Welcome to this guide
This Library resource guide has been loosely based on some of the phases of the design process. Firstly, the discover phase where finding inspiration is key. Secondly, the developing phase, during which you have a concept and need to gather stuff to support building or expand this concept further. Lastly, the development phase, when you need to dig a bit deeper in order to create a fully fledged design brief.
There is no right or wrong way to research – the important thing is to be curious, and to allow the research process to help you investigate your ideas more deeply.
Click on the plus (+) icons in the mood board below to explore the possibilities of things that might inspire you and inform your research journey.
Interactive mood board image overview
An image of a mood board is displayed which is covered with design inspiration such as colour swatches, photos, notes, book details, quotes and more. There are 8 icons that users can click to reveal information about resources that might inspire them and where to find them in the Library.
Revealed information
- Design elements and designers: Looking for examples of design practice, famous designers or specific design elements? Find some great places to search on our Finding Inspiration page.
- Images: You may be looking for an image to get some inspiration, or help to formulate your design project ideas. Check out our image collections for places to search for images.
- Videos: Can be a great way to get some background information on an idea or to learn more in general about designers and design principles. Explore our video collections on design.
- Data and statistics: Sometimes you need data or statistics to underpin your design project ideas. You can find these resources on our Gathering stuff page.
- Books, magazines and journals: Jump to our Finding inspiration page in this guide to get started finding books, journals and magazines for your research. You'll also find some links to useful books throughout other parts of this guide.
- Bibliographic details: Found a journal article or book already? Check the reference list of the article to find other relevant resources for your project. Check out our Digging deeper page for ideas on what to do next.
- Taking notes: It's a good idea to note down useful keywords and resources you find when you find them. Check out the section on Thinking about your practice to learn more - it's always good to do a little planning before you start searching.
- Award winners: The design industry is great at celebrating best practice examples of design. Check out the links on our Design industries page to see some world class examples of design and designers.
Attribution
Crediting creators and attributing content is a core part of academic integrity and being a digital citizen more broadly. This guide was created by Deakin Library.
The images in the mood board were created by staff in Deakin Library's Digital Experience team. The character that appears throughout the guide was generated by ChatGPT.