How to Think of Ideas for Your Mural Project
Everyone loves a good mural. They're becoming more and more popular, especially among businesses in competitive industries. Have you ever seen a mural and thought, "Wow, I'd really love to have that in our showroom, front entrance, dining room, office, courtyard, etc.," but had no idea who to hire or where to start? Well, you're in the right place. The first step to starting a mural project before hiring someone is to have a vision. There are several easy steps you can take to get clarity on mural ideas that will perfectly capture the essence of your brand, even if you don’t consider yourself the most "creative person". After all, you know your brand better than anyone, so this will ensure a design that speaks volumes and is most effective.
Define Your Brand Identity: Begin by understanding what your brand stands for. Reflect on your brand's core values, its mission, company slogans, motto’s, phrases, images, symbols and the emotions you want your customers to feel. Referring back to your brand book, if you have one, will be a great place to start. If you don’t have one, gather up the most creative people on your team and start dumping ideas on the table. This is a great first step to coming up with ideas for your mural project.
What’s the Goal?: Think about what you want to say with your mural. What message are you trying to get across? Are you looking to increase brand visibility, boost engagement, or communicate a specific message? Do you want something interactive that people can use for fun photos? Do you want something that people simply associate with your brand. Having clear ideas about what you’re trying to achieve with a mural will guide the creative process.
Abstract works too: If you aren’t too focused on specific images & messaging, abstract pieces just for the aesthetics are a great option too.
Gather Inspiration: Explore existing murals, both locally and globally, to piece ideas and inspo together. Put the images in a moodboard on Pinterest or Freeform if you’re a mac user. Take note of the different styles, techniques, and themes that resonate with your brand. Do you prefer photorealistic art or more of an illustrative graphic style? Do you like the idea of your logo painted on a vibrant pattern or a company slogan overlayed on a bed of flowers? the possibilities are truly infinite.
Playful Brainstorming: Organize brainstorming sessions with your team to generate ideas. Use playful activities like word association games or sketching sessions to spark creativity and explore different concepts. You don’t have to go this deep into the creative process, but just know the more ideas you have prepared when hiring a muralist, the more likely the project will be an epic success!
Sketch Your Ideas: You don't need to be an artist to sketch out your ideas. Grab a pencil and paper and start sketching rough doodles based on your brainstorming sessions. Experiment with whatever comes to mind.
Create a Moodboard: Pinterest is one of the best tools for creative inspiration. I also highly recommend freeform for Mac users. Create a board just for your mural project and start pinning everything you see that you'd like to use as inspiration for your project.
Document: Document the creative process through photos and videos. Treat the entire process like a big collage of words, images, screenshots, inspiration, and anything else that helps piece the concept together.
Collaborate with a Professional Muralist: Finally, when you have these things in place, hire an experienced muralist whose style aligns with your vision. Be open to their input and expertise. As I mentioned, the more ideas you have, the more insight they’ll be able to incorporate into their creative process. This will lead to optimal results and a successful, smooth mural project.