Clichés and Idea Generation
When I first started out designing I often found myself looking at the work of others with admiration and wondering where their good ideas come from. To a certain degree I subscribed to the genius theory, believing that creativity is a gift people are born with. Fast forward several years and I have learnt that the art of good design is not passed down to a select few by the gods of design; but is a skill like any other that can be learned, taught and practiced.
This excellent article on Examining The Design Process: Clichés and Idea Generation from Smashing Magazine explores this train of thought and suggests techniques to help work towards the path of good and meaningful design whilst avoiding clichés. Along similar lines, this article on the basics of designing from Web Soulz explores the fundamental concepts of designing for the web.