be obsessed with a books. collect them. research them. because they are your guide to go sideways. especially if you are a designer. you don't need to see how other people solved the same problem you are working on. you don't need to see 200 other logos or uis because they do not let you create something new. instead, open a book about japanese packaging, old maps, or soviet brutalism or whatever crazy beautiful book you have, not because you will find a visual reference there, but because you will find an analogy or connection. when reference shows how other people solved the problem, analogy shows you how something completely different solved it with a similar principle. and this principle gives you a new perspective. if you work on an ai assistant, do not look at other solutions. look at a golf caddie. they know more about the field than you do, they see what you might miss, they can suggest what to use, but they never take a shot. what if your assistant could follow the same logic? bring you to a solution, without giving it to you? or if you work on a dating app, do not study tinder. look at jazz improvisation. they test their compatibility through interaction. maybe your app should give your matches some nice games, idk. i am not saying that collecting references is a bad thing, but it is only half of your development. it trains your eye to see what is good and what is bad. while books open doors for a sideways that you'd never thought about and that trains your brain to see hidden connections in order to develop your creativity. and together they become your taste.