Productivity Tools and Tips for Designers

Productivity Tools and Tips for Designers 

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• Structure your day: Plan and structure your day in order of priority and importance to help ensure you’re on-track. Set specific times for particular tasks and do your best to stay within that window. 

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• Use blocks of time: Designers often have creative projects and tasks that require focused blocks of time for the best outcomes. Schedule yourself for a specific amount of time (60-90 minutes) to spend on one particular task before switching to another, as it can help to maintain focus. 

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• Focus on one task: Aim to focus on one task at a time. Multi-tasking can often lead to feeling overwhelmed and unfocused, leading to distracting yourself with other tasks that are not important. That can eventually lead to missed deadlines. 

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• Set realistic goals: When starting out any big project. It’s important to set realistic goals for yourself in order to keep up your motivation and productivity. Each goal should be achievable within a specific time frame as having smaller goals gives more momentum as well as keeps a sense of accomplishment instead of feeling overwhelmed with it all. 

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• Take breaks: Working productively does not by any means mean having to stay glued to your screens for extended periods of time. Scheduling breaks for yourself are important for your mental and physical health, allowing yourself to recharge, rest, and give your mind and body the rest it needs. 

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• Minimise distractions: Make sure to remove any potential distractions which may hinder your workflow. Whether that includes turning off notifications on your phone, closing tabs on your computer, or avoiding social media, limiting distractions can help tremendously with your efficiency. 

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• Find inspiration: Find your own workflow and discover what practices work best for you. Brainstorm before starting any project, find what pieces add to the project, incorporate research, and find out what tactics are needed to produce the highest quality of work. 

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• Outsource: One of the most important tips for designers is to know their weaknesses and when to outsource them. This could mean delegation particular tasks out to someone else to make sure tasks are completed in the highest quality and within the deadline.