Where to Find Card Design Ideas

Designing cards for greetings or invitations can be a challenge when you've done so many with similar themes that it is difficult to find inspiration. Anyone can run an online search for card design ideas; the problem is that everyone has so there is little originality left. If you want to tap into human emotion and craft truly compelling artwork, read on to learn where to find card design ideas that do not require you to log in.

Museums

Take a stroll through a museum, and you'll definitely find tons of ideas to inspire your card designs. You don't have to stick to art museums, either: natural history museums, flight and space museums, local history museums, and even quirky niche museums all have exhibits that will challenge your mind and get the creative juices flowing.

Art galleries

Art galleries are probably the most obvious place to look for graphic design inspiration, but it's worth mentioning them anyway since the broad range of styles and artists on display at galleries can spark a fire in your own creative heart.

The great outdoors

Swirling whirlpools, autumn leaves, drifting snowflakes, and starry skies have long served as graphic design inspiration. Best of all, outdoor scenes can in and of themselves serve as card designs. A quick stroll in the forest could be all you need to come up with the perfect idea for your next card design – you can use an entire scene or take a close-up look at nature's plants and rocks to get amazing pattern and color ideas. In addition, it almost goes without saying that the animal kingdom has always been a great resource for graphic design inspiration – from cave wall scrawls to today's giant tiger-striped blown glass marbles, you can take advantage of the bold colors and unique patterns of the world's wildlife to spark graphic design inspiration for card design ideas.

Car shows

Remember the 1930s Roadsters? Perhaps you're partial to '60s muscle cars or the sleek “future cars” of the '80s. Whatever your pleasure, car shows can inspire graphic design inspiration for a variety of card designs. They might not seem the ideal place to go for inspiration, but keep in mind that some of the world's best designers have historically been employed by auto manufacturers – someone has to be able to make a 400-block look pretty, right? Best of all, you can write off your entrance fee if you're visiting for work-related research!

People watching

People are everywhere, and people watching has transcended the clinical environment to become a favorite pastime for many a bored mall rat. You can hit the mall, the zoo, the park, or anywhere else and sit back to observe people – who, given just a little bit of time, will definitely lend some card design ideas for your portfolio. Just keep it in a public place – nobody likes a Peeping Tom!