1. I take the project to a friend and talk through where I'm at. Often having to articulate the problem jars loose a solid or obvious idea I was having a hard time seeing. Or, their perspective gives me a fresh idea or perspective of my own. I find that sometimes this works best when the other person isn't a designer.

2. Caffeine.

3. Change the music I'm listening to.

4. Go and read about a successful design project in a book/mag/website. Sometimes I'm not suffering from creative block, but creative fatigue and it helps to see a successful process and get excited and on track again.

5. Stop. Look at what I'm doing. Do it completely differently. This includes things like what I'm looking at, computer vs. hand drawing, type vs. image, the application I'm in, being specific vs. being general, medium vs. message.

Hope that helps. I just used #1 this weekend to much success.

a) try to define the design problem that you have to solve and your personal approach to it b) take a hot bath or a cold shower (depending on what kind of person you are) c) walk at least for 45 minutes (best without seeing any person) d) start with something (you know the final result will look totally different anyway)

Travel.

hhp