Some design tasks require more cognitive thought than others, but when I’m working on a project that’s illustration or texture-heavy, one of my favourite things to do, is listen to a podcast. I recently stumbled on a really great design podcast called 99% Invisible which explores design, architecture, and those invisible aspects of designed objects that make them function better.
One example is a key pad on our iPhone. It would be pretty difficult to type numbers in that key pad if it wasn’t for the sounds that provide the feedback so that you kn0w when you type a number. They also explore topics such as say the origin of the teddy bear, how steering wheel design works, or how a ball of blue yarn led to a new design with less waiting areas in a hospital for cancer patients. Most of the podcasts are fairly short, no more than 10 minutes or so. So, if you have some brain space available, I highly recommend a listen to 99% Invisible (you can listen online, or download to iTunes).
