In the last week, my husband and I have become professional stagers in the process of putting our house on the market. Ok, not really. We didn’t even really get to do the fun stuff associated with it. We merely packed up half of everything we own, filled in a few nail holes and got rid of a bunch of junk before we accepted an offer from a nice young couple.

In the midst of it all, I’ve been watching a lot of HGTV…getting ideas from the pros. Watching how they redecorate or stage rooms. Its kind of the same thing I do when I’m creating a blog design…putting on the best, first impression I can. Just with paint and a few appropriately placed accessories instead of a banner and coordinating background pattern.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the term, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”? How much do you agree with it? Do you think that its wrong to copy or “borrow” someone else’s ideas in any way? Or do you think its simply “flattering” another person for their good taste?

Personally, my take on the whole idea is that if you want to use someone else’s design idea in some way, you need to be careful. First put yourself in that person’s shoes. Someone took the time to come up with the idea and to copy it outright is not only unethical, but illegal.

When I was in design school, one professor put it this way…if you find a specific design idea you really like (such as a logo, design element, pattern, etc.) recreate it yourself and change it by at least 10%. What determines 10% is obviously up for debate and interpretation, but I think its a good rule of thumb to stick to.

I would be lying if I didn’t say I often scan blogs, websites and magazines looking for ideas and inspiration. A lot of times, just looking at other people’s designs gives me an idea for something totally unrelated. For instance, I’ll see a wall paper pattern in a magazine that fits the theme I’m working on and I’ll use the idea in the banner design. Or interesting color combinations in an ad will inspire me in some way.

The internet has opened Pandora’s box in terms of “blog” lifting, copying, or “flattering”…whatever you want to call it. But like everything else in life, if everyone would follow the simple little rule we all learned in kindergarten called the Golden Rule, the world would be a nicer place to be, wouldn’t it? (Sorry, my Pollyanna is showing.)

So what’s your opinion?

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