To steal to copy or both?
A lot of time we have argument about who copying who and who steal who. Actually there’s a very thin line in between copy and steal. My understanding on copy is to exactly extract from a existing design; while stealing is to get some part or even a “feel” of a existing design.
Designers stealing each other
It is very clear that there are lots of articles or information about recent web trend. Now, tell me, are those stealing the design and transform it into an articles for all other web designers to steal together?
It is as simple as brain stroming. From one trend to another, by the time you have a bunch of idea on paper, the “trend” would eventually gone and you’ll have an authentic and unique design. I agree to those who say getting inspiration from a design also consider as stealing.
Newbies copy design
Most web designers who copy an existing design is because they are new to the field. They have no place to go for, they don’t know how to make a great design beside taking from somewhere else, which eventually ended up copying the existing design. I too made some copying design previously, but it happen mostly on my own weblog. My weblog is like my experimental subject of WordPress, design and PHP.
Newbies who copy are not necessary a bad thing, but newbies who sell the design is bad bad thing. Copying could be a practice too. In order to polish up your Photoshop or XHTML/CSS skills, copy an existing design from scratch.
We have to be honest, we can’t stop from influenced by the environment and the surrounding. A lot of web designers (my ex-colleagues and friends) likes to sit on the desk and online to get (read: steal) inspiration. After all, when one designing on Photoshop, one will automatically thought about how the great design he seen before potrait.