in Interviews

Music of Design: What do you listen to?

Recently I emailed a series of Twitter friends who design and handful of popular designers to see what sort of music got their creative juices flowing. The results were a mix of every musical genre out there. Some like to chill out to mellow and classical music, while others need something a a bit more energy to get them going.

If you find this post interesting, you might also want to check out Fudge Graphics post on designers and their favorite colors. He asked 40 designers/bloggers what their favorite colour is and split them up into 3 groups: cold, warm and neutral colours.

Check it out here.

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Danny Outlaw

Website – http://www.outlawdesignblog.com
Music – Hank Williams the Third


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Franz Jeitz

Website – http://www.fudgegraphics.com
Music – Kings of Leon


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Liam McKay

Website – http://www.wefunction.com
Music – The Prodigy


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David Airey

Website – http://www.davidairey.com
Music – Classical


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Chris Spooner

Website – http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk
Music – All American Rejects


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Adelle Charles

Website – http://fuelyourcreativity.com
Music – Pink


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Jacob Gube

Website – http://sixrevisions.com/
Music – Modest Mouse


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Steven Snell

Website – http://designm.ag/
Music – Metallica


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David Leggett

Website – http://www.tutorial9.net/
Music – Sigur Ros


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Chad Mueller

Website – http://www.inspiredology.com
Music – Kaye West


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Gino Orlandi

Website – http://www.fuelfordesign.com/
Music – Octane on Sirius Satellite Radio


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Ty

Website – http://www.sourapplemedia.com
Music – Jay-Z


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Calee Hime

Website – http://www.runningchimes.wordpress.com
Music – Daft Punk


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Lilian

Website – http://www.lilula.co.uk/
Music – Explosions in the Sky

About Danny Outlaw

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  • http://www.theconstructcreative.com Hernan Valencia

    My inspirational music is Radiohead

  • http://www.fudgegraphics.com Franz Jeitz

    Thanks for including me. It was really hard to only choose one artist though :) It’s realy interesting to see what other great designers listen to while working.

  • http://Website(optional) Ty Dennis

    Such a wide range of music and a great post. Thanks for including me. I’m always looking for new music, can’t wait to see what others add.

  • http://Website(optional) kafka

    Adam Beyer and everything bu derrick may.

  • http://fyates.com Fred Yates

    blink182, against me!, techno

  • http://www.gonerville.com dave

    MGMT – oracular spectacular
    SIGUR ROS – ()
    New Young Pony Club – Fantastic playroom
    Pedro The Lion

    My favs to design to.

  • http://www.sthursby.com Stuart Thursby

    Has to be a stellar combo of Radiohead, The Beatles, Muse and Sondre Lerche, depending on the mood =)

  • http://www.postscript5.co.uk Grace Smith

    Im with Chad, it has to be Kanye :-) I tend to jump between hip-hop and more chilled rnb.

  • http://www.creativefluff.com/recent-posts/design-inspiration-what-music-designers-jam-to/ CreativeFluff

    We did this awhile back. You should check it out to see even more designers and what they listen too.

  • http://www.sebastianrumberg.de Sebastian Rumberg

    Lately I became a huge fan of parov stelar. But “Explosions in the sky” is at least a great as everything I’ve heard so far. Thanks for this post… well, admin :)

  • http://www.forbairt.ie Forbairt

    Usually its infected mushroom / prodigy / hallucinogen for me .. or if I’m feeling a bit more chilled out I’ll give Afro Celt Sound System a blast :)

    If I’m doing other stuff it might be fear factory …

    I’ve got “nice” taste :P

  • http://www.kellybaker.ca Kelly

    Bonobo is my all-time best design/coding music. When I really need to buckle down and be productive, there’s nothing else as good.

  • http://Website(optional) J5ff

    I listen to a lot of Patrick Wolf lately, the second album Wind in the Wires is really inspirational, a mix of classical with piano, violins and accoustic guitars and some electronic music together, evrything packed in an emotionnaly thigh thin plastic disk.

  • http://www.inspiredology.com Chad

    hey Danny,

    Its Kanye West not Kaye West

    Thanks great list

  • http://greenflipflops.com Gabe

    I like to “keep it a little bit gangsta” – anything Jay-Z is a favorite, also love Outkast. While I’m writing code, I’ve found that reggaeton is awesome – it’s high energy, but I don’t understand enough words for it to distract me.

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  • http://www.goatsmilktavern.com murydan

    I mostly listen to TWIT podcasts, but occasionally some old school Norwegian Black Metal slips in.

  • http://www.theroxor.com Kevin

    nice idea for a post.

    I usually listen to electronic music. Or whatever pops up on the local radio station.

  • http://www.logodesignguru.com/case_studies/Logo-design-Case-Studies1.asp logos

    My collection consists of a wide variety. I can’t just listen to one type. I get inspired by so many different styles.

  • http://Website(optional) Ahron

    If I’m designing something, more often than not I like instrumental music. The likes of American Dollar, Hammock, Austin TV and Godspeed You Black Emperor! grace my playlists…Even a few OST’s, such as Clint Mansell’s The Fountain Soundtrack (EXCELLENT, if you’ve never heard it), and Pan’s Labyrinth are my currents…

  • http://www.bluebuffalomedia.com Blue Buffalo

    I think it depends on my mood. One of my favorites is Switchfoot. If I am in a soulful, “touch-feely” mood, then I would probably choose John Mayer or Cold Play.

  • http://www.andershaig.com Anders Haig

    So happy to see another Kings of Leon fan (Frank). I listen to the same stuff to get my creative juices flowing.

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  • http://Website(optional) Chuck E. Conqueso

    Anything that reminds me of sitting in my room as a teenager dreaming about what it would be like to design for a living.

    Usually it’s the first three Iron Maiden albums, Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio, Faith No More (from the college years) and Anti-Flag.

  • http://www.sostypasha.com SostyPasha

    :D Sa’ad el so3′ayar

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  • http://www.4amcreative.com Mike Smith

    If I’m writing articles or writing code I tend to listen to the hiphop instrumentals section on http://www.soundclick.com

    If I’m designing/reading articles I have Joe Budden’s three Mood Muzik mixtapes – and most recently his “Padded Room” album – on constant rotation

  • http://www.ozmatix.com Ozmatix

    KISS gets me going every time.

  • http://www.rsotero.wordpress.com Sotero

    My inspirational music is Radiohead too !

  • http://Website(optional) Pieter

    It’s just great that there are other designers listening Sigur Rós and Explosions in the Sky.
    That’s real inspirational music, really.

  • http://Website(optional) dannie

    metallica,
    the prodigy,
    the all-american rejects
    thats that nearest i listen to on this.
    i like slipknot, fall out boy etc.

  • http://calvin-t.co.uk Calvin

    lol Personally Aphex twin.
    Great post.

    calvin-t.co.uk

  • http://Website(optional) Jon Liebold

    Usually I end up listening to Sarah Brightman, Jann Arden, and Laura Branigan.

  • http://dzine-studios.com Dan

    I usually listen to heavier music while designing. Despised Icon, Death, Winds of Plague, and so on. Mostly death metal.

  • http://www.kentd.com KDC

    Cinematic Orchestra

  • http://www.crearedesign.co.uk Amelia Vargo

    Our office had a classical music day recently, we all got loads more work done than normal!

  • http://Website(optional) El.enchus
  • http://www.elavi.co.uk Elavi

    You have some really great posts here be sure to keep me updated
    http://www.elavi.co.uk
    http://www.myspace.com/elavimusic

  • http://www.technology-guide.co.uk/post/2009/03/10/4-port-usb-hub.aspx jesseme

    music og design? what do you listen to?

  • http://Website(optional) Brad

    Jimmy Eat World
    http://www.myspace.com/jimmyeatworld

    Dear and the Headlights
    http://www.myspace.com/dearandtheheadlights

    or Classical

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  • http://www.liberationmultimedia.com Liberation

    If I am designing something for my corporate clients I listen to something light like Confessions on a Dancefloor or some other dance music business, otherwise it’s Garbage, U2, or Hole.

  • http://www.tndmedia.nl TND webdesign

    That’ll be Thievery Corporation!

    Metallica – Master Of Puppets –> good choice!

  • http://Website(optional) Henrik

    Boards of Canada is guaranteed to get you in a productive, creative groove.

  • http://Website(optional) Shali

    I don’t listen to any of the bands listed in this post. It’s all about zone out electro-goodness music: Crystal Castles, Justice, MGMT, Ratatat, Of Montreal… Unless your into some softer styles, I highly recommend Stars or Mirah.

  • http://niamhredmond.org Niamh Redmond

    Also would find it very hard to only pick one…

    I’m choosing five based on my current mood:

    Daft Punk, Fischerspooner, Kanye West, Amy Winehouse & Santogold.

    @nredmond

  • http://www.bloodworkdesigns.net/ Andrew Champ

    I listen to an unknown band called, Ghosts of the Great Lakes. Good stuff, gets the creative juices flowing.

    http://www.myspace.com/ghostsofthegreatlakes

  • http://www.deanrivet.com Dean
  • http://www.carlosvarela.net Carlos
  • http://Website(optional) Abdurrahman Gemei

    Nickelback FTW!

  • http://Website(optional) squeak.inc

    Porcupine Tree \m/

  • http://Website(optional) John

    Royksopp, MGMT, Burnside Project, Kiln, Matthew Dear

  • http://Website(optional) Paul

    Pearl Jam / Eddie Vedder, System of a Down, John Mayer, Volbeat, Bruce Springsteen

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  • http://perfectflow.org Aleksandar Tasevski

    The Prodigy for ever

  • http://YourWebsite Michele

    I listen to Rise Against while I’m working.

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  • http://www.debugdesign.com Ian Garstang

    Music is important to me when designing as it helps inspire, keeps me creative and helps me stay in the zone. Personally I find more ambient music more effective as catchy tunes can often find you singing along or breaking into a guitar riff mid design.

    Good design music can also be project dependent as it can set the scene or create a mood and you might need an upbeat set of tunes for one and a more obscure set of tunes for something more abstract.

    - Kid Loco
    - Sigur Rós
    - Herbaliser
    - The Avalanches
    - St Germain
    - M83
    - Beta Band
    - Kruder & Dorfmeister
    - John Williams / Hans Zimmer music Scores

    These really help me!

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    We can affirm that you make really supreme topic referring to this good post. You can complete the thesis pdf for thesis service or just ground our own dissertation writing services and students would buy a thesis paper at this service.

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  • http://www.professionalessaywriters.com/ essay writers

    The Strokes, Interpol and Cage the Elephant are my all-times favorites