What exactly initiates creativity/designs/concepts?

[nizamm]

I'm facing problems for every project I do and I don't know if it's the case with anyone else. What I wanna know is,

When given a flash project, be it a website, banner, cd multimedia presentation, cd splash screen etc. How does a person start planning what and how to make?

One way, is you let your client give you basic (required) ideas and ofcourse if you let your client design the whole project, it's definitely gonna flop. That is depending on the client's area of knowledge...

Secondly, (what i do) watch other designs for ideas and keep watching them and try to build up something that sorta resembles that theme or the mixture from what you've seen...

Third way, is the traditional pen and paper method where you stick your head down and think...draw your ideas and implement them [quite a rare sitaution for me ]

...so back to my question...

Does anyone know any other such/better method(s) on how to get things quickly on the roll instead of cracking your head for some ideas?

I take too long to think of some concepts...And I wanna get them done quick...help!

[MF_DOOM]

basically ill listen to my clients wishes and use that as my restrictions and pretty much think of something from the head and try to create something as close as possible to that idea.

I also look at others ppl's work that i like and try to replicate it myself, then taking that technique and creating something totally brand new out of it.

[743]

as for the time it takes.
if you put your minde to much in other pepole work's it will never end.i am sure your head is allready full with them.

i think the best thing is to know where to drow the line,there are so many thing that you can do,and get so far,but you have a time and a budget,and you cant create a featured hollywood movie.

personly i draw that basic line and go with it.i decied what i am going to use(flash,3d ect.)and get down to sketch.

and dont worry to much on how good the project will look like,couse it is never end,allways room to improve that's the best thing a bout design.

HNY