Chris Spooner, the guy behind Blog.SpoonGraphics and Line25 was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions for us this past weekend on the topic of Creativity and Inspiration. Chris is a self employed designer, who earns a fulltime living with a mix of blogging and the odd design project. On top of the 2 amazing blogs he runs, his design portfolio is quite impressive as well. So we wanted to know where he gets the inspiration for the amazing work he does. Here is what Chris had to say:

Please tell us more about your design background and what made you become a designer?

I wanted to become a Graphic Designer from quite a young age after stumbling across the career while at School. I’ve always been pretty creative, so a job in a creative industry was perfect for me. I followed this aim throughout college and university and landed my first job at a local studio as a Graphic/Web Designer. I worked at the three-strong company for two years before heading out as a self-employed designer.

Were there any designers that inspired you at an early stage of your career that help define your style?

I used to be an avid reader of Computer Arts Magazine, which pumped me full of plenty of inspiration by featuring all kinds of designers. I’ve also always been well into the blogging scene and remember taking inspiration from blogs such as Smashing Magazine and Bittbox. After setting up my own blog, it gave me the incentive to research deeper into topics, which in turn gave me the opportunity to discover the styles of design and illustration that I now employ myself.

Where do you get the inspiration for the tutorials you have on your websites?

Sometimes tutorial ideas are generated from projects, and other times an idea stems from a nugget of inspiration that might strike me! For instance, a recent tutorial covered the process of creating a design similar to the Blackberry meets U2 TV ad, this kind of style is something I wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to play around with, but made a great tutorial topic and allowed me to experiment with new techniques.

What websites do you visit for design inspiration?

I visit all kinds of websites for inspiration. I don’t really have set destinations as I tend to follow whatever links take my fancy. However, I’ll often start at sites such as CSS Globe, Designm.ag or DesignBump, which provide user generated news sections.

When starting a new project where does your creative process start?

Usually there will be some initial ideas floating around in my brain after gathering together the core details about a project. I’ll then put these down on paper as notes or little sketches before heading into the design applications on the computer. Research into similar styles can also be a major help when generating ideas.

Is there one designer now whose work really inspires you or fuels your creativity?

I always love checking out the work of Guilherme Marconi. His detailed illustrations always inspire me to take the time to create something artistic.

What is the one place besides the web where you go for some creative inspiration?

When out at the local shopping centre, I usually find all kinds of creative inspiration from clothes store windows. There’s all kinds of styles being presented, and the printed promo material often boast some awesome designs. Stores for extreme sports apparel, surf or skate wear are usually my favs!