February 17, 2009
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By:
Dannyoutlaw/
- 64 Comments
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Recently I emailed a series of Twitter friends who design and handful of popular designers to see what sort of music got their creative juices flowing. The results were a mix of every musical genre out there. Some like to chill out to mellow and classical music, while others need something a a bit more energy to get them going.
If you find this post interesting, you might also want to check out Fudge Graphics post on designers and their favorite colors. He asked 40 designers/bloggers what their favorite colour is and split them up into 3 groups: cold, warm and neutral colours.
Danny Outlaw
Website – http://www.outlawdesignblog.com
Music – Hank Williams the Third
Franz Jeitz
Website – http://www.fudgegraphics.com
Music – Kings of Leon
Liam McKay
Website – http://www.wefunction.com
Music – The Prodigy
David Airey
Website – http://www.davidairey.com
Music – Classical
Chris Spooner
Website – http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk
Music – All American Rejects
Adelle Charles
Website – http://fuelyourcreativity.com
Music – Pink
Jacob Gube
Website – http://sixrevisions.com/
Music – Modest Mouse
Steven Snell
Website – http://designm.ag/
Music – Metallica
David Leggett
Website – http://www.tutorial9.net/
Music – Sigur Ros
Chad Mueller
Website – http://www.inspiredology.com
Music – Kaye West
Gino Orlandi
Website – http://www.fuelfordesign.com/
Music – Octane on Sirius Satellite Radio
Ty
Website – http://www.sourapplemedia.com
Music – Jay-Z
Calee Hime
Website – http://www.runningchimes.wordpress.com
Music – Daft Punk
Lilian
Website – http://www.lilula.co.uk/
Music – Explosions in the Sky
February 17, 2009 9:47 am
My inspirational music is Radiohead
February 17, 2009 10:08 am
Thanks for including me. It was really hard to only choose one artist though
It’s realy interesting to see what other great designers listen to while working.
February 17, 2009 10:17 am
Such a wide range of music and a great post. Thanks for including me. I’m always looking for new music, can’t wait to see what others add.
February 17, 2009 10:22 am
Adam Beyer and everything bu derrick may.
February 17, 2009 11:16 am
blink182, against me!, techno
February 17, 2009 11:18 am
MGMT – oracular spectacular
SIGUR ROS – ()
New Young Pony Club – Fantastic playroom
Pedro The Lion
My favs to design to.
February 17, 2009 11:18 am
Has to be a stellar combo of Radiohead, The Beatles, Muse and Sondre Lerche, depending on the mood =)
February 17, 2009 11:21 am
Im with Chad, it has to be Kanye
I tend to jump between hip-hop and more chilled rnb.
February 17, 2009 11:22 am
We did this awhile back. You should check it out to see even more designers and what they listen too.
February 17, 2009 11:27 am
Lately I became a huge fan of parov stelar. But “Explosions in the sky” is at least a great as everything I’ve heard so far. Thanks for this post… well, admin
February 17, 2009 12:01 pm
Usually its infected mushroom / prodigy / hallucinogen for me .. or if I’m feeling a bit more chilled out I’ll give Afro Celt Sound System a blast
If I’m doing other stuff it might be fear factory …
I’ve got “nice” taste
February 17, 2009 12:27 pm
Bonobo is my all-time best design/coding music. When I really need to buckle down and be productive, there’s nothing else as good.
February 17, 2009 12:56 pm
I listen to a lot of Patrick Wolf lately, the second album Wind in the Wires is really inspirational, a mix of classical with piano, violins and accoustic guitars and some electronic music together, evrything packed in an emotionnaly thigh thin plastic disk.
February 17, 2009 1:43 pm
hey Danny,
Its Kanye West not Kaye West
Thanks great list
February 17, 2009 6:19 pm
I like to “keep it a little bit gangsta” – anything Jay-Z is a favorite, also love Outkast. While I’m writing code, I’ve found that reggaeton is awesome – it’s high energy, but I don’t understand enough words for it to distract me.
February 18, 2009 6:38 am
I mostly listen to TWIT podcasts, but occasionally some old school Norwegian Black Metal slips in.
February 18, 2009 8:57 am
nice idea for a post.
I usually listen to electronic music. Or whatever pops up on the local radio station.
February 18, 2009 11:44 am
My collection consists of a wide variety. I can’t just listen to one type. I get inspired by so many different styles.
February 18, 2009 1:50 pm
If I’m designing something, more often than not I like instrumental music. The likes of American Dollar, Hammock, Austin TV and Godspeed You Black Emperor! grace my playlists…Even a few OST’s, such as Clint Mansell’s The Fountain Soundtrack (EXCELLENT, if you’ve never heard it), and Pan’s Labyrinth are my currents…
February 18, 2009 7:07 pm
I think it depends on my mood. One of my favorites is Switchfoot. If I am in a soulful, “touch-feely” mood, then I would probably choose John Mayer or Cold Play.
February 18, 2009 11:49 pm
So happy to see another Kings of Leon fan (Frank). I listen to the same stuff to get my creative juices flowing.
February 21, 2009 5:28 pm
Anything that reminds me of sitting in my room as a teenager dreaming about what it would be like to design for a living.
Usually it’s the first three Iron Maiden albums, Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio, Faith No More (from the college years) and Anti-Flag.
February 23, 2009 6:40 am
February 25, 2009 5:26 pm
If I’m writing articles or writing code I tend to listen to the hiphop instrumentals section on http://www.soundclick.com
If I’m designing/reading articles I have Joe Budden’s three Mood Muzik mixtapes – and most recently his “Padded Room” album – on constant rotation
February 26, 2009 12:14 am
KISS gets me going every time.
February 26, 2009 3:11 am
My inspirational music is Radiohead too !
February 28, 2009 7:02 am
It’s just great that there are other designers listening Sigur Rós and Explosions in the Sky.
That’s real inspirational music, really.
February 28, 2009 12:12 pm
metallica,
the prodigy,
the all-american rejects
thats that nearest i listen to on this.
i like slipknot, fall out boy etc.
February 28, 2009 1:56 pm
lol Personally Aphex twin.
Great post.
calvin-t.co.uk
February 28, 2009 7:17 pm
Usually I end up listening to Sarah Brightman, Jann Arden, and Laura Branigan.
March 1, 2009 2:40 pm
I usually listen to heavier music while designing. Despised Icon, Death, Winds of Plague, and so on. Mostly death metal.
March 3, 2009 10:59 am
Cinematic Orchestra
March 6, 2009 1:03 am
Our office had a classical music day recently, we all got loads more work done than normal!
March 8, 2009 9:04 pm
I recommend http://www.djnodj.com
March 13, 2009 1:04 pm
You have some really great posts here be sure to keep me updated
http://www.elavi.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/elavimusic
March 16, 2009 2:43 am
music og design? what do you listen to?
April 7, 2009 8:40 am
Jimmy Eat World
http://www.myspace.com/jimmyeatworld
Dear and the Headlights
http://www.myspace.com/dearandtheheadlights
or Classical
April 12, 2009 7:29 am
If I am designing something for my corporate clients I listen to something light like Confessions on a Dancefloor or some other dance music business, otherwise it’s Garbage, U2, or Hole.
April 12, 2009 7:38 am
That’ll be Thievery Corporation!
Metallica – Master Of Puppets –> good choice!
April 12, 2009 7:58 am
Boards of Canada is guaranteed to get you in a productive, creative groove.
April 12, 2009 8:28 am
I don’t listen to any of the bands listed in this post. It’s all about zone out electro-goodness music: Crystal Castles, Justice, MGMT, Ratatat, Of Montreal… Unless your into some softer styles, I highly recommend Stars or Mirah.
April 12, 2009 9:16 am
Also would find it very hard to only pick one…
I’m choosing five based on my current mood:
Daft Punk, Fischerspooner, Kanye West, Amy Winehouse & Santogold.
@nredmond
April 12, 2009 10:31 am
I listen to an unknown band called, Ghosts of the Great Lakes. Good stuff, gets the creative juices flowing.
http://www.myspace.com/ghostsofthegreatlakes
April 12, 2009 10:43 am
Solvent
http://www.rhapsody.com/solvent
Zombi
http://www.rhapsody.com/zombi
Air
http://www.rhapsody.com/air
Black Moth Super Rainbow
http://www.rhapsody.com/black-moth-super-rainbow
April 12, 2009 12:43 pm
Federico Aubele
http://www.myspace.com/aubele
April 12, 2009 2:05 pm
Nickelback FTW!
April 13, 2009 12:36 am
Porcupine Tree m/
April 13, 2009 8:22 am
Royksopp, MGMT, Burnside Project, Kiln, Matthew Dear
April 13, 2009 9:05 am
Pearl Jam / Eddie Vedder, System of a Down, John Mayer, Volbeat, Bruce Springsteen
April 16, 2009 2:02 am
The Prodigy for ever
April 20, 2009 6:13 am
I listen to Rise Against while I’m working.
June 16, 2009 1:20 am
Music is important to me when designing as it helps inspire, keeps me creative and helps me stay in the zone. Personally I find more ambient music more effective as catchy tunes can often find you singing along or breaking into a guitar riff mid design.
Good design music can also be project dependent as it can set the scene or create a mood and you might need an upbeat set of tunes for one and a more obscure set of tunes for something more abstract.
- Kid Loco
- Sigur Rós
- Herbaliser
- The Avalanches
- St Germain
- M83
- Beta Band
- Kruder & Dorfmeister
- John Williams / Hans Zimmer music Scores
These really help me!
December 28, 2009 7:20 pm
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January 27, 2011 12:44 pm
The Strokes, Interpol and Cage the Elephant are my all-times favorites