Being creative

Having a job where you’re supposed to be creative can be hard sometimes. You sit at the same desk every day, travel the same way to work every day, meet the same people, etc. Sometimes you just have to get some new creative input and new influences. It can be almost anything, but it´s almost always something completely different than what I work with.

Looking at other headlamps or sports products is important, but doesn´t inspire me that much (if my boss reads this: I still want to visit the Eurobike fair…). Instead it could be, like this weekend, looking at an art exhibition or something similar. It was the famous Swedish auction company Bukowskis that had an exhibition before a big art auction. I saw a really beautiful painting by artist Arjan van Helmond. Not sure I´m actually going to bid on it since the opening bid is set to between 50 000 and 70 000 SEK…

Often when we develop new products here at the Silva New Product Development team we are inspired by a lot of different things. It could be a garden hose connector or a cell phone that inspires us to new functions or a fashion magazine that inspires to new colours, structures and materials. But it is always the end user that is the main inspiration for us. Our goal is always to make products that helps our users to perform better, no matter if it´s a pedometer, a compass or a headlamp.

I also visited a great book/magazine shop called Papercut with a really impressive assortment. I bought some magazines, again to get new influences and inspiration. One of the magazines I bought was Rouleur, a cycling magazine with really beautiful photos and articles.

Written by: Magnus Svensson (Industrial Designer)