The 5 Golden Rules for Increasing productivity as a Designer
These are five very useful tips which I use and follow as designer in order to increase productivity while working on a design project.
1. Task Management
Task management is essential to any freelancer breaking weekly tasks in to manageable tasks and then compiling them in to a short to do list, this is great method to ensure all projects and deadlines are met and a great way to also assess if the day was productive by checking if you completed to days tasks on your to-do list.
2. An Minimalistic workspace
This is a great tip which I read in an interview with Andrew Houle from My Ink Blog which is perfect for increasing productivity having a minimalistic workspace. A minimalistic workspace will help you to work more productively because the less cluttered your desk the less cluttered your mind.
3. Staying focused
Staying focused is easier said than done especially if you’re a freelancer working from your home environment, because there are so many distractions which can lead to you neglecting a project. Concentrating on one specific task at a time rather than doing multiple tasks at the same time will minimised your chances of losing focus because all your focus will always be on one specfic task.
4. Close any unrelated programs
During any time I allocate time to work on a specific task i closed anything which is unrelated to that task which I’m currently working on, which means closing tweet deck, signing out of thunder bird and closing Firefox. Closing any program which is unrelated to my current task, so I can work more productively and draw my attention to that specific task.
5. Never Delay tasks or deadlines
This is something which I’m guilty of doing myself very often delaying deadlines and tasks, whenever you set yourself a target or goal try your best in order to meet it instead of delaying it to be done another day because you will keep delaying and it will never get done.
6. Bonuses From the comments – Learn Something New
Every day learn something new, a tutorial or read an article. Just something in order to refresh our brains as designers.
Why not leave a comment ?
If you enjoyed the article it would be really appreciated if you could spare some time to leave a comment to share your thoughts on the article.
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- Why As a freelancer you should use twitter
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March 18th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
@Jeanette Ye that’s something which i do which actually helps me mange my emails a bit more efficiently.
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:26 am
Tip 7: Stop reading Creative Nerds lol
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:08 pm
good article, 5 tips, better than the usual 50.
March 18th, 2010 at 7:46 am
Well done, great article.
as a webdesigner for over than 7 years in the israeli market.
you absoultly right, just that i think there is one more golden rule that i submit to myself couple of years ago and that was -
Every day learn something new, an tutroail or an article. just refreshing our brain as designers.
March 18th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Cool! Should try minimalistic workspace and closing extra applications. Guess it could add some points to my productivity.
March 18th, 2010 at 9:12 am
@LukeSF – Ye that always works for me closing any applications i don’t really need. thanks for the comments guys.
March 18th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Really good post. Thanks
March 18th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Awesome article. I really inspired. I will ask our designers to follow these tips. Thanks for sharing this nice post.
March 18th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
This is very much the Golden Rules, you need to try and remain focused while working, especially if its from home.
March 18th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Very nice post, gonna work more on cleaning up workspace.
About applications, I understand fully what that means but I’m desperately looking for “group start” application, dunno how to explain.
Ok you have startup folder in Win for example, and you set 5-10 applications that you want to be started once you start computer. No I don’t want most of those stuff to start when I start computer but I want to have 2 groups of applications. “Work” and “Social” and I want them to activate based on what I do.
I can do that with different users on computer tho, with different programs in startup folder. But I would love to be able to close them all when I’m done or I’m switching role.
March 18th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
@Alan – I completely agree with you.
@ivan – i don’t think I’ve come across any apps similar to that but sounds like a great idea.
March 18th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Nice post.
I have to say – I have been guilty of leaving TweetDeck open when working and getting needlessly distracted when being quite productive and finding it difficult to regain concentration again.
March 18th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
@Andrew Cairns – Ye tweet deck is my biggest distraction i just have to close it otherwise i wont get any work done. thanks for the comment
March 18th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Informative. I can point at least, uhm, three points that I’m guilty of, hehe (which prolly needs changing). I’ll try out these tips. Thanks!
March 18th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
@Tere – Next time you need to get some work done try some of the tips.
March 18th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Great Tips! Thank you.
A tip this helps me is to empty my email inbox daily. I set up folders for each day of the week to address future tasks.
March 18th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Thanks for sharing these tips. I know I have to work on number 3 – Staying Focused.
March 18th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Great ideas…I find I have the hardest time with planning tasks and not putting things off….always trying to get better though. THX!
March 18th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
This article is spot on.
Appreciate your efforts in putting this together.
March 18th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
A Zen workspace is my best friend! It settles the energy and definitely makes my day more productive. Too bad I only remember to ‘clear my desk’ when I’m feeling overwhelmed and freaked out
Hmmm…something to put on my To-Do list.
March 18th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Well article
March 18th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Good article & too short. I’ve been a solo-preneur for 10 years and the first rule for me was to STOP thinking like a freelancer and start thinking like a business owner, immediately.
March 18th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I have a huge desk that is covered with drawings, containers of screenprinting ink, book binding materials, action figures and much more… and I have had the pure minimalistic space also.
Personally, I prefer the “inspirational” desk setup.
To each his own I guess.
March 18th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Unless you’re actively waiting for a specific email, do your most important task of the morning before checking your email. I find it helps me generate momentum for the entire day and it makes it easier for me to return to working once I’m done with email jail.
March 19th, 2010 at 4:35 am
Amazing article. Simple, objective and successful.
March 19th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Well written article!
March 19th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Excellent, thanks! May I suggest the technique I have been working on lately: focusing on only ONE task at a time. I often find my mind wandering off to other items on my list, when I should be focusing on the thing that I’m currently working on. A minimalist desk space, which you mentioned, definitely helps with this. So does closing documents that you are not currently working on. Also helpful is an ordered to-do list, rather than a scattered one.
March 20th, 2010 at 8:04 am
deadline is a evil.
March 21st, 2010 at 9:13 am
very very VERY helpful tips for new designers like me. thank you for sharing!
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:15 am
The minimalist desk and closing any unrelated programs are the things I need to work on the most, my Twitter Sidebar is just killing me.
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Great tips for any project, not just designing!
March 24th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
I loved the tips you gave! I will try to be conscious of the when I am working.
March 25th, 2010 at 7:15 am
i may add to your golden rules an extention to a clean work space..and it should be keep clean and sorted your computer .. is my case i get disracted for ever chance i got to open extra apps that distract me from my job… so i took the time and sorted everything.. left only work icons on my desktop and sorted my start menu (on windows)into just 3 folders..Graphic applications, music applications and games..as i don’t use social networks more than to play.. i added any application related to game folder. that was i focus mu production on one folder and leave a bit far the temptation to get distracted..now mus clean y desktop and dont delay XD.. thand timothy for the article..i’ll add those rules on some place of my mind.. meanwhile i note’em on a post it and stick it on my screen
March 26th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Really good post. Anyway, I’ve got big problems with the tip #4….
March 26th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Great advice!
I’ll have to work on #5 lol
March 26th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
great article… it’s stuff we know, but it helps to have it all together in a to-do list, coz otherwise I don’t follow it… especially #4!!!
March 27th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Hello,
Yes I knowww…
; )
But do thanks for this short list!
Stick this on A4 on my empty wall..
with Tip 7: Read this list every hour…
@joann, thats a good one!
Do your paint as a artist.
Do your papers as a business man/woman.
March 28th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Joann Sondy is right!!
Less freelancer, more business owner mentality.
March 30th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Task management and the minimalistic workspace really did a number for me. I was surprised at how reducing the clutter in my workspace reduced stress and creative blocks.
April 4th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Adoreiiiiiiiiiii! huahuahua! Vou tentar levar as regras pro meu dia a dia… Obrigada! Close any unrelated programs is a great idea! Thank u!!!
April 4th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Good advices!
I heard them all before, but I’m still way too good at ignoring them. Thanks for reminding me again! I especially should listen to advice 4. Close any unrelated programs. And to the minimalistic-workspace one. And the one about staying focused…
Damn, I really needed to hear those advices again! ^-^
April 5th, 2010 at 3:52 am
really nice message…
I should read this everyday so I can stay focus on my web design….^-^
April 6th, 2010 at 3:22 am
I have most of these bad habits. Now I can realize why my productivity was low.
Great tips! Thank you very much. I am going to start from today onwards.
April 6th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Typo at “A’n’ Minimalistic”
May 2nd, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Really Cool! The Steps: Staying focused, Close any unrelated programs and Never Delay tasks or deadlines, it’s the biggest true i have heard.
May 6th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
this was really informative. Than mate
June 21st, 2010 at 8:17 am
My goal ! some new gadget, vacation, etc , gives me motivation throughout the day, and maybe that’s also an addition to the factors of creativity in my life.
July 29th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
A great and well thought out article. Particularly the part about never delaying task is good. Procrastination is the worst enemy of many a designer!