I am completely aware of the fact that I do not, and can not, design in a vacuum. I pull inspiration from what I see, read, hear, and experience. I then use what I have taken to create something new. But do I own what I have just created? Yes. I believe that once I have changed my raw inspiration into something new, I own that new creation whether it be a chair, coffee grinder, birdhouse or website. Can I prevent what I have created from being changed into something new? No. I do not think I can nor would I want to. Most would consider this to be a fine line but I think it can be draw.

creativecommons.org

I was aware of the concept of Creative Commons but not aware of the nonprofit organization that has the same name. This site provides guidelines for Creative Commons licenses. So if you don’t mind your work being used to create new content, this site could help you draft a license for those purposes. This is important for designers that must turn their content into an income but want to contribute to the design community by sharing their work. The site is also a source for creative material that people willingly share so that others can create new work of either own. On the Board of Directors is Lawrence Lessig, who’s TED talk had a big impact on how value collaboration through the internet.

What others can not copy

What can never be copied is your creativity that you use to make good design. With this in mind I think we can afford to let our content be shared while not losing anything during the process. I also believe that processes and methods can not be copyrighted either. A process and a method is what produces good content. In my experience with building websites, I see code as a particular kind of process, and I think others share code to see what content other people can produce. I think designers of all disciplines should always be willing to share processes and methods, and not for altruistic reasons.

Selfish sharing

The concept is that if you share your processes, methods, and sometimes contents, others can use those things to create new things. The hope is that others would in turn share their new creations. New content would eventually return back to you. In some cases even processes and methods are refined and shared resulting in better ways for you to make good content. When I discover something new that inspires me I never get the urge to copy it; I have the urge to do something new with it. I believe most designers feel the same way.