Copycats
The issue is that real design jobs aren’t about creating something absolutely new - instead, they’re about innovation. The etymology of the word ‘innovation’ means something like “renewing”, or changing an existing thing by adding something new or doing something differently. Not a clean-cut, start-from-scratch scenario - that’s not what innovation is, and that’s why it’s hard.
Innovation, invention, and great design are almost always about applying existing concepts in new ways. Making small changes. Looking at them through fresh eyes.
The iPhone is still a phone. The first car was, technically, still a carriage. It just lacked a horse. most of the parts used in a printing press or a lightbulb had already been invented. They just hadn’t been combined into a unique, cohesive product.
What can you innovate today?
PS: If you liked this, you might also enjoy the Everything is a Remix video series.