A swipe file is a handy way to keep interesting things on hand when seeking inspiration.
Do you have a Swipe File?
You don’t need to be Don Draper, the suave advertising exec in TV’s Mad Men, to make use of this handy tool for finding inspiration. Although the swipe file is a concept popularised by renowned copywriter and marketing strategist Gary Halbert, who collected ads, sales letters and others materials that he would study and draw inspiration from when creating his own campaigns.
I’ve started a swipe file because I like to keep interesting things I come across and I often need to develop new angles or ways of approaching topics and ideas.
The idea of a swipe file has been widely adopted in the advertising and marketing industry as a source for generating ideas and finding inspiration when creating new campaigns. It’s not only in advertising and marketing that it could help spark inspiration in moments when creativity is needed.
Anyone who draws on creativity, creative thinking, light bulb moments or just needs inspiration from time to time could benefit from having a swipe file at their fingertips. It helps you stay on top of trends with a self-designed resource.
So what is a swipe file I hear you ask?
I’m talking about the digital version of an old school document that harks back to the advertising days of old when someone might tear an ad from the papers of a magazine and keep in a manila folder at their desk.
It’s entirely possible still today to have a physical folder with bits of paper inside for those moments. It’s more likely though that it would be a virtual folder on a desktop or drive that can be brought up with a few clicks. Like all things digital, the beauty of doing it this way is being able to organise things in any way you need, having the option to include links, any sorts of text from short, pithy quotes to paragraphs, images and so on.
Starting out on a new project or when trying to come up with fresh ideas, it can be hard going starting from scratch every time. Anyone who’s sat looking at a blank page and a flashing cursor know’s the feeling of dread and paralysis that can stifle the dimmest flicker of creativity.
Instead, picture this: you have a swipe file, a pre-curated collection of ideas, prompts and examples to help fan the flames of inspiration at your fingertips. The light bulb goes off and you’re away, the creative juices flowed and ideas taking shape.
Seeking the light bulb moment: Sparking new ideas
Even the most creative minds need a little inspiration from time to time. But you also don’t need to wait for a time when new ideas are needed to consult your swipe file.
By regularly reviewing your swipe file, you’ll be putting exposed to new ideas and approaches that you may not have considered before. These little doses of inspiration will percolate in the depths of your mind as you’re doing other things. You’ll be surprised the connections, new ideas and different takes on things that can spark by feeding your brain with lots of different ideas. It helps you think outside the box.
Low-tech vs high-tech: How should you create your swipe file?
Creating a swipe file is easy: start collecting examples of inspiring work that you come across. Naturally what you collect will depend on what sort of inspiration you might be looking for. But it’s also worth not taking too narrow an approach to saving interesting things.
It could include advertisements, designs, campaigns, products, or anything else that catches your eye. Once you have a few examples, organise them into categories that make sense for your work. For example, you could have categories for typography, colour schemes, campaigns, article ideas, headlines, design and so on.
Remember, a swipe file is meant to be a living document. Keep adding to it regularly and don’t be afraid to remove examples that are no longer relevant or inspiring.
The simplest form of a swipe file is a document in a folder storied on your computer or cloud so it’s available wherever you need it. Other platforms like Evernote can be useful in saving websites, emails and more, and Trello can also be useful for organising ideas. If you’ve got any other ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments.
Food for Thought
AI is here, says Bill
Finally, here are this month’s links to feed your food for thought, with Bill Gates somewhat stating the obvious in saying the Age of AI is upon us. It is a pretty thorough look at where AI is at today and what the future might hold.
Fiat not, some countries are taking up digital currencies
Central bank digital currencies are coming, although the Reserve Bank in Australia might be unconvinced. If you’re keen to understand which countries are embracing digital fiat currency, have a read of this Chainalysis article.
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In her new book Next!, Joanne Lipman outlines the four steps for successful reinvention in work and life, which may or may not involve quite quitting.
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