Where do you go to get graphic design inspiration?

Graphic design (print/motion) is my day job, but its fairly standardized and repetitive.

Beyond googling "design inspiration," I was curious where other designers or creators get inspiration or go to discover new ideas.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

I'm no graphic design specialist but I have to create learning materials in the form of books, animation, interactive things and the ever present PowerPoint. If I am not bound by the bonds of branding I tend to look to the media most linked to the work sector or age group I am working with for design inspiration.

So, when I was doing a training session for apprentices that would be working on a festival project I tried to echo the look of some of the websites of UK festivals in the look of the text boxes, layouts and fonts. Enough that it hopefully felt a part of that sector, but not so much that they were able to say, "you ripped off (insert name of festival attended by younger people than me here)". Similarly I looked through a load of trade magazine on airlines for training materials for Heathrow, which I would have never gone for personally and they loved it - tried to use the same design for a media lesson and they thought it looked super out-dated.

It been helpful enough that we now use that idea for our PowerPoint lessons. Get the learners to bring in a couple of magazines or sites that that think look good and show them how easy it is to draw on that for the layout and look of their coursework.

Sorry if this is a bit old hat, as a teacher who just fell into doing this as I couldn't take standing in front of groups of people any more and my employers were supportive enough to continue to employ me, I'm still getting those "I'd have never thought of that" moments. I'd also be interested to hear how others come up with inspiration (as I have been tasked with auditing and updating a heap of old lessons).

Exercising environmental osmosis: being aware and documenting everything around you that stirs interest or stimulation. Besides collecting lots of art and reading material, I make it a priority to spend time outside in the city or elsewhere with headphones on and a camera in hand to document things. I also collect product packaging that appears interesting.

Artist here: Get a sketchbook and draw whatever comes to mind. Draw stuff based on the things you like: TV shows, movies, music, video games, anime (god forbid), or just still life stuff that would make an art student scream and cream. Basically, do something as a hobby or a side project that would take away from how mundane your main occupation can be at times.

If you have a local university with an open campus check out their periodicals/journals section. They will have a ton or art, graphics design, architecture magazine, industrial desgn, commerials design, etc. They will haved stuff you didn't know existed.

To me this seems like it would be the easiest part of the whole deal. I'm constantly inspired by stuff but have no outlet for it.