How to be inspired by other people’s designs without plagiarism?

UIX JourneyAries

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6 min readJan 10, 2024

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Questions that designers often ask:

Is it OK to “copying” someone else’s design?
How to copy someone’s design without committing plagiarism?
Is it okay to share a design that was inspired by someone else’s?
What if I design something inspired by someone’s work without giving credit in the post?
What if we take someone’s design and show it in a different way?

“Why can they be consistently creative? Where do all those ideas come from? Why can’t I be like them?”

The grass is always greener on the other side, but…

When we’re just starting out, we often look at what others have accomplished without understanding the hard work they put in. There’s a saying, “Don’t compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 20,” which means they also experience what you’re feeling as a beginner designer.

On your way to the career you want, it won’t be smooth; there will always be challenges, especially in believing in yourself and staying motivated despite others’ success. Working in the creative field has its own difficulties. Designers need to be creative in every project, but being creative takes time and a lot of persistence.

Still plenty of time to grow

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book “Outliers,” says that you will become a pro in your field after about 10,000 hours of practice, which is like 416 days. So, by getting a lot of work experience, you can improve your creative skills.

Looking at inspiration is crucial for the development of a designer’s style. The more things you look at, try out, and use in your work, the better your style gets. Even when starting a career as a designer, it may feel scary to imitate someone’s work and then push yourself to create original pieces, until you can’t feel confident and proud of what you’ve done. If you let negative thoughts take over, it might even make you want to quit being a designer. But here’s the thing, everyone has been through this — copying and copying until they figure out their own awesome style.

Unreasonable Deadlines

One big problem for designers on the job is dealing with tight deadlines. You might think of copying someone’s work, but worry about it not growing or having copyright issues. On the flip side, making something completely new takes a lot of time. So, what’s the solution?

In this first article, I’ll share what I’ve learned about staying inspired without getting into trouble with copyrights.

Being Inspired versus Plagiarism

Before we start, it’s essential to understand the simple meanings of “plagiarism” and “being inspired.”

Plagiarism is an act of stealing someone else’s ideas/work/concept and claiming it as your own without giving credit or obtaining proper licensing beforehand. The line between inspiration and plagiarism can be blurry, but there are some safe practices to avoid legal or moral issues down the road.

Example of Plagiarism Disguised as Inspiration ⬎

Result of Using References ⬎

In simple terms, disguised inspiration plagiarism is when you change a small part of the entire reference example. For instance, from the above example, you only alter the words and colors. However, in reality, copying is a process that everyone has gone through. Nevertheless, you should also know the best and safe ways to design from a reference.

Innovation and Creativity

Pablo Picasso, a very famous painter, said, “Good artist copy, great artist steal.” His renowned works originated from someone he admired in his time, namely Degas.

Picasso believed that for beginners, if you don’t know where to start, try observing, imitating, and modifying the works of others with the style and abilities you possess. That will be an extraordinary starting point.

In truth, as the saying goes, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” Human creativity doesn’t start from scratch because everything is influenced by our experiences, feelings, observations, readings, or learnings.

Then Mark Twain said,
It’s impossible to create a truly new idea; everything is formed from various combinations and so on.

So, how can you take inspiration from someone’s work without copying and avoiding plagiarism?

Here are some helpful tips for designers to avoid plagiarism:

When selecting a reference, it’s not just about its visual appeal; understand what makes the design interesting.
When analyzing someone’s work, make sure you think like, “What can make the result better? What should be removed or added? Does this design solution fit our needs or not?”
Limit the time spent seeking inspiration and the number of design inspirations.
Combine various design elements gathered from different references.
Diversify design inspirations so you are not influenced by just one design.
Avoid taking many design elements from a single reference.
Modify the basic elements you like from the reference.
Expand your sources of inspiration. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, draw inspiration from areas like painting or interior design.

No One Starts from a Blank Canvas

Everyone begins with some influence; starting from scratch is rare. Copying is a common human activity. While not everyone may notice your actions now, but in the future, how about that? Who knows, Your work might gain fame, and your digital record could impact your reputation over time.

So, is copying allowed? The answer is yes, but…

If you want to copy something entirely, keep the work for yourself. If you plan to commercialize or publish it, make sure to apply the tips/tricks.

Because, as Wilson Mizner said,
If you steal from one author, it’s plagiarism, and if you steal from many, it’s research

Learn the Balance Between Originality, Inspired, and Plagiarism

Designing by getting ideas and making small changes might feel simple, but it’s not the best for the long run. You won’t end up with truly original work as a designer. Still, it’s important to find a balance between creating inspired and original pieces. Don’t let trying to be completely original to make you tired or give up on designing.

In the next opportunity, I will discuss how to organize designs from inspiration to enhance the sense of design.