How do I get inspiration for the design of my thesis?
With the design of your thesis, you can distinct yourself from others. A neatly designed thesis will at the very least give a positive impression. But by giving your thesis layout an unexpected twist, you can surprise your readers and attract attention. To get inspired, you could look at dissertations of your colleagues, but often this is not where you can find the most original ideas. Therefore, we will give you some tips to get inspiration for the design of your thesis in this article.
Bookcase
Even though e-readers are getting more common, you can probably find some books in your bookcase. You might just stand in front of your bookcase and look at the books that appeal to you, or the ones that you enjoy reading. When you have found books that you like, take pictures of them and send those to your designer. Together, you can choose which elements of those books you will use for the design of your own dissertation. In case you do not find any appealing books at home, you could look at a magazines or you could visit a library or even a bookstore.
Social media
Pinterest, Instagram or even Facebook, social media offers you plenty of beautiful pictures. When you encounter an appealing picture, save it immediately. In this way you are creating your own archive of your definition of ‘beautiful’. When looking through your pictures, you could try to find a similarities or recurring features. These can be used as inspiration for your own thesis’s layout.
Shopping street
Apart from the digital world, there is enough inspiration waiting to be found on the streets. The next time you are walking through a shopping street, pay attention to commercial signs, shop displays or flyers that are handed out. When something grabs your attention, take a picture and add it to your ‘archive of inspiration’.
Museum
Another idea is to pay a visit to a museum. This is not only good because it gives you some time to relax, but also because you can get inspired by the design of artwork. What style do you like? Bauhaus, baroque, cubism or rococo? Let your designer know what style fits your taste. Based on this, the designer can make choices about the cover design. Furthermore, it will make it easier for the designer to determine the feel (e.g. modern, classic) of the content of the thesis.
Look around
All of the above are examples to get inspired. The main point of this article is: look around, because everywhere you go, you can get inspiration for the design of your thesis. Take a look outside the academic world, into daily life.