I’ve been researching and thinking about inspiration and how and where it comes from. I am working on an article for Landscape Magazine (Middle East) on the topic. My research has caused me to notice the cross pollination of different design practices all over the place.
Like this beautiful garden inspired Paris metro map for example. I love how graphic designers, Antoine + Manuel , created a poster that is visually celebrating the organic nature of something is not organic – like traffic. The pattern is the result of engineering practitioners but this deptiction is something that an interior designer might use to create another beautiful space. And here I am, a landscape designer, writing about it because I love the garden-y nature of it. And (of course) Paris is one of my favorite places. I hope you, a (Fill in the Blank)________ designer/ non-designer find it inspiring too.
If it does, I would love to hear what it makes you think of and how having seen it, might effect something you are working on.
I found this image at Kireei — a delightful Spanish language blog that I found through my blogging class (the writer is one of my fellow students). It is worth a poke around even if you don’t speak the language.
I totally want this poster, but a little pricey for me right now… 🙁 I like subway maps for whatever freaky reason…
What a brilliant picture!
I think of how when I look at a subway map in its original state the last stops have something of “the end of the world”. Like everything else might be far away. Which of course it isn’t it…
This picture just grows into those places beautifully.
And oh did seeing it just catapult me out into the garden to do a bit of work!
For my art it definitely inspires me to use more colour again, something that happens quite naturally as soon as all the blosoms are out, it just takes a bit of adapting after the winterey neutrals!
Thank you for this great post!
Where does one take a blogging class?
Hi Rochelle, I think this map is brilliant & eloquent!!! I love how the map reminds us that the Metro isn’t just taking people from point A to point B, but its actually a system which allows people to travel from place to place. I like how its presented as an integral part of the landscape, like tree roots, and it connects everything together and gives life. I think this inspires us to think outside the square or think laterally and be creative in our design solutions, and not just choose the most obvious way to communicate an idea or solve a problem. Wini