Where/How do you get inspiration for your island?

[eko]

Kind of curious what other people's methods are for decorating? Do you have a specific plan beforehand or totally made it up as you go? Do you take inspiration from others and if so, how much?

Personally I went through the entire villagerdb database (it took a while but it was worth it haha) and collected a list of favorite things to use as decoration + the kind of vibe I'm aiming for! Then when it's time to decorate, I just randomly place these items around until I like it. I'm always scared of "copying" someone and I want my island to be unique, so the most inspiration I take from others is "oh I should add that item to my list!" This method does make my island very chaotic and messy but that's the sort of theme I want >:3

 

[Your Local Wild Child]

I voted specific plan but I do a little of both actually.

 

[Chiruka]

I make it up as I go, but, I do always have ideas written down as to what I exactly want to build up & where I want to place it.

It's just a matter as to how it's gonna turn out.

EDIT: Ouu, I also get a ton of inspiration from video games like Zelda or Persona, which allows me to use my imagination. Also Reddit users posting their island designs.

 

[toxapex]

I see ppl do a lot of fancy stuff that I wish I could emulate, but I'm also scared of changing my town too drastically and not liking it, and not having a way to change it back. So I generally just change a little at a time lol. Right now my town still looks mostly the same as when I got the game (I barely played during the summer so I only recently broke out the terrain editing)

But yeah im definitely in the "make it up as I go" crowd, I don't have too much furniture for decoration and I'm not even sure what all of my options are haha

 

[TheSillyPuppy]

I plan (for everything, not just designing my island XD) beforehand, though I also adapt my plan as I implement it.

I have a general idea of what I'd like to do with different parts of my island and maybe what groups of items I'd want to put in each section, but I actually decorate based on trial and error more than anything (I don't have the strong visualization skills). This also helps me get over the anxiety of things not looking as nice as I imagine them to be before I've even placed any items.

 

[JSS]

Make it up as I go but sometimes I get a vision from the AC heavens and then I know what I must do

 

[Serabee]

Specific plan. I mean, I view my island as dynamic (as in, it'll never be "finished" and I'm always going to be changing bits and pieces), but I always plan things out at least partially before I try to implement them. But I don't plan down to "this item will be placed here, exactly four squares from this other item, and two squares from..." I do things like "I'm going to put a cemetery next to the haunted house, I'll see how much space I can use for it while still having space for other things" and "I want to put some log benches by the campsite, where would they look best?" So, I have specific plans as to what sort of spaces I want and where big things (like buildings) go. But when it comes to putting the pieces together (like, all the playground equipment in the planned playground) I sort of just see what works.

Post automatically merged: Aug 1, 2020

I plan (for everything, not just designing my island XD) beforehand, though I also adapt my plan as I implement it.

Yah, I plan almost everything beforehand If I don't, I often get frustrated about my lack of plan, and start over.

I've literally been planning parts of my island since before the game was released. When I was choosing my map I had some areas I KNEW I wanted:
-Shopping area
-Places for four human character houses
-A forest/ more rustic area
-A good museum location

It REALLY saved me headaches since I knew I wanted these things. The map I ended up with was pretty much perfect

 

[KayDee]

When the game came out I looked at other islands not really for inspiration but to see what furniture was available in the game that I could use. I didn’t really have a plan when I designed my island. It was more of having a basic idea of the kind of areas I wanted in my island but the actual building stuff was me just winging it and seeing what worked and didn’t.

 

[Sharksheep]

I kinda plan for it. Like I want to make this area a neighborhood for my villagers and I want it have this sort of theme. I'll try out pieces of furniture and fence combos to see if it looks good before ordering or making a whole bunch. I'm ok with adapting it the area I'm working on is too small or too big.

I'm also in no hurry to finish my island so I take my time with the design. I'm also completely fine with scrapping an design all together if it doesn't look good when I finish.

 

[Serabee]

When the game came out I looked at other islands not really for inspiration but to see what furniture was available in the game that I could use. I didn’t really have a plan when I designed my island. It was more of having a basic idea of the kind of areas I wanted in my island but the actual building stuff was me just winging it and seeing what worked and didn’t.

I was gonna say, when it comes to looking at other islands for inspiration, that's pretty much what I do. I look at what items they use and how they use them, I can't think of any situation so far where I've had an idea for a full area from someone else's island. But there are certain items and combos I've seen that made me so "Ooh! I'm gonna try that!"

Like, I saw someone put a lighthouse on one of the back rocks, and placed a throwback container next to it. When you angle the camera right, it looks like it's some distance away, and paired with tourist telescopes it's really neat... actually, I suppose that area sort of evolved around that trick, so I guess I got inspired to do that by someone else! I had to move my haunted house to do it, but I actually MUCH prefer where I've moved it to then it's original location ☺

 

[TaylaJade]

I make it up as I go along but I WISH I had planned it I’m happy with how it looks atm but I wish it was a bit more cohesive in parts.

 

[KayDee]

I was gonna say, when it comes to looking at other islands for inspiration, that's pretty much what I do. I look at what items they use and how they use them, I can't think of any situation so far where I've had an idea for a full area from someone else's island. But there are certain items and combos I've seen that made me so "Ooh! I'm gonna try that!"

Like, I saw someone put a lighthouse on one of the back rocks, and placed a throwback container next to it. When you angle the camera right, it looks like it's some distance away, and paired with tourist telescopes it's really neat... actually, I suppose that area sort of evolved around that trick, so I guess I got inspired to do that by someone else! I had to move my haunted house to do it, but I actually MUCH prefer where I've moved it to then it's original location ☺

Oh yeah those perspective illusions are pretty cool. Wish I had the space for something like that.

 

[Hedgehugs]

90% make it up as I go but I have a few ideas that I know I'll use when I get to that part of my island.

 

[Lotusblossom]

I had a plan before hand somewhat wqhich has completely evolved as new ideas have come due to realizations that have occured

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

I usually have a rough idea of where I want to go with layout/landscaping/decoration, but I don't seek out inspiration or anything. I just make it up as I go

 

[maria110]

Mine is loosely based on folklore and fantasy books. For the landscaping, I don't do much terraforming or waterscaping, but I have the max number of trees and have arranged them to give the impression of a small town with forested areas around it. I'm trying to recreate the feeling of being a kid in a park or natural area, thinking that magic is possible.

 

[SirSean]

Mines a mixture of my own ideas I come with and stuff I come across while browsing Instagram.

 

[Magnolia_]

I'm the "I make detailed plans and illustrations but I end up winging it" kind of person.

I've used the online island planner website and when I get a new idea I make very basic and bad tbh drawings in the notes app on my phone... But I don't reference them at all when I'm in-game haha. In that sense, I make it up as I go along but I suppose I always have a rough idea of what I want a certain area to look like... Even if I change 90% of that idea along the way

 

[k e r f u f f l e]

I plan everything out mentally beforehand. Then I follow it to a T, and if things don't work, I work around it and keep going until it's perfect. When I have a set vision for my island- that's the way it's going to be no matter what! Plans are plans. lol

 

[Mick]

I have very specific plans, then I start building and decide that I have several better ideas. I never end up with what I intended to make...

I've scrapped several little areas too after starting with a plan and deciding it wasn't worth it.