly and messy.

Answer 1

If you ace developer you will be a rubbish designer - just accept it like myself :-)

I would suggest looking at Microsoft SketchFlow (part of expression blend). My reason for this is that it has a mode where it deliberatly does not make the final screens look like there finished, all looking like line drawings with not straight lines. The reason this is good is that if you so not do this the customer can not get past the fact you have set the background to salmon with yellow font and despite you saying that can be changed they stop looking.

Micorosft makes a big thing about being then able to convert this effectly silverlight mock up into a finished product but actually I just skip this stage and take the outline design to the coders and use it like a specification.

Not really ansering your question but just giving a different view point and look forward to seeing what people have to say about your question. Thanks Simon

Answer 2

I think you can get the design ideas by looking at the different designs around you.

Make sure you are comfortable in using the design tools, and what you can achieve with those tools. When you know these basic 2 rules, look for some design template website likes templatemonster.com, etc... many more and get the ideas which others have created and create your own dsign and use it

Answer 3

You can refer to existing OOAD principles and design-patterns but No such thing is available on earth as of now that will generate new design ideas for you, and Even if you get some programs like "DesignGenerators" chances are very less you'll be optimally able to use it, becuase you'll need understand them fundamentally well.

'Designing' is very subjective matter and it is intuitive hence improved by exeprience and it depends more on wisdom and knowledge that it cannot be documented or automated like programming languages. So the only way out for you is to start learning OOAD first and then head towards design-patterns. Make your OOAD foundation strong and creative and that you will soon be able to solve small design challanges on your own.

Answer 4

Human beings remain the only "idea generators" — AFAIK.

Check out this book at your local bookstore. The section on creating a sense of depth is especially interesting.

http://www.amazon.com/Web-Designers-Idea-Book-Ultimate/dp/1600610641/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272434189&sr=8-3

(At Amazon you can "look inside" and search for "depth"; page 60 has some great selections. You have to zoom in.)

As others have said, the best way to get design ideas is to look at lots of other designs, and use your brain.