The Word It Book Speak Up Presents a Gallery of Interpreted Words by Bryony Gomez-Palacio

The assignment: Graphically interpret a single word.

The rule: Do it in a five-inch by five-inch square.

The results: A visual smorgasbord of inspiration.

A dynamic exercise in creativity, The Word It Book works on three levels: as a collection of stimulating challenges, a compendium of contemporary design, and a look behind the creative process of successful designers.

Each month Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit, founders of the design blog Speak Up, put forth a different word such as "saturated," "tease," "rebel," "public," "empty," or "pleasure." Designers everywhere are challenged to interpret the word in a single graphic that's witty, observant, wise, serious or humorous. The best of the best are compiled here.

You can use these visual interpretations from top designers to rev up your own creativity, and then try the exercises for yourself. If you're a designer, wordsmith, or simply someone who likes to approach things from a different angle, take a look inside and start to create your own meanings.