The Power of Jeans: How to Navigate The New Workspace as A Designer
Tips & Tricks to Help You Adapt to Our New Reality
Coronavirus has changed the world in many ways, especially for designers. You may have found yourself working from home indefinitely and wondering how to say no to extra snacks (or if you’ve been let go, read this). Despite a world of uncertainty and fear, there are some things within your ability to control. Don’t worry – you don’t have to have insane self-discipline or be a professional introvert to master a remote role. Find some tips and tricks below to help you adapt to our new reality.
1: Put On Real Pants
The power of jeans is a real thing. Seriously. One scientific study indicated that wearing formal clothing led to feelings of empowerment. This empowerment then led, in turn, to higher levels of abstract thought processing – an element crucial to the creative work flow. A similar study conducted in 2014 proved how individuals who wore more formal clothing performed better task-wise than those who elected to don sweatpants. Put your big kid pants on.
2: Create A Schedule And Stick to It
Designers are creatures of habit. Creating a daily routine helps normalize and creates expectancy behavior. If you are typically in the office by 8 AM, replicate this pattern at home. It’s easy to procrastinate on projects or work past 5 PM when you feel like you are “off the clock.” However, this leads to apathy, lower quality of work, and faster burnout. By replicating “office hours” at home, you will be able to pace yourself and not feel like you’ve left all your work to complete on Thursday night.
3: Feed Your Soul First
There is nothing like morning meditation to boost your mental health. Before you log on, answer emails, or even scroll through Instagram, try to spend some time praying or reading Scripture (related: 7 Scripture Devotionals to Dwell On). Create a relaxing environment for this to occur in by brewing some coffee or tea, lighting a candle, and throwing on that cozy blanket. Having a peace-filled mind before entering the chaos of the day will ensure more productivity, fewer errors, and a better sense of wholeness.
4: Figure Out A File Hand-off System
Did they email that file or send it over a message? Is it on the server or a drive? Ditch the mad dash of file hunting and determine how to hand off files to clients and teammates early. Once you’ve established a system, set up clear guidelines and communication about how to deliver work and feedback.
Don’t know where to start? A few good resources include:
Trello: A great taskboard with reasonable pricing. Looking for something more robust and premium? Try Monday. Hand off projects to team members, assign deadlines, and get work done.
Slack: The industry-standard for instant message communication. More formal than a text, but quicker responses than email. Send files, make quick phone calls, and even create custom emojis.
Zoom: Video and teleconferencing. Free plans available with the ability to upgrade.
Page Proof Allow your team to quickly mark up PDFs. Available through Adobe Creative Cloud.
Google Drive Good for transporting large files. Just be sure to set editing permissions correctly and avoid handing off sensitive files.
5: Eat Away from Your Desk
You may think having lunch at your desk will help accomplish a task more quickly and increase work flow, but established freelancers all agree the opposite is true. Eating away from your desk promotes a natural rhythm of breaks which are necessary for better productivity and general well-being.
6: Recreate The Water Cooler
Just like you would take time to chat with co-workers or make a pot of coffee at the office, find new ways to connect with your team. Try setting up a weekly video call with your direct team to simply catch up. In times of uncertainty, there’s nothing more important than boosting morale.
7: Set Phone Limits
Put your phone out of reach. Multiple studies have proven the adverse affects of checking notifications while working. One study from the University of California, Irvine even demonstrated that it can take the average person 23 minutes to resume a task once they have been interrupted. Make dedicated space to check your texts, scroll through Instagram, or call your mom back in a way that won’t disrupt your work flow.
8: Say ‘No’ to Netflix
For some, working from home creates a very solitary environment. As tempting as it is to fill the silence by streaming a movie or show, find different ways to overcome the quiet that won’t distract you visually. Designers are wired to pay attention to images, graphics, and story-telling. Taking that half-second to watch’s Jim latest prank on Dwight can have severe consequences. One study found that “even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone's productive time.”
Instead, elect to listen to a podcast or news radio such as Why’d You Push That Button, Design Matters, or even NPR.
9: Shower
This one is self-explanatory. Working from home doesn’t mean neglecting hygiene. Brush your teeth and comb your hair while you’re at it. You’re a good-looking cat!
10: If You Feel Sick, Log Off
During this time, it’s easy to feel like everyone is putting in extra hours, so you should too. However, don’t neglect your physical health to keep up appearances. If you are feeling unwell, whether because of allergies, a bad cold, or food poisoning, take a sick day. Your body will thank you for it.
11: Snooze Notifications
It’s easy to feel bombarded by too many emails, messages, and notifications. In fact, science has recently proven that too many alerts can decrease productivity. Neuroscientist Daniel J Levitan states, “Multitasking creates a dopamine-addiction feedback loop, effectively rewarding the brain for losing focus and for constantly searching for external stimulation.”
If need be, set limits for yourself. Check email, Slack, and other communications at designated times throughout the day.
12: Exercise
Our very own Director of Development, Chris Thomas, free-lanced full-time before joining his current company. His advice? Take a walk in the morning or during lunch to break up the day. In addition, one government study indicates that Vitamin D can play a significant factor in fighting off disease and viral infections.
13: Talk, Don’t Text
So much communication is lost in email and digital translation. Whenever you need clarification on a matter, don’t hesitate to call or video-conference. While it may take more time up-front to set up one of these meetings, you will save a lot of time later on. A two minute phone call will prevent your from spending two hours of designing the wrong thing. Asking clarifying questions right away means better design efficiency.
14: Hydrate!
Swap that second cup of coffee for water. Drinking water has a plethora of benefits, including improving your mood and increasing alertness.
15: Have Grace
Some days will be more productive than others, but that is okay. This is a new reality for everyone, and many designers are having to re-learn how to do routine tasks. Have grace for yourself when you struggle and don’t forget to reach out for help.
Special thanks to Starr Pappagalo, Sarah Phillips, Chris Thomas, and Rachel Wathne for contributing to this article.
Connect with Other Designers
Looking for creative support during this time? Spire’s Slack community is a great place to connect with other like-minded designers from across the country. Spire Together offers community, free portfolio critiques, prayer, job postings, and more.
Have some tips you’d like to add? Comment below:
