Top 8 Productivity Tips for Designers

Ever since the start of creative work, be it visual art or poetry, theater or music, creators have relied on some sort of (divine) intervention for inspiration. It is no secret that the Ancient Greek poets have evoked the muses to help them write.

In today’s modern society, not many people call for the muses in the traditional sense, however, all creative workers still strive for inspiration. Inspiration comes in many different forms, shapes, and sizes, and once it strikes, people with a creative drive just cannot hold themselves back - they have to create.

But what happens when you lack any particular inspiration? What do you do when you reach the barrier that you need to overcome? Most creative persons will simply try to push through, and doing so diligently can significantly help. Step in the concept of productivity. While it is (arguably) easy to create when you’re inspired, productivity plummets when you reach the creative wall. In this article, we will try to give you some tips and tricks as to how to deal with this and how to pass through so that you can still be as productive as possible.

#1 Good time management

The most important thing that you can do is to manage your time well. Modern offices are plagued with time sinks such as social media, YouTube, and such, and all these lead down the wormhole of unproductivity. Try to cut the time you spend on non-work-related activities and try to stay as focused as possible on what you’re doing. You can do this by focusing on one task at a time. Don’t try to multitask; rather, pay full attention to each task ahead.

#2 Split the big tasks into smaller ones

While we’re at the point of focusing on each particular task, try not to make them too big or too complicated. The famous strategy of “Divide and Conquer” works here as well. Split the big tasks into smaller ones, and then approach them individually. You can also use some time management tools to help you with this. Some of you may be familiar with the good old-fashioned “To Do” lists. These can greatly improve your productivity if you devote some time to creating a list and then sticking to it.

#3 Take regular breaks

If you create a large number of smaller tasks instead of one gigantic one, as a side-effect, you’ll create natural stops and breaking points in your work schedule. This is another crucial point, take regular breaks. Many studies have shown that fatigue influences productivity in a negative manner, so don’t even try to push it. When you’re tired, your work will appear sloppy and won’t be of high quality. It’s much better to take a break, get some good rest, and continue. These breaks don’t need to be big, of course. A coffee break or just a quick walk up and down the office accompanied by a stretch is enough.

#4 Rest your eyes

Another important thing, especially if you’re using various displays throughout the design process, is to rest your eyes. Your eyes will be so thankful if you just close them every once in a while, for no more than 90 seconds. Simply close your eyes and relax for a little bit and let your tear glands do their job. You’ll, guaranteed, feel refreshed.

#5 Have a quick chat

Sometimes unproductivity comes as a result of a creative block in the sense that you cannot produce anything novel no matter how hard you try. While you’re taking your break, why not have a quick chat with someone? Feel free to speak, share your opinions and struggles. People will listen and sometimes offers some advice that will be enough to get you out of the dark place. Remember that inspiration can come from everywhere, so don’t be afraid to look for it - everywhere. Share your opinions and thoughts and let other people do the same. Be open to suggestions and try different things.

#6 Make yourself comfortable

We’ve already mentioned the importance of focusing on the task ahead of you. However, sometimes the most mundane things can distract you from performing optimally. To prevent this from happening, make yourself comfortable at your workplace. You can do this in a number of ways, but one of the most important pieces of advice here is to clean up. A clean and clutter-free workplace won’t distract you, and you’ll be able to pay due attention to what you’re doing.

#7 Listen to music

Another thing that many designers find useful is listening to music. Once again, you won’t be able to focus on your work if you split your attention to something else too. So, if you decide to play some background music, you may prefer some instrumental music over pop or rock. Lyrics often make you sing along, and singing is quite distracting. The point is to focus, focus, focus, so do everything in your power do it as effectively as possible.

#8 Outsourcing assistance

If you feel like you have too much work and you’re sure that deadlines are approaching faster than they should, then perhaps you’re so good and sought after that you simply can’t finish all of your tasks yourself. Should that be the case, first of all, congratulations! Second, you can maybe try employing someone to take care of lesser things for you. Outsourcing assistance is a valuable piece of advice for the more established designers. You don’t want phone or e-mail to distract you from, well, designing and being the creating individual that has elevated you to the status that you’re in. Let those tasks to someone else, and you’ll witness your productivity skyrocket.

If you’re, however, not in a position to give those tasks to someone else, then put checking your mail on your “To Do” list. The trick here is to always check your mail at the same time each day. Have a fixed schedule, and once again, focus on the task ahead. Are you waiting for that vital confirmation e-mail from a high-value client? If you’ve waited this long, then you can wait until tomorrow morning and check your mail while having your morning coffee.

Summary

As you can see, all these tips revolve around having you focus on a single task ahead. Once you’re rested, comfortable in your seat, and have some nice, quiet background music on, you can start designing. If you approach one task at a time, you’ll be able to finish the project even when your inspiration is suboptimal. Once again, just focus, focus, focus, and it will all be okay.