How a designer can work faster and more efficiently. Speeding up work

During advertising budget cuts, work efficiency in design studios and agencies is put at the forefront. In this article I have collected tips that I talk about in my trainings and webinars for designers and managers. Some of these tips may be familiar to you, but it's a good idea to refresh your memory. If you are interested in learning more about this, write to skillsupru dog gmail.com

There is an opinion that there is one way to increase the effectiveness of a designer: work more and be less distracted. But this article is not about that. And about how to get more done and get the job done faster.

I have divided all the tools in this article into three parts. In order to work effectively, you need to: get in the mood for work, set up an effective work process and skillfully use work tools.

Part 1. Get ready for work

1.1. Set your priorities.

In today's world, you never have enough time to get everything done. Therefore, it is very important to learn to choose what to take on and what can be put off. There is a Pareto principle, according to which only 20% of things bring 80% of the benefits. This means that on a list of 10 things to do, you can leave at least 8 for later.

To understand what tasks need to be taken on, we can divide all tasks into 4 groups: A1 - urgent and important, A - important, but not urgent, B - urgent but not important, C - unimportant and not urgent. You must determine the importance for yourself, based on which things, if done, can bring you maximum benefit in the long run, and which, if postponed, will not have a negative impact.

Preparing the report that was asked to be done last month is important, but not urgent (A). Answering a call from an old friend who wants advice is urgent, but not that important (B).

1.2. Stop being disgusted and eat a frog!

In the book “Abandon Disgust, Eat a Frog,” Brian Tracy suggests imagining all things as nasty frogs that we have to eat. And the more important and complex the matter, the nastier this frog.

So, if you have to eat several frogs, then in order to deal with them as quickly as possible, you should start with the largest and nastiest one. Those. First of all, you need to take on the most important and difficult matter.

If this task is so big that you cannot complete it at once, then you need to break it into parts and do at least part of this important task every day.

1.3.Make to-do lists

So that you always know what task you need to take on at the moment, make lists of current and completed tasks. After you have made a list of your tasks, rewrite this list so that the important things (A1, A) are at the beginning. And don’t start doing things in categories B and C until you have at least one A left to do. Check the list throughout the day. Remember that 10 minutes spent on planning saves you an hour and a half of working time.

1.4.Keep track of the time

But it’s not enough to make a list; you have to constantly check whether you’re doing what you’re doing. Choose convenient time intervals for yourself and set an alarm. These can be intervals of 20 minutes, 45+15 minutes, etc. At the end of this interval, ask yourself: “Was I busy? What problem was I working on? If you understand that you are now doing a task that is not on the important to-do list, then you need to switch to the important one.

1.5.Motivation must be within

To be effective at work, you must love your job. Moreover, neither your boss nor your colleagues should be your motivators. You yourself must be your own motivator; come up with a “carrot” that will motivate you. Praise yourself for any achievement. They did a good job - excellent. They arrived on time - well done.

1.6. Immerse yourself in the world of design

Surround yourself with information about your specialty. Don't watch the evening news, subscribe to news from communities in your specialty. Read books, magazines and websites related to your specialty. Watch webinars. Take professional courses. Connect with colleagues in person or in communities.

Attend industry exhibitions and conferences or watch their video broadcasts. And always look for something new.

Part 2. Set up your workflow

After we get ready to work, we need to set up the work process so that it helps you be effective.

2.1. Don't waste time searching for files.

Most of the time we work with files. And we often spend much more time searching for files than is required. In order not to waste time searching for files, you need to use three basic principles for storing files:

You can always tell by the file name what's inside,

all files must be located uniquely,

Files and folders that you don't need shouldn't distract your attention.

So, so that you can always understand what is in a file without opening it, make it a rule to write the correct file names. Most often, names like untitled appear not because of lack of time, but because we do not know what name to give the file. Therefore, it is worth developing a system that will allow you not to think about what to name your files. For example, at the beginning of the file, always write what type of layout it is (leaflet, booklet, poster, etc.) or write which customer it relates to, unless you have several customers.

The second important rule is to forget about two words in the name: final and new. Because as soon as new edits arrive from the customer, final will no longer be final. And you won’t have time to rename all previous files.

To navigate through folders, create a specific numbering for projects so that the numbering is not duplicated. For example, this could be a unique project number, or the order receipt date in the YYYY-MM-DD format. So all new projects will be at the bottom of the list, and old ones at the top. If there are too many projects in a folder, you can always send old folders to the archive.

“But I can always sort folders or files by last modified date,” some readers will say. Yes it is. Only the date of the last change may not mean the version of the project at all, but the fact that you opened an old file, looked at it and closed it, automatically clicking the “Save before closing” button. Therefore, the names of files and folders should always have numbering, which will allow you to quickly determine who is last.

2.2. Don't waste time searching for emails

The story with mail is exactly the same as with files. If you only have one inbox with more than 100 emails in it, it's time to optimize your email experience. Just for fun, try to time the time it takes you to find a letter of approval from a customer two months ago.

Firstly, you should use the Inbox folder only and ONLY for letters that are currently in progress (waiting for your response or for which you are waiting for a response). Everything else should not interfere with your work; create separate folders for these letters and move them there.

Secondly, use marks (stars, flags, etc.) to highlight emails that require a response from you and those for which you are waiting for a response.

Third, use rules, filters, priorities, and other features that allow you to automate the sorting and tagging of emails.

2.3. Learn to create ideas regardless of inspiration

The quality of your work should not suffer from a lack of inspiration or insight. Master tools for creating ideas, such as: mind maps, brainstorming, etc. Hone your technique so that the result does not deteriorate due to lack of inspiration.

2.4. Always keep ready-made options in reserve

There are situations when a designer needs to save the world: make a layout in an hour so that it looks like it took weeks to work on. For such cases, keep previously unaccepted options for other clients in a separate folder. Collect typical solutions on behance, pinterest, dribbble or thumblr that you like and that you can repeat. Create templates to work with and lists of your standard “original” ideas. When you really need templates, use Freebies: freebiesbug.com, pixeden.com, freebiesgallery.com, psddd.co,

Part 3. Use work tools skillfully

Now let's talk about tools that will help us work more efficiently.

3.1. Create layouts so that they can be easily redesigned

Should I replace one with the other? Use smart objects in Photoshop and symbols instead of groups in Adobe Illustrator.

You need to play with colors - create a palette of global colors (swatches) in Illustrator. If you change a color in one place, the colors change throughout the entire layout. In Photoshop, use custom layers, Gradient Maps, custom Solid Color layers, and vector objects. Or layer effects that can be copied and pasted for other layers.

Need to play with fonts? Use Character Styles and Paragraph Styles for texts. This way, the layouts will be more accurate, and you can change the size or style very quickly. True, in Photoshop these functions do not yet work correctly and only smart objects are suitable here.

3.2. Keep your layout tidy from the start

We group layers into folders as soon as we understand that they need to be moved together. We label the folders as soon as we group the layers into a folder. We label the layers as soon as we find the desired unlabeled layer. We remove empty layers as soon as we see that we have an empty layer.

3.3. Customize the desktop on your computer

Customize the program's workspace so that it helps you in your work. Put the palettes you use in a visible place, and hide those that are rarely used.

3.4. Two monitors - double speed

If you have the opportunity, connect a second monitor to your computer. This will allow you to organize your workspace so that you don’t have to switch between windows, which saves a lot of time.

Set up one monitor for a working document, and the second for mail, instant messengers, task viewing, additional tools, etc.

3.5. Use hotkeys

Customize your keyboard shortcuts to make your work easier. Train yourself to use hotkeys.

3.6. Use cheat sheets

If you can't remember hotkeys, paper sizes, etc. Feel free to print out cheat sheets for yourself. Keep them in front of you until you memorize them. And in the working layout, customize the guides and modular grids so that they help determine the center and main parts of the document (thirds, quarters, etc.). This will also help save you time.

3.7. Automate the process

Train yourself to use Actions if you do one action more than 5 times. Set up batch processing where possible.

3.8. Create a comfortable workplace for yourself

Your workplace is the same tool. And how convenient it will be for you to work depends on it. Here are some simple rules for organizing your workplace. The table should be located comfortably in the room. There shouldn't be many distractions in front of you. There should be no passage behind you. The monitor, keyboard, tablet and mouse should be placed in such a way that it is easy to work with them: there is no need to reach or bend over. If a lot of things accumulate on the table, organize a separate tray, cup, drawer or box for them. If you don't use them for more than 2 months, then you don't need them. A good “Clean desk” rule: when leaving work, your desk should be clean, and everything that is left on it should be thrown into the trash.

And, most importantly, love your job!

Of course, one article cannot talk about all the tools and subtleties of increasing work efficiency. More than one book has been written about this, and if you have read this far, you will definitely find them on the Internet and read or sign up for seminars on this topic. But most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy your work.

If your design department needs help or advice on organizing the process, write to me in a personal message

Designer and programmer are perceived as opposite professions. Designers are usually thought of as impressionable creatures, and programmers are often thought of as cold, logical people. I was a software developer in the past and then retrained as a product designer. Therefore, I can say that two opposites are able to work together effectively. With a little understanding of each other's work, a designer and developer can greatly improve their workplace coexistence. Below you will find five general principles of collaboration for designers, and five more for developers.

5 “rules” for designers

Avoid custom styles

Many front-end developers use styling libraries or CSS frameworks when creating applications. Typically, these libraries contain simple styles: predefined fields, colors and other classes that developers use to speed up and organize their work. Here's what this means: If you suddenly decide to add a new field, font size, or some detail, the developer will have to write CSS code from scratch to bypass the base styles. Sometimes this is necessary, but it quickly becomes boring and makes the developer’s work tedious and burdensome. Save custom styles for special occasions or when they are absolutely necessary. In addition, creating a design based on a framework means simplifying many decisions - and, most often, this is a big plus.

Get developers involved as early as possible

Let's be honest: usually developers are not given a say in product decisions unless they are working on a very young startup or if the developer is not a technical director. The product vision is often determined by directors, product managers, or, in extreme cases, product designers. But even if the developers don't actually contribute much new, you can make them think that they do. Invite the developer to a meeting with product managers. Also, schedule a design discussion with the developers and go through the options together. Explain to them why you made the decisions you did and ask the developers what they thought. If developers feel like they have influenced the design process, they will be more careful in bringing that design to life.

Listen to the opinions* of developers

Believe it or not, developers are often pretty good designers. Especially when it comes to UX: I've worked with many developers who have good taste in design. Such developers want to be heard, and their comments are relevant and very valuable. Listen when developers you trust give you advice. Better yet, show that you are listening; take a notepad and write down their ideas. You don't have to end up using all of these ideas, but some of the suggestions just have to stay - this will show the developers due respect.

* Of course, not all design comments from developers are good. Take them with a grain of salt and without prejudice - everyone wants to be heard. And you will have the opportunity to learn something new

Learn basic HTML/CSS/JS

The best designer I worked with when I was a software developer at SalesforceIQ sat down with me, went straight to the web inspector, and prototyped right in the console using HTML or CSS. It's very encouraging when designers understand the technology and work within the constraints. Of course, you don't need to have a full set of front-end skills to be a good product designer. But even the most basic skills will make a big difference. Earn the respect of your closest colleagues, learn a little code.

Collect all the minor edits

“Flow” is the state in which developers are most productive, “on the ball.” They need long stretches of time, without interruption, to get into “flow.” Therefore, it is better to schedule discussions at the beginning or end of the day, and stop constantly tearing the developer away from the process, because this poisons his very existence. Yes, that means your unexpected idea to make the blue buttons darker will have to wait. The design process is cyclical, and there will always be changes. Let the small changes accumulate and only then take them to the developer. Set yourself a threshold of 5 small edits, and take them to a colleague only when they accumulate. There is no greater pain for a developer than constant interruptions from Flow just to change the color of a button. 7 times

“Being friends with a developer can really be a lot of fun! If, instead of arguing about “how it can and cannot be done” in a specific place, you ask: “I need to achieve this effect here, what can you suggest?”, you can hear quite reasonable and suitable options :) The main thing is to be able to set the vector and explain it in the most logical way! As for the first piece of advice, I can’t agree! Truly unique and memorable products are impossible without custom solutions; another matter is that these solutions must be subject to a coherent system. If there is a hierarchy of styles and blocks of similar functionality are designed identically, then any good developer can implement the design.”

Elena Kudaeva, senior designer at digital agency Red Collar

5 “rules” for developers

As a developer, it's very easy to jump straight to code. But we must remember that with great power comes great responsibility. Look at the big picture to understand the purpose of the overall product or element you're working on.

Dive into the use case

Talk to the product manager and the designer to understand the purpose of a particular item and why the designer created it that way. Without this information, you'll just be moving pixels around the screen, but with it, you can imagine all the use cases and edge cases in your implementation, and also take your code to the next level.

UX first, the rest later

In a changing climate, design continually goes through the same cycles based on user testing and feedback. The blue button with 5 pixel rounded corners and the box shadow that you painstakingly added just yesterday have today become a green button with a flat design and sharp corners. Atas. But don't get upset, just accept it as a given, as part of the development process. First, create the UX path, functionality, and sketch out the overall design scheme. You might feel a little sad, but don’t lick every pixel just yet. After all the tests and final approval of the design, you can begin to gradually introduce visual elements into the code.

Object (and move your ideas forward)

Sometimes designers ask to make some special element that changes colors and jumps every couple of minutes. Don't listen. Design is a two-way interaction. Don't be afraid to object and express your opinion about limitations and technical aspects of the issue. Even the best designer doesn't have your technical acumen or understanding of processes. But a simple objection and the phrase “It won’t work that way” are not enough; offer your options. Try this: “It will be very expensive to do this, let’s try...”. Don't forget that thanks to modern tools, most things can be brought to life, but this does not mean that you need to do everything that is technically possible. The engineer's job is to help the designer come to the best and most profitable solution to the problem.

Talk to designers often

Communication turned out to be the main topic of this article. You bring the design to life, so the progress of the work must be constantly checked with the author, that is, with the designer. They love to see the work come to life, so everyone benefits from it. Checking progress with the designer will help you know that everything is going according to plan and there are no unexpected surprises around the corner. This is also a great opportunity to ask the designer any questions about processes or future tasks.

Fill in the blanks**

When bringing a design to life, gaps are found and you need to use your common sense to fill them. The design you recreate will not be identical to the one you were given at the beginning of the work, it was just a starting point. There will be times when you feel like the margins on this screen should be wider, but in reality this spot of color looks completely out of place on the page. Don't run to the designer with every question. Put on your designer robe and go ahead and make small decisions yourself. You have all the abilities for this.

**Just don't go crazy, discuss big decisions with the designer. Use common sense :)

“This article is a bit strange, it makes the designer a god and the developer a subordinate. At Red Collar, the work of a front-end developer is structured a little differently, we do not use any frameworks for styles, initially there are no templates, everything is written from scratch, since each new project does not repeat the previous one. In our company, close communication between the designer and the developer is an integral process of creating a website, since the developer himself is a motion designer, and many visual effects are created jointly with the designer, as well as the creative director.”

Front-end developer of the digital agency Red Collar, Vladimir Lukashov

OK it's all over Now! 5 tips I've put together for both designers and developers to help improve their workflows. All of this advice is highly subjective and based on my past experience as a software engineer and my current experience as a product designer. Let me know how much you agree (or disagree) with my opinion in the comments.

Some of the best designers in the world, and even those designers you work with or simply collaborate with, they all have something in common: many of them know how to work at lightning speed. And the work is still top notch.

While some of this speed at work comes with experience, some comes from solid work skills and excellent time management. Fast and efficient work can be useful in that it will help build good relationships with your superiors, and if you are a freelancer, it will help you quickly cope with tasks, and as a result can lead to an increase in the number of projects and, accordingly, an increase in your earnings.

So how can you work faster without sacrificing quality?

Here are seven tips you can start using today.

1. CREATE SHORTCODES AND STYLES

No matter what software or tools you prefer, a set of core libraries, styles and presets will make your life much easier. This doesn't mean you have to use the exact specification for every project, but it will give you a starting point so you can switch fonts, colors, or layouts with a click later on.

One of the first things you can do is set up a set of universal keyboard shortcuts or shortcuts for all the programs you usually use. No designers like the duplicate feature, but every piece of software uses a different key combination, so they always create their own cmd +d so the command is universal and not glitchy.

Take it a step further and create basic styles for common parts of text - body text, headings, subheadings, titles, quotes - and keyboard shortcuts for them. Later, when you need to change the font, size or color, the style will be universal. This can make your work in Adobe products much easier, and can greatly speed up the prototyping process before the first line of code is written.

2. ORGANIZATION AND CONSISTENCY

There is no right or wrong way to organize your files for work. That's not what we're talking about here. However, it is important to have a consistent system for how you do this.

If you organize your files the same way every time, using folders, layers, or labels, then you'll always know where to look for the elements and items you need when you have to iterate when creating a design. By the way, if you are not working alone, then other members of your team will also appreciate this consistency, because it will make it easier for them to use your files, as well as understand the system for filing them.

This applies both to how you organize objects and information in files and to how you create and use folders outside of a project.

3. CREATE A FONT LIST

For projects that don't have specific typographic specifications, it can be a great option to have a small list of ready-made fonts that you can use in your projects. It's a good idea to have a few versatile serif fonts and a few sans serif fonts in your arsenal, as well as one or two options for innovative or script fonts for specific uses.

You won't always use the fonts on this list, but it will help you move faster as you sketch out your future design. Plus, it will help provide a starting point for font combinations that you can actually show the client almost immediately, thereby getting an idea of ​​how they react to certain typography styles.

Bonus tip: This concept works great for color palettes.

4. HOW TO USE THE RIGHT TOOLS

Using the right tools for the job can make all the difference and prevent a lot of rework in the future. Think about how many times you've come across a logo in raster format when the right tool is vector software like Adobe Illustrator.

This applies to all types of design work, both online projects and printed materials. As a general rule, anything that is part of a branding scheme or may need to be used multiple times (logos, symbols, iconography) should be designed and developed in vector format. You can also scale them or save other file types, but you can't go from a gif to a scalable image. Objects that you will only use once can be created using small raster formats or CSS tools.

Remember, no matter what file format you need for the final version, save everything in the original format for easier access later. Original files are much easier to edit and customize.

5. USE READY-MADE INGREDIENTS

You don't have to create everything from scratch to be a good designer. Particularly when it comes to web projects, use existing kits and tools to speed up your workflow. Most buttons aren't all that different, so you can start by using a set that includes buttons, icons, or other UI elements. This will save you a lot of time.

If you plan to use some pre-made parts of various sets, invest in a high-quality option that you can easily edit and customize. A set of buttons will do you absolutely no good if the colors or fonts can't be changed. While you're on the hunt for good UI kits that will help you get your work done faster, it's a good idea to grab a couple of good mockups. Clients love to see their projects presented in this manner.

6. GET RID OF THE MESS

A clean workspace makes a designer happy. Decluttering occurs in two steps when it comes to your digital space:

Keep files and folders clean and free of old versions or materials that will no longer be used. Project files and folders should contain only useful materials. If you want to store older versions, allocate a specific place for these items.

Clear your computer of distractions so you can work without checking email or Facebook or surfing online stores. Admit it, this happens to everyone from time to time. When the project gets tight, or even when you're just "feeling it," turn off everything on your computer that's unnecessary, especially those annoying notifications, so you can focus on your work. You'll finish faster and then have peace of mind to devote time to all those non-work activities.

7. START WITH BLACK AND WHITE

Every good website starts with a solid wireframe. This mantra can be applied to the design of any element. If you start with a sketch on paper or screen, a black and white outline can be the first step to creating something with tons of practical use.

As the basis of a logo design, the black and white concept is something that will have to be included in most projects sooner or later. You may have to use the design in a single color print or all white above the main hero title image.

You'll end up wasting a lot of effort if your design doesn't work this way. An effective process starts with black and white and then adds color and detail once the black and white concept is complete.

CONCLUSION

Ready to get faster? Start at the top of this list and work through the tips until you begin to realize that you are spending less and less time on certain project tasks. The main key to this. To work quickly and still remain a good specialist is concentration. There are so many distractions that take us away from good processes and ways of working, so it's never too late to go back to the basics to become familiar with good workflows.

And good luck. Becoming a faster designer will require time and patience. Give yourself some room to grow.

Why improve your workflow?

It doesn't make the slightest sense. It’s better to always do everything on the last day and hour, right up to the end of the deadline. Without sarcasm, it turns out that very few people in the field think about the constant lack of time. Although even minor improvements in the daily routine help make the day richer and more productive.

Morning is the time for great things

Some people wake up earlier, some later. However, it is important that the body copes with tasks more effectively in the first few hours after waking up than when it is already extremely tired.

To avoid procrastination, it is best to leave the most difficult tasks for the morning. Start with those that are more interesting to you. Thus forming something like a “warm-up” for the brain. And move on to higher priorities.

If the most pressing and difficult tasks are left for the “stale” mind, most likely the work will go “around the bush”. And in a large amount of time, a minimum amount of problems will be solved. Or the question will be transferred to the “almighty tomorrow.”

Productivity - zebra

It is absolutely normal that one day we are full of strength and move mountains, and the next we have difficulty coping with even a small amount of work. In this case, nothing more than the approach described above can save you: work first on the most interesting tasks, and then on all the others. After all, there is often a project that you like better and it doesn’t “burn.” And the other is urgent, causing slight disgust.

Planning as soil for experimentation

If there is a desire and need to do more, it is important to plan. This way you can clearly see the full scope of tasks. Structure and break tasks into smaller parts to make them easier to deal with. Set reminders for tasks and meetings. In addition, adequate timing in the planning process is important. It is better to overestimate them and complete the task earlier. How to “fail” and lose the customer’s trust.

Changing the type of activity - an ideal vacation

There will be no work if you don’t switch yourself from one project to another. A fun journey of trial and error has shown that focusing on one task and being riveted to it sometimes has a positive effect on its completion. However, it often happens that over time a person “burns out” and cannot concentrate on it for a variety of reasons. A lot of time was spent on this alone. Initially, the work went fine for the first n hours. Then, because of its monotony, it only causes dissatisfaction, irritation and reluctance to work on it at all.

It’s great that there are extremely rare cases when we have the opportunity to work on just one project. After all, switching from one task to another is priceless. It gives us intimate diversity in the process of work.

Do you have to love the first layout/idea/concept?

Harmful. And it's useless.

The more ideas are generated, the greater the chance of achieving a high-quality final result.

A common mistake is idealization and deepening into perfectionism over the very first idea. Which then becomes overgrown with details and hours of work, turning into a finished model, which never becomes close to perfection. A designer falls in love with a big idea. And he’s ready to kill in cold blood for her. True, if you make a couple more options, it usually becomes clear that it was far from ideal. And it’s good that they abandoned it.

By the way, it’s worth remembering that early feedback helps you stop loving the first layout. Your own eyes and those of your colleagues - good. And looking from the outside is even better. We receive criticism earlier, analyze mistakes, and improve. In addition, calmness is important. After all, constructive criticism makes us stronger.

Are tools important?

Yes. After all, the brain is not able to retain all the information. Lifesaving tools: Google Calendar, Any.do, Pocket, Evernote, plus some kind of planner for team work.

What takes a lot of time?

According to statistics, in the work process a person can spend 1/4, 1/3 and up to half of his working time on email. And in this case, we are talking only about work correspondence. But there are also unnecessary mailings, social service notifications and other spam. Obviously, 5 minutes spent per day = 30 hours per year.

For starters, it would be nice to unsubscribe from all mailings, set up anti-spam filters and save a lot of time for yourself in the future. In addition, periodically analyze what you spend your time on throughout the week. And give up unnecessary things.

Reserve

There's nothing better for saving time than using a keyboard shortcut to save your current progress. And cloud services to store backups.

The loss of precious files that you have been working on for a long time has affected more than one hundred kind designer souls. It’s worth making good friends with DropBox, Google Drive and similar tools to save your work.

What is all this for?

People cannot live without rest. Loading your weekends once or twice a month with work projects is par for the course. Several months in a row without days off means sudden death.

It’s an interesting practice to leave at least a couple of days a month for complete or at least partial isolation from mail and work issues. The perfect reboot for the brain.

Theoretically, labor made a man out of a monkey. So let it be our pleasure. And there will be enough time for both work and leisure.