When faced with a creative challenge—or even a mundane one— I devise a list of 10 ways to face the quandary. I end up with the usual, obvious answers and some off-the-wall notions, but there’s always one line in the list that will work.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat and making a list proves it.
For example, let’s say the task at hand is to photograph merchandise so that it can be sold on a website. We’re talking logo t-shirts, totebags and coffee mugs—dull, standard products—but the company is fun and creative and wants to bring that across in their online shop. What to do?
- Take standard studio product shots
- Photograph items in locations around the shop/office/city
- Photograph in a film noir style
- Show happy people using the products
- Create 360 degree views (Quicktime VR?)
- Show alternate uses (i.e. ferns in the coffee mug, t-shirt as towel)
- Combine product shots with manga-style mascots
- Use the products as screens over nude women ala “Calendar Girls”
- Don’t photograph at all—use drawings instead
- Photograph details but not the whole product
By the time I reach ten, I’m usually ready to add more, and often do. But starting out with a set goal of ten gets me past the usual ideas and into the realm of creative thoughts.
Try it, you’ll see what I mean.
Posted by kuri at July 02, 2004 09:02 AM