We all love a bit of creative inspiration! Any designer can tell you it’s not always easy rolling out of bed and conjuring up magical content off the cuff—design fatigue is real!
The rise of generative AI in graphic design poses fresh, essential questions about where the future of the industry might lead, but there are always vital lessons to learn in our past.
So what did the kind people of Content Nation do? We created a two-step story of inspiring history and future inspiration for Malaysia’s resident design wizards.
An inspiring history of Malaysian graphic design
Malaysia has a rich and exciting history of vibrant graphic design. Perhaps the most visible sign of that history can be found in the emotive symbol of our nation’s flag, also known as Jalur Gemilang.
The Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory) emerged from a design competition held in 1947, with the winning design conceived of by one Mohammed Hamzah. This national icon was actually one of two designs created and submitted by Hamzah in just two weeks. It’s unlikely the worker from Johor’s Public Works Department realised the exciting role he was to play in both Malaysia’s future, and as a lifelong answer to trivia questions about our nation’s past.
As a digital marketing agency in Kuala Lumpur, we’re always delighted to see the history of graphic design in KL as part of that wider Malaysian design history. Thanks to the fantastic resource hosted by the fine people of Malaysia Design Archive(MDA), there’s a perfect place to explore this story.
The Malaysian Design Archive is a truly amazing resource to inspire your graphic design projects today, by immersing yourself in Malaysia’s design history. The archive explores design throughout different periods or Malaysian history, offering up the likes of beautifully designed travel posters, luggage tags, political posters and everyday product packaging. It’s a vibrant illustrated journey that mirrors the evolution of Malaysia itself.
This is a nation that’s bursting with a history of beautiful design. That’s inspiring in itself. But where do you go if you want graphic design inspiration for the future?
Inspiring your future designs
The world is full of beautiful design inspiration, from stunning natural vistas to bright and buzzing street art that livens up the urban streets. It’s not always easy to dip in and out of such places though, so here’s a quick-fire list of inspiring digital locations for your design needs.
This one really does what it says on the beautifully designed tin. Expect a list of beautiful graphic design examples from around the world, from eye-catching album covers to awe-inspiring event posters.
If you can’t take to the streets to find artistic inspiration, why not bring the streets to you, with a digitally curated platform hosting amazing images of global street art.
Street art can be anything from the powerfully political to the downright majestic, but it’s nothing if not inspired and inspiring. Explore the archives to see how colours and imagination brighten up the real world.
Dieline explores the boundless scope of graphic design away from digital delivery, in the captivating world of packaging design. Not only does Dieline host stunning examples of beautifully designed packaging, it goes further to place itself as a champion of the graphic design industry.
Want fun with fonts? Sure you do. Fonts In Use goes beyond the imagery itself to explore the firm foundations of a marketing message—the beauty of typography. Expect the sweeping curves of a gorgeous G alongside the brutally sharp corners of a lovingly crafted L. This is typography for the obsessive designer, and it’s beautiful.
Why restrict yourself to exploring the history of graphic design, when you can dive deeper into the history of art itself. Google’s Art Archive provides a wonderful inspiration that explores the most famous heroes of artistic creativity in all its forms. Immerse yourself in the captivating brush strokes of Van Gogh, or delight in the stunning detail of Nihal Chand. This is art for the lovers, and inspiration for anyone with a creative soul.
Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Replace Graphic Designers in Malaysia?
The rise of AI is set to transform the landscape of graphic design in Malaysia, sparking debates about the future role of graphic designers.
AI in graphic design offers powerful features that many believe will replace the need for graphic designers. But, at Content Nation, we view AI as an enhancement to your creative process, not a replacement.
Graphic designers will still be the essential drivers of high-quality design that inspires the viewer. They have the skills to understand how, and more importantly why, an image can be crafted or curated to meet the needs of a particular audience, reflecting deep domain expertise that’s critical to delivering outstanding content. AI might support this, but it isn’t a solution on its own.
Want to find out more about the role of generative AI? Check out our GenAI report to see how this new technology is transforming the content landscape, or hit us up and we’ll help you out!
