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Music of Design: What do you listen to?

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.

Check it out here.

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Danny Outlaw

Websitehttp://www.outlawdesignblog.com
Music – Hank Williams the Third


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Franz Jeitz

Websitehttp://www.fudgegraphics.com
Music – Kings of Leon


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Liam McKay

Websitehttp://www.wefunction.com
Music – The Prodigy


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David Airey

Websitehttp://www.davidairey.com
Music – Classical


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Chris Spooner

Websitehttp://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk
Music – All American Rejects


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Adelle Charles

Websitehttp://fuelyourcreativity.com
Music – Pink


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Jacob Gube

Websitehttp://sixrevisions.com/
Music – Modest Mouse


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Steven Snell

Websitehttp://designm.ag/
Music – Metallica


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David Leggett

Websitehttp://www.tutorial9.net/
Music – Sigur Ros


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Chad Mueller

Websitehttp://www.inspiredology.com
Music – Kaye West


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Gino Orlandi

Websitehttp://www.fuelfordesign.com/
Music – Octane on Sirius Satellite Radio


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Ty

Websitehttp://www.sourapplemedia.com
Music – Jay-Z


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Calee Hime

Websitehttp://www.runningchimes.wordpress.com
Music – Daft Punk


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Lilian

Websitehttp://www.lilula.co.uk/
Music – Explosions in the Sky

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64 Comments
Hernan Valencia

February 17, 2009 9:47 am Reply

My inspirational music is Radiohead

Franz Jeitz

February 17, 2009 10:08 am Reply

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.

Ty Dennis

February 17, 2009 10:17 am Reply

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.

kafka

February 17, 2009 10:22 am Reply

Adam Beyer and everything bu derrick may.

Fred Yates

February 17, 2009 11:16 am Reply

blink182, against me!, techno

dave

February 17, 2009 11:18 am Reply

MGMT – oracular spectacular
SIGUR ROS – ()
New Young Pony Club – Fantastic playroom
Pedro The Lion

My favs to design to.

Stuart Thursby

February 17, 2009 11:18 am Reply

Has to be a stellar combo of Radiohead, The Beatles, Muse and Sondre Lerche, depending on the mood =)

Grace Smith

February 17, 2009 11:21 am Reply

Im with Chad, it has to be Kanye :-) I tend to jump between hip-hop and more chilled rnb.

CreativeFluff

February 17, 2009 11:22 am Reply

We did this awhile back. You should check it out to see even more designers and what they listen too.

Sebastian Rumberg

February 17, 2009 11:27 am Reply

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 :)

Forbairt

February 17, 2009 12:01 pm Reply

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 :P

Kelly

February 17, 2009 12:27 pm Reply

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.

J5ff

February 17, 2009 12:56 pm Reply

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.

Chad

February 17, 2009 1:43 pm Reply

hey Danny,

Its Kanye West not Kaye West

Thanks great list

Gabe

February 17, 2009 6:19 pm Reply

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.

murydan

February 18, 2009 6:38 am Reply

I mostly listen to TWIT podcasts, but occasionally some old school Norwegian Black Metal slips in.

Kevin

February 18, 2009 8:57 am Reply

nice idea for a post.

I usually listen to electronic music. Or whatever pops up on the local radio station.

logos

February 18, 2009 11:44 am Reply

My collection consists of a wide variety. I can’t just listen to one type. I get inspired by so many different styles.

Ahron

February 18, 2009 1:50 pm Reply

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…

Blue Buffalo

February 18, 2009 7:07 pm Reply

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.

Anders Haig

February 18, 2009 11:49 pm Reply

So happy to see another Kings of Leon fan (Frank). I listen to the same stuff to get my creative juices flowing.

Chuck E. Conqueso

February 21, 2009 5:28 pm Reply

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.

SostyPasha

February 23, 2009 6:40 am Reply

:D Sa’ad el so3′ayar

Mike Smith

February 25, 2009 5:26 pm Reply

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

Ozmatix

February 26, 2009 12:14 am Reply

KISS gets me going every time.

Sotero

February 26, 2009 3:11 am Reply

My inspirational music is Radiohead too !

Pieter

February 28, 2009 7:02 am Reply

It’s just great that there are other designers listening Sigur Rós and Explosions in the Sky.
That’s real inspirational music, really.

dannie

February 28, 2009 12:12 pm Reply

metallica,
the prodigy,
the all-american rejects
thats that nearest i listen to on this.
i like slipknot, fall out boy etc.

Calvin

February 28, 2009 1:56 pm Reply

lol Personally Aphex twin.
Great post.

calvin-t.co.uk

Jon Liebold

February 28, 2009 7:17 pm Reply

Usually I end up listening to Sarah Brightman, Jann Arden, and Laura Branigan.

Dan

March 1, 2009 2:40 pm Reply

I usually listen to heavier music while designing. Despised Icon, Death, Winds of Plague, and so on. Mostly death metal.

KDC

March 3, 2009 10:59 am Reply

Cinematic Orchestra

Amelia Vargo

March 6, 2009 1:03 am Reply

Our office had a classical music day recently, we all got loads more work done than normal!

El.enchus

March 8, 2009 9:04 pm Reply

I recommend http://www.djnodj.com

Elavi

March 13, 2009 1:04 pm Reply

You have some really great posts here be sure to keep me updated
http://www.elavi.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/elavimusic

jesseme

March 16, 2009 2:43 am Reply

music og design? what do you listen to?

Brad

April 7, 2009 8:40 am Reply

Jimmy Eat World
http://www.myspace.com/jimmyeatworld

Dear and the Headlights
http://www.myspace.com/dearandtheheadlights

or Classical

Liberation

April 12, 2009 7:29 am Reply

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.

TND webdesign

April 12, 2009 7:38 am Reply

That’ll be Thievery Corporation!

Metallica – Master Of Puppets –> good choice!

Henrik

April 12, 2009 7:58 am Reply

Boards of Canada is guaranteed to get you in a productive, creative groove.

Shali

April 12, 2009 8:28 am Reply

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.

Niamh Redmond

April 12, 2009 9:16 am Reply

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

Andrew Champ

April 12, 2009 10:31 am Reply

I listen to an unknown band called, Ghosts of the Great Lakes. Good stuff, gets the creative juices flowing.

http://www.myspace.com/ghostsofthegreatlakes

Carlos

April 12, 2009 12:43 pm Reply

Abdurrahman Gemei

April 12, 2009 2:05 pm Reply

Nickelback FTW!

squeak.inc

April 13, 2009 12:36 am Reply

Porcupine Tree m/

John

April 13, 2009 8:22 am Reply

Royksopp, MGMT, Burnside Project, Kiln, Matthew Dear

Paul

April 13, 2009 9:05 am Reply

Pearl Jam / Eddie Vedder, System of a Down, John Mayer, Volbeat, Bruce Springsteen

Aleksandar Tasevski

April 16, 2009 2:02 am Reply

The Prodigy for ever

Michele

April 20, 2009 6:13 am Reply

I listen to Rise Against while I’m working.

Ian Garstang

June 16, 2009 1:20 am Reply

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!

Mia33

December 28, 2009 7:20 pm Reply

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January 27, 2011 12:44 pm Reply

The Strokes, Interpol and Cage the Elephant are my all-times favorites

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