Let yourself have bad ideas

A couple of months ago I went on a visual web and interface design training course.

One of the tasks was to come up with as many alternatives you could think of for a slider component.

I could think of some ideas but I didn’t sketch any of them out. I’d already decided in my head that they would never work, getting rid of my ideas before I’d even had a chance to draw them out.

When I’d completed the task I’d sketched nothing but simple radio buttons with a yes or no answer. Whereas the other people on the course had lots of alternatives sketched out.

The alternatives they came up with might never actually be used. But there’s value in sketching them out as there might be a good idea that comes out of a bad idea.

Since going on the visual web and interface design course I’m trying to stop being so critical of myself and my ideas.

Don’t limit yourself and your creativity. Let yourself have bad ideas.