Books or web image search?

Interesting question Anne,

During ideation, I tend to go to books first, and then web.  I go to web first and then books for illustrations/samples.

But, I am of a pre-web age, so I have collected lots of reference over the years.  I think you will find a real age divide on this question.

Agreed… take-in the base plan and site photos, combine those with the clients program (in your minds eye) and meditate on it until you “see”… sometimes inspiration strikes immediately, sometimes it takes a bit of sketching… I rarely look at other peoples work for ideation, unless I’m really stuck. Even then, you have to take it in your own direction to the point that the connection is broken. Why do it if it’s been done before…? Plus you have the issue of Intellectual Property if you’re copying other peoples designs.

Ideation?  Did you just coin a word?

I have a mental map of what is where, a bit of organized chaos.  I find chaos to be an often overlooked and under appreciated aspect of the design process.  So often we operate on well informed whims based on current flavors we enjoy tempered with the knowledge of what works from past experiences.  Do I go to books?  Yes.  Do I go to my digital library?  Yes.

Books for me are great for when I get stuck, and my digital library is great because I have it well organized by typology, so when I need to pull from something specific, I pull from there.

To Henry and Thomas’ points, I don’t look around much at ideation.  I do look for textures, materials, details, construction techniques–especially if it is in a heritage that I am rusty at, or unfamiliar with.  I like to kind of flood myself with the vernacular (much as Jon suggested), but I usually do it after the rough space planning/program is settled.

I do have a funny story about pictures– I had a client who loved Barragan and she wanted some elements of his style in her (somwhat small) courtyard.  The centerpiece was a water feature ala his.  When we turned it on, it had the most awefull sound– like water coming out of a hose into a really cheap bathtub.  I looked around to see my client standing in the doorway, she turned to me and said “Well, that doesn’t sound like the picture–does it?  Ha!

Ding!  Program to Site

… on buildings under construction or re-landscapes,somewhere along the way I have developed a habit where I pause the “ideation”(if I have a clue on what that means) between the time I start measuring details on the site and finish the existing conditions plan. Then I restart and move forward with a much deeper understanding of the site. I don’t know when I started that habit, but I noticed it about two years ago. I like the way it works out for me.

I don’t like to search for ideas directly for a project so much as drawing off of what I learned and continue to learn from studying other landscapes over the years. I’m not saying it is THE right way, but just one person’s way. Different people function differently and landscape design is richer for it.

Definitely lean more heavily on the books!

I haul a ton of design books with me to the client meeting and use them to help root out their tastes, likes, dislikes, maintenance interestes and capabilities, etc and often use the books to help describe the potential I see for the site based on their preferences – they get drawings too, but it really helps them to ‘see’ how we ‘see’… I use them to include the client in the ‘ideation’ process. A client who really understands the design and process behind it can really hold their own against the constant pressure of contractor change orders for materials, plants, etc.

This process helps us both see out of the box and keeps me from designing the same gardens over and over again, particularly in an area where climate and deer dictate use of a very limited plant palette.