Comments on: Creative Columns #7: Copycat 101 http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm Designers' point of view Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:06:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Jan http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1956 Jan Sun, 18 Mar 2007 17:14:13 +0000 http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1956 although i did not intend to focus on the origin of new ideas in this month's column, it does find itself entangled into its context. the origin of ideas, and humans' relativity, is a more main focal point in my <a href="http://www.studio469.com/blog/2006/10/creative-columns-2-its-all-relative.htm" rel="nofollow">2nd creative column; "it's all relative"</a> nonetheless i understand your point and share james young's vision. maybe i'll write some more on this topic in one of the coming creative columns, since i try to switch between humorous- and scientific-based columns now and then. thanks for offering me the book, i'll have to find some time, cause i have a gazillion books on my "wish-to-read-list". although i did not intend to focus on the origin of new ideas in this month’s column, it does find itself entangled into its context. the origin of ideas, and humans’ relativity, is a more main focal point in my 2nd creative column; “it’s all relative”

nonetheless i understand your point and share james young’s vision. maybe i’ll write some more on this topic in one of the coming creative columns, since i try to switch between humorous- and scientific-based columns now and then.

thanks for offering me the book, i’ll have to find some time, cause i have a gazillion books on my “wish-to-read-list”.

]]> By: Bart http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1950 Bart Sun, 18 Mar 2007 11:51:48 +0000 http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1950 Interesting... but in my opinion stealing / copying is the wrong term here. We're talking here about the origin of new ideas, which could be seen as making combinations. Interesting literature on this topic is definiately "A technique for producing ideas" by James Young. A 7 US$ booklet, which demonstrates the way people come up with new ideas (and eventually products or whatever) is by making combinations of things seen or experienced before. So i'd rather talking about recycling or combining, than stealing / copying... ... I'll be eager to lend you the booklet ;)... Interesting…
but in my opinion stealing / copying is the wrong term here. We’re talking here about the origin of new ideas, which could be seen as making combinations. Interesting literature on this topic is definiately “A technique for producing ideas” by James Young. A 7 US$ booklet, which demonstrates the way people come up with new ideas (and eventually products or whatever) is by making combinations of things seen or experienced before.
So i’d rather talking about recycling or combining, than stealing / copying…

… I’ll be eager to lend you the booklet ;)…

]]> By: Jan http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1851 Jan Wed, 07 Mar 2007 17:26:08 +0000 http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1851 great oneliner. and for the color-mixing we'll have adobe kuler [we might need to start inputting some design colors there, like cupertino white and stuff] it sounds a bit like when i wrote about relativity in creative column #2, continued into the comments accompanying it. we have all the stuff around us to copy, and cannot invent something new. we'll just have to wait until we see something new, like when the first aliens land, or a meteor brings new elements. so in order to innovate and be a copycat to the fullest potential we need to broaden our horizon and use those things around us to create some "copied innovation". sounds rather lame if you tell a creative person he's only copying stuff... great oneliner. and for the color-mixing we’ll have adobe kuler [we might need to start inputting some design colors there, like cupertino white and stuff]

it sounds a bit like when i wrote about relativity in creative column #2, continued into the comments accompanying it. we have all the stuff around us to copy, and cannot invent something new. we’ll just have to wait until we see something new, like when the first aliens land, or a meteor brings new elements.

so in order to innovate and be a copycat to the fullest potential we need to broaden our horizon and use those things around us to create some “copied innovation”.

sounds rather lame if you tell a creative person he’s only copying stuff…

]]> By: Brian http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1849 Brian Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:03:40 +0000 http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1849 Everyone is a copycat, so true indeed... Somebody once wrote the following oneliner: "If you copy from a single design, you're stealing, if you copy from many you're researching" I think this one liner explains it perfectly, we creative artists use all we see, all the different impressions to merge and mix into something new, all the elements are there, we can't change it or go around it, we have to deal with it. For example colours, you can't just come up with a new colour, but if you mix Cupertino White with BMW Blue and ad a little of Apricot Yellow, you're no longer steeling, but inventing and creating. That's what we do with products too.. now isn't it? Everyone is a copycat, so true indeed… Somebody once wrote the following oneliner:

“If you copy from a single design, you’re stealing, if you copy from many you’re researching”

I think this one liner explains it perfectly, we creative artists use all we see, all the different impressions to merge and mix into something new, all the elements are there, we can’t change it or go around it, we have to deal with it. For example colours, you can’t just come up with a new colour, but if you mix Cupertino White with BMW Blue and ad a little of Apricot Yellow, you’re no longer steeling, but inventing and creating. That’s what we do with products too.. now isn’t it?

]]> By: Guus http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1845 Guus Wed, 07 Mar 2007 09:58:48 +0000 http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/03/creative-columns-7-copycat-101.htm#comment-1845 Everyone is a copycat, so true... One day you might see some poster flash by on your way home from work. Than late at night you're off to do your little graphic design thingy. When you pass by that same poster in the morning you think hey!, that looks just like what I made last night. A good, self aware designer will face the truth, and just start over his design, it's the other half we need to worry about. Of course it's not as black and white as the example above. You might have seen the poster ages ago, did not copy literally, or just take parts from more different sources than just one. (take a look at <a href="http://www.studio469.com/blog/2007/02/book-tip-9-anatomy-of-design.htm" rel="nofollow">Book Tip #9 - Anatomy of Design</a>). The fact is that you mind is good at remembering fuzzy things, and not so good at coming up with new stuff. That's why you still remember that grumpy old maths teacher like it was yesterday, but you have trouble doing your linear algebra at the moment. It's the way your mind is designed, deal with it, but do it in an ethical way. Let me know how you guys feel about this Everyone is a copycat, so true…

One day you might see some poster flash by on your way home from work. Than late at night you’re off to do your little graphic design thingy. When you pass by that same poster in the morning you think hey!, that looks just like what I made last night. A good, self aware designer will face the truth, and just start over his design, it’s the other half we need to worry about.

Of course it’s not as black and white as the example above. You might have seen the poster ages ago, did not copy literally, or just take parts from more different sources than just one. (take a look at Book Tip #9 - Anatomy of Design).

The fact is that you mind is good at remembering fuzzy things, and not so good at coming up with new stuff. That’s why you still remember that grumpy old maths teacher like it was yesterday, but you have trouble doing your linear algebra at the moment. It’s the way your mind is designed, deal with it, but do it in an ethical way.

Let me know how you guys feel about this

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