About a month ago I encountered a familiar situation that can be as uncomfortable as it is stressful. It’s one of those where ideas aren’t flowing, and it feels like I woke up suddenly unable to create anything good. Imagine that one day it's all good then the next day, stuck in the mud. Some call it, a designer’s block. When this happened recently, I took a day off away from work because I needed a break from the bad ideas. In this time I began reminiscing about a lesson I learned early in my design career about “Just Getting the Ugly Out”.
While I was an undergraduate student at the Art Institute, we were working on our biggest project of the year: Product Package Design. This was the one project each semester where the best work was displayed throughout the school, it’s a big deal. The task was to create a package design for a new company and product. We had four weeks to bring the project to life.
Week 1: My first ideas were a puzzle box, a paint kit, and others just as bland…. At this point, I wasn’t too worried but I hated these ideas lol.
Week 2: I moved on from those ideas. But I still had nothing I felt great about. I started watching Shark Tank to help find ideas and think about a product that could solve a problem.
Week 3: We met with the professor to show our progress. During my meeting, I admitted that I struggling. As I presented my ideas and sketches he laughed saying “Darius, I understand your frustration with the lack of ideas and progress, but you’re in a great position” I couldn’t help thinking, What is so great about this all the while my classmates are ahead of me. At the end, he says “Sometimes you have to get the ugly ideas out, to reach a great idea.” At the time, I didn’t realize how much this exchange would help me in the future.
Final Week: Following the meeting I took some time to reflect and continue working through my project. When I had an idea about a product that could be used situationally. What is something people would by in a quick situation? Maybe something that you could use on a trip? So I started researching camping and fishing equipment. Once I started seeing equipment; this is when I had the idea for my project and what it would be about. A product that offered some essential equipment for a quick outdoor adventure. Loved this idea. Now what do I call it lol?! Back then there was no ChatGPT so I had to do research and look up various words/phrases that centered around outdoor activities. And came up with the name ‘Off The Cuff’. The phrase means; not prepared in advance: spontaneous act. Which falls in line with the product. The night before the presentation I was up all night printing and creating my final product [picutred below] The execution of this project is very special to me and I was very passionate during my presentation. And ended up having my project displayed around the school. Really surprised myself with the outcome.
This experience has helped me through so many situations where I felt like I’d lost my ability to create or ran out of ideas. And just like back then, I used this lesson to push through and create. I’ve even applied this principle in other areas of my life. When things feel stagnant or nothing good is happening, it’s just a matter of getting the ugly out and working my way toward something great. Sometimes we Just Have to Get the Ugly Out.
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