I think looking at or looking for inspiration is good. As long as you don’t abuse it and copy it. I know most designers have design blocks and use inspiration to help them with their designs. I have had many of those, unfortunately, it’s all part of the job in this line of work. But that ok, There is nothing wrong with needing a little help or inspiration once in a while to help you out.
Recently I needed some help to find a color scheme for an app I am designing for one of my classes. I had an image in my head but could never find the colors in the software. I wanted a cool color color scheme for this app. This is because when I put out a survey, a lot of the responses put cool colors down for the question, what colors make you feel relaxed. I wanted to design an app where people felt at ease and relaxed when planning or writing something down, not stressed. But what hue or tint those colors should be was the main problem I was facing. They couldn’t be too dark or light, they had to be just the right color.
So I went to Google, looked up cool colors, and searched for the best color scheme colors. I didn’t like any of the ones I found so far. They just didn’t look right next to each other and would clash. But then I found it, the perfect cool color combination that won’t be too dark or light. They looked so nice together and I fell in love with my design, unlike all the other color variations.
From this, I was about to learn so many things. I enjoyed searching for the perfect colors I had in my mind. I am so glad that I didn’t give up and left it as a one-color base. These colors help my design feel friendly and inviting, without any stressful colors. Colors are very important in a design and are something that can be overlooked. You have to be careful in what colors you use because they really can change someone’s mood. But most importantly you have to always remember a design is just as good as the amount of work you put into it. So don’t give up on a design just because you can’t find what you are looking for, get some inspiration to help you.