Furniture Designers Communities

Not sure if this a good place to post this (If not, I’m sure a resident will let me know!), however, I am a budding custom furniture designer here in SL.

Prior to starting my furniture business, I was having a problem finding “unique” furniture that did not look like what everyone else had displaying. I’m a die hard fan of ORIGNALITY and the WOW factor. Being an artist/creative person, building here in SL, especially furniture was the next step for me. I tend look for inspiration within and outside of SL, using the inspiration as a foundation to create something original.

BUT lately… I’m finding the more I create, the more I seem to have mental design blocks on creating new (FRESH) custom creations. For instance, staring at that damn box, drawing a complete blank on what to create next with it, and hoping that it doesn’t turn out exactly the same or similar as the last piece, while trying to keep my entire lady like composure of not going off on that freaking box! Simply because I was going for this design and got this POS design, that is so going straight to the trash which took me 45 minutes to build, blah, blah, BLAH!

*Breathes*

Designers do you feel me? There are times where I’m on 10 with designing!

Yeah, I know – step a way from the computer…


Anyway, I digress…

The point to this post is, I was wondering if there are any communities/support groups for Furniture Designers or Designers in general to come together to share their thoughts, inspirations, and/or rants on creating “unique designs.”

And just to be clear, I’m not looking for a community on “How to Design”, but more of a community for designers to appreciate and inspire one another to create original work(s) of art.

Thanks for reading & replying!

Nev

I dont know about this idea. No original idea ever came out of a committee.

If your looking for really original ideas try looking through wanted posts. Sometimes the ideas are creative all on their own and sometimes you can make them creative. For example someone posts looking for a certain car or style of clothing. Turn that idea around and look at making furniture that would go with that car or clothing or maybe even is made out of that item. Do some research and then check what other people have made along the same lines. It might not come to anything, but sometimes its all the spark your imagination needs.

I think the hard thing about this is, unless you are all friends....if you are discussing ideas and say, all parties involved attempt to make the idea, someone is bound to get out of shape about it being 'theirs'...sounds like a good idea in theory, maybe someday!

Try taking a peek at furniture stores online and see if that inspires you. Look at your own furniture at home...I know, it sounds dumb, but when you start it might inspire changes and new creations. Good luck and cant wait to see what you come up with!

Don't we have enough Furry communities already?

Oh, FURNY... That's very different. Nevermind.

Thanks Jamay!

You have a point- I have look around here and there. However, I was wondering if there was a community for Designers, much like there is one for scriptors, builders, etc.. Just a thought.

Thanks for the reply!

Yes, I have done all those tircks, look at websites, my own rl furniture. Just wondering if other designers have felt my pain in regards to designing orignal content.

Perhaps a community will come out of it, ya neva know

Thanks!

What works for me are visualization exercises - try to create in your mind the sounds, ambiance, type of people and activities. Fill the contentspace with all the sensations and scenarios that would surround the piece. Imagine you're watching the start of a movie, the kind that opens with a blank screen or empty patch of desert, and then layers on the detail a bit at a time, accompanied by evocative music.

What this does is, it calls upon the Jungian archetypes, the clustering of information in all of our minds that "sort" similar items together. By hitting on as many senses as possible, it increases the scope of what is recalled - which brings more possibilities. And since the mind is reasonably plastic, what you recall isn't 100% of what you've seen, but fudged by what you're focused on - your bit of furniture.

I thought about creating support group for artist and designers but then I got distracted.
I got plenty of ideas but I run into other problems.

Does it have to be furniture? Build something else for a change of pace?

I was without a computer for close to a week. I sat and doodled. I managed to come up with a few ideas that I really like. Just some do-dad-widget-for-fun-type stuff. You know, mix it up with the builds. Make yourself an arrow through the head. Make some old school boxhead. Make and outer space skybox with starry particles.

But if you insist on furniture, remember that SL is SL and RL is RL. The furniture in SL does not have to mimic furniture in RL. Make some furniture that is uniquely SL. Make a Pacman chair from a hollow sphere that randomly eats folks that sit on it. Or an ottoman with ADD that occasionally sneaks away. How about a complete furniture set with pieces that whisper things to each other. Chair whispers, "This guy sure is heavy." Couch whispers, "I know - he sat on me last week." Table whispers, "Want me to chase him out?" And that's not even getting into the actual design of things.