Finding Creativity/The Consumer Decision Making Process

In this discussion, we will discuss finding design inspiration. In the past, being inspired was thought to be something mystical, bestowed on one from the gods. Though this mystical thinking has largely passed, inspiration can still be elusive. In contemporary times designers must consciously cultivate practices to support inspiration. This is relevant to your career as a professional graphic designer because part of the design process for every project includes researching for visual inspiration. Many professional designers make a practice of compiling design inspiration sources and websites so that when they begin a project or get stuck while working on a project, they will have other ideas which to consult and refer.

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Design is an inherently creative act. Every piece of design requires you as the designer to artfully weave your client’s message and your audience’s needs together to create a compelling piece of visual communication. As a designer, you are constantly being asked to create new and engaging visual things. That said, the constant schedule of design production can leave you as a designer feeling overwhelmed and uninspired.

One way to counter these negatives is to be intentional about visiting design inspiration sources and engaging in design inspiration practices. Inspiration is not about directly copying someone else’s work rather looking at other designer’s work (either from the past or from the present) to help you generate new ideas. The following five design inspiration sources are especially common amongst professional designers:

Museums (or museum websites)
Design Archives/Design History Blogs
Podcasts/YouTube Presentations
Contemporary Design Blogs
Nature (or nature photography websites)
Historic Design Inspiration Sources

The first three of these inspiration sources are historic meaning they involve browsing design artifacts created in a past era. Visiting museums and browsing design archives can give you insight into how designers in the past have dealt with the same or similar situations. This can provide you with a fresh perspective and inspiration on a design production situation. Listening (through podcasts and videos) to designers in the past speak about their process and thinking can also be inspiring to the design production process.

Contemporary Design Inspiration Sources

The last two of these inspiration sources are contemporary. Looking at work that is being (or has recently been) produced can give you great inspiration as to what is currently happening in the design field and who is working with a target audience that is much like yours. Finally, being out in nature or even just looking at pictures of nature can give your brain a great break, recharging both your mind and your creative energy. You never know where you might find the perfect color scheme, imagery, etc.

Prompt
For this discussion, imagine that you are attending a networking event with several other designers. One of the designers you are chatting with is stuck on a logo design project and has become very discouraged. He is feeling totally uninspired and is considering telling the client he cannot complete the project because he has no more good ideas.

How might you explain why is it important to look outside yourself for inspiration?
Taking into account what you know about design inspiration, how might he apply any of the three historic and two contemporary design inspiration sources on design production?
Why can looking to historical sources for inspiration stimulate creativity?
Why can looking to contemporary sources for inspiration stimulate creativity?
For your citation, you might use articles that show examples of the importance of inspiration in the graphic design practice. You can also find articles from experts that suggest where to find design inspiration.

Your initial and reply posts should work to develop a group understanding of this topic. Challenge each other. Build on each other. Always be respectful but discuss this and figure it out together.

DISCUSSION-2
Week 3 Discussion – The Consumer Decision Making Process
Learning Objectives Covered
1. Identify and describe the five steps in the consumer decision making process

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The Consumer Decision Making Process
Think about a recent purchase that you made. Did you start out with a problem or need? How did you determine what product you wanted to purchase? Did the product you purchased end up filling your needs?

To determine how to connect with a consumer audience, marketers need to understand the consumers behavior. Its their goal to get inside the head of a consumer. What motivates the consumer to go out and make a purchase? Why might they choose a particular product over another? Why might a customer be satisfied with their purchase or why might they choose to return it? The consumer decision making process brings to light the need or desire for products. Many purchases are made without a second thought. Some, however, take much thought and investigation. The consumer decision making process consists of five steps:

Need recognition
Information search
Evaluations of alternatives
Purchase
Post-purchase behavior
Please review the video below to go in-depth on the 5 steps of the consumer decision-making process:

The Consumer Buying Process: How Consumers Make Product Purchase Decisions | Episode 50 (12:14)

The Consumer Buying Process: How Consumers Make Product Purchase Decisions (Links to an external site.)
The Consumer Buying Process: How Consumers Make Product Purchase Decisions

Consider how this information could be helpful to a new small business. What are some best practices they could use to influence their potential consumers to do business with them?

Factors that Influence Decision Making
There are several factors that impact and influence consumer decision-making. Consider your own buying behaviors. When you were growing up, did your personal values, teachers or other cultural factors impact what brands you chose to buy? What about social factors? Where you ever influenced by your parents or friends? Personal or individual factors that could influence decision-making include gender, age, family life cycle stage, personality, self-concept, and lifestyles. Consider these questions while you watch the video Key Factors that Influence the Buying Decisions of Consumers.

Key Factors That Influence the Buying Decisions of Consumers (6:31 minutes)

Key Factors That Influence the Buying Decisions of Consumers (Links to an external site.)
Key Factors That Influence the Buying Decisions of Consumers

With the emergence of social media, word travels fast! We are able to connect with many individuals and share our thoughts and opinions even more quickly. Advertisements have become common on Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. There are even social media influencers who are paid by companies to encourage their followers to purchase their products. While reading the below article, consider the influence social media has had on your buying decisions.

How social media influences consumer buying decisions (506 words)

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2015/05/how-social-media-influences-consumer-buying.html (Links to an external site.)

Buyers Remorse
Buyer’s remorse is a phenomenon that occurs more often than business owners and corporations would like. It can occur when a customer is sold something (large or small) and after purchasing it and thinking about how they may not truly need or want it, they feel remorse or even anger. The customer may choose to return the product, write a negative review or discuss their dissatisfaction with other consumers. Buyers remorse is often caused by dissonance, which is conflict or tension within the consumer as they consider a purchase. Please read this article which will discuss the concepts of dissonance and buyers remorse as well as what marketers can consider to try to avoid it:

What is Dissonance in Marketing? (431 words)

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/dissonance-marketing-25900.html (Links to an external site.)

Prompt
Many of you have purchased or plan to purchase a new vehicle. This process can be very trying and lengthy. Using the five steps in the consumer decision-making process discuss each step as related to purchasing a vehicle. It can be new or used, you choose the features, specifications and price.

For your citation, you might use articles that show the steps in the consumer decision making process. You can also find articles from experts that discuss the impact of making purchases without prior consideration. You will also cite and reference the source for the information on the vehicle type and final choice.

Your initial and reply posts should work to develop a group understanding of this topic. Challenge each other. Build on each other. Always be respectful but discuss this and figure it out together.