# Skill: Gather and synthesize design inspiration from multiple sources

> Master this to build a reference archive and extract transferable design principles (not pixels) from galleries, real products, and design systems; apply before starting any new screen, component, or visual direction.

Source: sodigi*learn -- inspiration/gde-vdohnovlyatsya * https://sodigi.io/learn/inspiration/gde-vdohnovlyatsya

## When to use

- Starting a new screen, page, or component with no clear direction.
- The current design looks generic, too similar to one obvious reference, or lacks a point of view.
- Building a personal or project reference folder for ongoing taste calibration.
- Briefing an AI assistant on a visual direction and needing concrete principles, not vibes.

## Core rules

- Inspiration is a trained eye, not a muse: the more quality examples you have seen, the better you make.
- Always look in all three source types: galleries for taste, real products for proven patterns, design systems for structure.
- Steal the idea and the principle, never the pixels one-to-one. Copying one source is plagiarism; mixing ten is your style.
- For each reference, write in words *why* you like it -- the reason is what transfers to your project, not the visual itself.
- Close reference tabs before building. Build from your list of extracted principles, not while looking at someone else's layout.
- Never drag a Dribbble shot directly into a real product. Gallery work is often unworkable: no real data, no error states, no edge cases.
- Maintain a persistent junk-drawer folder of screenshots. Without a collected archive there is nothing to draw on.

## Procedure

1. State the task in one sentence (example: "a calm login screen for a finance app").
2. Collect 8-10 relevant examples from each source type: Dribbble/Behance/Awwwards for taste; Mobbin or live apps for proven flows; Apple HIG or Material Design for structure.
3. For each example, write one sentence: "What I like here, and WHY." Record specific words -- whitespace, large primary button, muted background, clear hierarchy.
4. Consolidate the reasons into a list of principles. This is your recipe.
5. Close all reference tabs.
6. Build your own design from the principles list using your own hands (or an AI brief based on the principles).
7. Compare to the sources. If exactly one source is recognizable, mix harder: you copied instead of synthesizing.

## Ready-to-use prompt

```
I need to design [describe screen or component] for [describe product/audience].

Before generating, apply these principles extracted from reference research:
[Paste your extracted principles list here, for example:]
- Generous whitespace above and below the heading
- Single large primary action button, no competing CTAs
- Muted background with one tonal accent, no gradient
- Left-aligned body text, not centered
- Minimal color -- neutrals plus one accent only

Do not copy the visual style of any single recognizable product.
Build from the principles above. Show the result and list which principle each key decision implements.
```

## Pitfalls

- Waiting for inspiration instead of looking: open a gallery instead of staring at a blank screen.
- Copying a single source: one source is always recognizable. Mix at least five to ten.
- Using a Dribbble shot in a real product without checking it against live apps -- gallery work often has no real data or states.
- Stealing the look without understanding the reason: the principle transfers; the pixels do not.
- Chasing trends only: what is trendy now looks stale in a year. Learn to distinguish polished (design systems, Apple) from merely hyped.
- Collecting nothing: without your own reference folder you start from zero every single time.