Media As a Source of Inspiration

Think about some of the most important skills you need to be a designer. You probably listed things like layout, concepts, or proofing, and you would be right, but I actually would place “watching other people” at the top of my list, and in particular, watching what others have made and designed. This goes beyond advertisements, into the realm of movies, books, and more. 

Gathering Inspiration from Everywhere

I like to watch a lot of movies and shows, and view the work of other artists. Oftentimes, this helps me get inspired and use some aspects in my art and design work. The more you consume, the more you understand. The more creative you are when you consume media. 

It’s especially important to get out of your bubble and explore other genres. You can’t learn something if you watch the same movie twenty times. Funnily enough, I think it’s also good to watch or read “bad” material on occasions. I can’t say you should keep reading and watching bad material, because then you won’t recognize good design when you see it. However, bad material can be instructive because it helps you know what not to do, or helps you learn what you don’t like and shouldn’t incorporate into your creative output. 

On the flip side of that, you have good content to consume, too! Media with an incredible, unique art style, such as stop motion, most animated films, comics, etc — all these can be used as inspiration in design. I have seen plenty of people use comic books as inspiration, take the Spiderverse movies, for example. They leaned heavily on the comic style, and it really worked for them. All the material used to promote the movie has design elements you would see in a comic book.

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Don’t just limit yourself to animated media, either. Live action can also come into play! Look at the film musical La La Land for an example. Color is used to tell the story throughout the movie, but even in the posters, trailers, and marketing campaign, it relied on a palette of yellow, blue, red, and purple, evoking a nostalgic feel that was perfect for the plot and setting.

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Looking at other media usually helps a lot to gather information, and especially looking at other designers. Eric Rosenberg is a film designer who designs flyers, cans, windows, background shots, and anything design-related for a film set. All of these are typically used in the background for filmmaking to make the world feel more realistic and lively. He’s worked on incredible movies, and each design is so dramatically different, and clearly pulls inspiration from other sources, too. For example, if he were designing something for a period piece set in the 1950s, he might look at newspapers and flyers that were made for that time — another form of media!

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In my design work, I often make fictional logos, and Eric’s process resonates with me. The point is to use what’s around you and use other media to inspire you. You need diversity in order to make diversity. If you do gravitate toward familiar favorites, make it a point to rewatch some of your favorite shows and pay extra attention to the objects the actors use.

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

In the end, I wholeheartedly recommend trying out new media, especially things outside your norm! At least give it a try. Who knows what can inspire you? It’s always best to keep your mind open to new ideas. Sometimes, the source inspiration may result in something entirely new. 

This post was written by our 2025 The Modern extern, Jackie Tinoco. Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your inspiration-gathering process! We thoroughly enjoyed having you as part of our team. 

Meet Rachel: Our Digital Strategy Director

We’re absolutely over-the-moon excited to introduce Rachel to the team! 

Rachel was introduced to us by Rachael Ward (yep, same first name!), a long-time friend and designer. After some initial conversations, we brought Rachel on for a few contract projects, and through a series of fun collaborations and informal chats, we knew she was the perfect fit. By mid-2024, we were thrilled to offer her a full-time position!

Rachel’s background is refreshingly “nontraditional” for our industry, which makes her perspective and skill set all the more valuable. She began her career in print publications, working on titles covering knitting, crochet, mixed media arts, writing instruction, and more hobby and special interest books. From there, she transitioned into marketing as a content editor, gaining expertise in content strategy, campaign development, and creative leadership.

We are already seeing how Rachel’s unique journey and talents bring fresh creativity and inspiration to our team. We took a little time to ask some “get to know ya” questions. Check ’em below!

What are you learning in your new role?

  1. Step back to step forward. With so much going on, and so many moving parts to every project, I’ve gotten a crash course in what it takes to keep work moving — and also what it takes to keep from getting overwhelmed. So many times, I’ve had to pause, catch my breath, and intentionally slow down so I can surge forward.
  2. It’s OK to not know. For a long time within my career, I prided myself in being an expert in my discipline. Coming to CreativeFuse and this role, I’m finding daily that I don’t always know the answer. Learning how to be comfortable and vulnerable with that fact was the first step in beginning to assemble a team around me that complemented my knowledge by filling in the gaps.
  3. Growth never feels like a big leap. Instead it’s a series of small, incremental steps, and many of them feel uncomfortable. If you’re expecting to feel a moment where you’ve “arrived” into growth, that probably won’t come. But you’ll look back at the past six months and be able to see the progression.

Favorite food?

The How Fun from AmerAsia in Covington is phenomenal.

Favorite book?

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman; there are many, many others, but TGC got me into fantasy as a genre and inspired me to write creatively.

Hobbies?

I’ve been a knitter for about 15 years; I started in college after a friend’s mother taught me the basic stitches. Now I knit just about every garment possible (except socks, I hate making them). Shawls, sweaters, and cowls are my favorite patterns to make.

What would you like to share with readers?

I’ve thrived in this industry because it’s people-focused and solution-oriented, and because within an agency, there’s never a dull moment and always a new challenge to solve. If we’re working together right now, know that your successes are mine; I care so much about the work we do together, and it’s a real privilege to operate with the trust you give me. If we get the chance to work together in the future, I can’t wait to meet you and build something meaningful together.

Meet Drake: Our Digital Designer

Drake, Our new designer sitting in his truck

We’re beyond excited to introduce our newest team member Drake! 

A friend of ours, Andy Sharpe, introduced us to a young, talented designer who was looking to get some experience after graduating from The Modern College of Design in 2021. After meeting Drake, we jumped at the opportunity to offer him an internship. Now we’re stoked to have him joining our team full-time! 

Drake is well-versed in graphic design and especially enjoys working on multimedia websites. He brings new perspectives to our current team and fresh energy to each project he works on. Outside of design, Drake also enjoys digital photography, with an eye for landscapes and nighttime scenes with starry skies.

Starry night sky
A compositing image that Drake created from shots taken in the southern united states.
man standing in front of a ford truck

Anyone who has had the pleasure of collaborating with Drake knows that his work ethic is unparalleled. We came to realize this very quickly after bringing him on as an intern. Drake also carries an adventurous energy everywhere he goes. He enjoys spending time on trails all over the country in his free time, and can often be found camping out of his custom-built truck.

When he’s not on the trail, you might find Drake working from his favorite local coffee shops, at the cantina for some great Mexican food, or in the chair at a tattoo shop expanding his assortment of eclectic tattoos. Drake fits in great with our team and we’re excited to have him working with us. When asked what he’s most excited about in his new role, Drake said:

“I love meeting new people and making new connections and Fuse allows me to do that. Through the clients, we talk through on a daily basis as well as the internal team. I have grown to feel cared for at Fuse making it feel like a design family, and that’s more exciting than just another day at some regular office job.”

Man sitting in the back of his truck reading

Meet Jake: Our Digital Experience Lead

Jake Emser outside in downtown Dayton, OH with hand drawn illustrations around him representing his interests.

He is passionate about teamwork and building long term relationships and oh golly is he excited about leading the charge on digital marketing. Meet Jake, our Digital Experience Lead.

Background

Jake has been working in the digital marketing space since 2015. He’s done everything from performing market research for SEO to forming brand strategy for companies to executing marketing campaigns and more. One of his greatest strengths is analyzing data and providing recommendations to improve approach and produce better results. 

He also has a knack for creating photo and video content. See some of his work at jakeemser.com.

A Little About Jake

Through the process of getting to know Jake, we realized one thing that stood out above everything else, his tenacity. He was patient with us, but adamant about learning more about us and a little over a year later we brought him on to the team.

After just one week, Jake has already shined:

  • Ambitious and driven
  • Sociable and funny
  • Fast and reliable – his ability to adapt quickly has already stood out
  • Curious and humble – he hasn’t been afraid to ask questions, share observations and gain knowledge from those around him

Q&A (The Fun Kind!)

We asked Jake a few questions so you could gain some insight into his character. Here goes!

Hobbies
I love to snowboard, drink beer, and watch sunsets. I’m really down to do anything that is outdoors. I just love to get outside and be with people!

Favorite Food
I love burritos.

Favorite Movie
Inception by Christopher Nolan. I love getting into the details of movies that make you pay attention and think about what is going on. Not to mention I love Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. They are so great together in Inception.

Looking Forward

When asked, “What do you want to say to companies?”
I’m excited to work with you! One of my favorite things is growing with clients and becoming friends as we work together.

We’re stoked about what we’ll learn from Jake and the additional foresight, work ethic and passion he’ll bring to our projects!