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Coming up with new design ideas can be tough. Sometimes, you\u2019re tired or not feeling particularly creative. We\u2019ve all been there.<\/p>\n
But since succeeding with the\u00a0<\/span>Low Hanging System<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>largely comes down to a number\u2019s game (i.e. having as many designs up for sale as possible), it\u2019s important to add new inventory at least every once in a while.<\/p>\n To that end, once thing you can do is review the master list of ideas I share in LHS. Or, there\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>SpotNiches<\/a>, which I talk more about below.<\/p>\n But if you want to come up with even more ideas, you can try some of the other strategies I detail below. All of these ideas are really quick and easy to implement and they can help a ton to get your creative juices pumping.<\/p>\n So the next time you\u2019re at a loss for new designs to create, try one of the following ideas\u2026<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ header_2_text_color=”#3a3a3a” header_2_font_size=”27px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n This is a super quick and easy way to get new design ideas. Every day (every hour even), you can log into Twitter and click # Explore < Trending to find a list of topics and hashtags that are currently trending.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a list of this past week\u2019s most popular topics:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n You may need more context to figure out exactly what these hashtags and topics are referring to. But Twitter often shows examples of articles being shared. Or you can just Google the topics to learn more.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lowhangingecom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Twitter-trending.png” title_text=”Twitter-trending” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.4.9″ hover_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Of course, not everything that\u2019s trending will translate into a good design idea. But at the very least, you can get an idea of what people are talking about and interested in. For example, several of the recent trends had to do with football (e.g. Notre Dame, Big Ten, Big 10). And there are tons of different ideas you could come up with related to playing football.<\/p>\n NOTE: Always be careful with company or brand names when considering designs that take advantage of trending topics, as you could run into copyright or trademark infringement issues.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ header_2_text_color=”#3a3a3a” header_2_font_size=”27px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n If you Google \u201ctop news stories,\u201d you\u2019ll get a list of many of the nation\u2019s top news outlets, such as CNN, Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS, NPR, and USA Today, with links to breaking news and their top stories of the day.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a recent screenshot:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lowhangingecom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/top-news-stories.png” title_text=”top-news-stories” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.4.9″ hover_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n When I clicked on a few of the links, here are some of the top headlines that came up:<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Again, you won\u2019t always be able to find inspiration for design ideas from reading the news. But sometimes, looking at the headlines can lead you down a path that gets your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n For example, with the second headline about Julian Edelman responding to anti-semitism, you might draw inspiration from that by creating designs that show support for the Jewish community.<\/p>\n Reading the news can be an anxiety-inducing experience for some, however. So please only engage with the news if you can do so in a way that doesn\u2019t take a toll on your mental health.<\/p>\n And if you do find yourself feeling down after reading the news, I wrote a book a while back called\u00a0Don\u2019t Get Sucked In To Bad News<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>which details strategies for handling and engaging with the news in a way that doesn\u2019t bring you down.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ header_2_text_color=”#3a3a3a” header_2_font_size=”27px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Especially if you\u2019re an Etsy seller (but even if you\u2019re not), the Trending Now section can be super useful to come up with new design ideas. To get to this section, click\u00a0<\/span>here<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the top of the page, you\u2019ll see categories like\u2026<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n You may also see gift guides, such as\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Below this, you\u2019ll be able to see tons of trending products and designs on Etsy. Here\u2019s a screenshot:<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lowhangingecom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/trending-now-Etsy.png” title_text=”trending-now-Etsy” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.4.9″ hover_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The products the designs are featured on don\u2019t matter as much as the designs themselves. Some are funny puns. Others have to do with politics or the Coronavirus. Many are text-based but some also feature cute images.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ header_2_text_color=”#3a3a3a” header_2_font_size=”27px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Most people spend a fair amount of time scrolling through social media each day. While you\u2019re doing this, pay attention to the topics people talk about. Look at the articles and memes they share. What is the subject matter?<\/p>\n Chances are if your friends are interested in something, so are your customers.<\/p>\n Scrolling through social media doesn\u2019t have to be a mindless time-suck. It can be a means of gathering intel for your designs. So the next time you find yourself on social media, as you browse, ask yourself, \u201cCould that post, article, image, or meme be turned into a winning product design?\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ header_2_text_color=”#3a3a3a” header_2_font_size=”27px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n This strategy doesn\u2019t help you to actually come up with new design ideas. But it can help you to better remember your ideas whenever you get inspired.<\/p>\n Inspiration can strike at any moment \u2014 when you\u2019re taking a walk, washing the dishes, standing in the checkout line at the grocery store. So you want to be ready. And carrying a notebook around with you is helpful because it gives you the opportunity to quickly jot down your design ideas before you forget what they were.<\/p>\n If you wait until you\u2019re back home in front of your computer, the idea may have escaped your brain. So to prevent that from happening, I recommend carrying a pen and small notebook around with you (or using a note-taking app on your phone) so you can record all of your ideas in real-time.<\/p>\n You can also take a screenshot if it\u2019s something you see on your computer, or a photo with your phone\u2019s camera, if that\u2019s easier and makes sense in the moment.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ header_2_text_color=”#3a3a3a” header_2_font_size=”27px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.9″ text_text_color=”#3a3a3a” text_font_size=”17px” hover_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n SpotNiches is a super useful tool that\u2019s helped me make A LOT of sales.<\/p>\n SpotNiches provides you with specific phrases that people are searching for and it tells you the number of search results that each phrase has on Amazon, Etsy, and eBay.<\/p>\n SpotNiches also lets you sort by \u201copportunity\u201d so you can discover the niches with the most searches and the fewest number of product results, meaning niches with high sales potential and low competition.<\/p>\n This way, you can cater your new design ideas to these untapped, under-serviced niches and get more sales.<\/p>\nLook at trending hashtags on social media<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Check the news for headlines and top stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Explore Etsy\u2019s \u201cTrending Now\u201d Section<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Note the content people post the most on social media\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Keep a notebook<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Use\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>SpotNiches<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n