The Super Productive Inhouse Designer

If you currently work as a designer or have another creative career in-house, you know it. The in-house creative accomplishes more with less. With over 15 years working as a designer in-house, I've learned a few tricks of the trade that have made me a little bit more productive. Unlike some articles on the internet, I won't concentrate on the use of apps or to-do lists. Instead, I will share my designer tips on accomplishing work swiftly and efficiently.

Know Your Stuff

The number one secret to productivity is not really a secret. You can accomplish more when you know your stuff inside out. There are multiple ways to accomplish a task, find the one that works best for you. You can take workshops, go to conferences, or search the internet for videos of what you want to learn. I highly recommend Lynda and Skillshare as learning resources; in addition, there are also plenty of books you can read to accomplish the same. Everyone learns things differently, the key to your productivity is finding what works for you and to keep learning so your skills are not left behind.

Create a Template for Success

You might think I'm kidding, but I'm serious. In order to produce in-house, you'll need a formula for success, and creating templates is part of that formula. The templates will free your time to create complicated projects and will allow you to hand-off easy projects to a non-designer. You can also create templates for your own personal use. This is where a Branding Manual becomes much more than just rules. By using some manuals, you can create layouts with grids at different sizes, you can save color files, and styles.

Reuse and Recycle

We've all done it. We created a million and one versions of a design for a client. And some of those versions were so incredibly bad to us that we refused to show those to our client. Because you're an inhouse designer you have the power to reuse materials used in a different year. If you have an event and are crunched for time, the best thing to do is to start from something perhaps a design used a different year. You can update that design a bit by using a different cover graphic and/or a change in color. The point is to change the design enough so that it's noticeably different but the same. 

In terms of recycling, you can use a discarded design for a different client. Yes, you heard me right. Remember those designs that a client never saw because you decided that there were other better choices, well now's the time to dig those designs from the past and start from there. And if there's something particularly wrong with that design, then you have the benefit of having been away from the project so long that you can easily make changes. 

Take a Break

Burn out decreases productivity. It seems counter-productive but you might benefit from a break to be a bit more productive. Our minds are not meant to be constantly working without a break. If you give yourself space, you'll be more likely to get that work waiting for you completed quicker. I schedule breaks into my schedule. 

I hope you learned a tip or two from this post. I'll keep sharing what I've learned. If you'd like me to cover any topic, please let me know below.

Color Me Good: My Guide to Color in a Neutral World

I love color. It makes me happy and it can also make you happy. Whether it is at home or work, I surround myself with color. Most people I come across are either afraid of color or play it safe. Color is such a matter of taste that homeowners trying to sell a home are often told to keep their wall colors neutral to attract the most people. And although that may be true when trying to sell a home, in design what matters is how you can use color to communicate a message to your target audience. Today, I'm sharing my personal tips on how I use color for a client and for life. 

Research, research, research
I can't say it enough, every design for me starts with a little bit of research. My research can include talking to the client or visiting websites to get an idea of the target audience. Get to know your audience, older people won't be able to see dark on light. The youngsters are drawn to primary and saturated colors. Invite people to view your work. I do this especially if I think they're my target audience.  It's best to ask more than one person, that way you can receive more than one opinion since color is so subjective. Here's a useful infographic which tells you about the psychology behind color to help you make informed decisions.

When in doubt use neutrals
I don't advocate the total use of neutrals. I don't only think is boring but I also think is just a "cop-out." I know there are times when you're just in a rut and in a rush and in those times, I recommend using a combination of neutrals with a non-neutral.

Build a color library
We know there are certain color combinations which are safe like using complementary colors like green and red or analogous colors. But there's another way to find color combinations that work, you can visit  www.brandigirlblog.com for some inspiration or get your color combinations directly from your environment. When you see a color combination that works, take a picture and save your colors in a library of your own. Use photoshop to your advantage; if there's a color you must use, combine it with others by laying it over others using filters. Using these tips will save you time when you have a rush project.

Live the colors
Don't be afraid. I personally do this. I live the colors. I am constantly trying color combinations with what I wear and at home. This is safer than using it on a project and finding out that it just doesn't work for your client. (Though this can happen no matter what you do, like I said it's so subjective)

So the last thing I have to say is to forget everything I said, forget about color psychology, color theory...forget everything and follow your intuition. The less constraints the more creative you can be. 

Thirst Is Nothing, Image Is Everything

When I was in high school, one of the popular kids was selected to be in a Sprite commercial. I remember watching that commercial many times and until this day I remember the line "Thirst Is Nothing, Image is Everything." At the time, I didn't quite get the point  but now it has meaning. In the commercial, my classmate drank Sprite because he saw former NBA player, Grant Hill, drink and inferred that he could also be as good as Grant Hill by drinking Sprite. And that is the essence of image. It is the way someone/brand presents themselves and the impression it makes on us. 
So I wondered if it's at all possible to change our image even when people already have impressions of us. When it comes to design is image important? How do we use image to inform our decisions?

My Brand Is Really Your Brand

A Psychology Today web article states that our perceptions are "actually built largely on unconscious inferences that are made employing factors such as a person’s body language, voice, clothing, appearance, and social category." And these perceptions are the reason why I love and hate the existence of a personal brand image. The idea that success maybe linked to perception seems unjust to me. Although that is the case, being the maker of your own destiny can give you the driver's seat, it can give you power. A brand/personal image can also be created by a team of smart publicist/public relations department to change perception. But if you are a person, not a corporate brand, how can you be truly authentic when every decision you make at work needs to be carefully thought through and out. It's scary to think that personal or professional image--shaped by perception--can get us to go places or that it can harm us. Just ask Lindsey Lohan! 

It seems to me that there's more room to err with personal brands than with corporate brands. Not everyone is trained to be a brand and this means that their actions can hurt their lives and their careers. I think the quiet can get lost in translation, the young one's comfortable posture won't get them a raise, and wearing her lucky jeans might mean that she won't be invited to that very special event. 

Yes, all signs point to becoming aware of yourself and working on your entire image whether that is your body language, how people view you and what you wear.

Designing an Image

It's easier to work on a corporate image than your personal brand. With corporate brand, you're on the outside looking in and have much more data to build on and explore. And Design is just one piece of creating an image, a lot of it goes into PR territory.

As a designer it is important to define the brand whose image you are creating. Based on your knowledge of the organization, you can choose colors, type , paper and create a visual identity. Not a logo, but the identity. This visuals that will automatically relate to the brand and transmit who the company is faster than you can describe it. It's important to know the history of the brand, to take a look at materials and decide what worked and what didn't. Every decision you make is important. Once you've created the visual identity, everything is is simple. You can create marketing materials or advertising that tells the story of your brand through photographs and the visuals you created.

Change Is Good 

A a designer, I've learned to embrace changes. Image can be changed . Awareness is key when it comes to a personal brand. There are probably certain things we cannot change about ourselves but learn to embrace them or work them to our advantage. I for example use clothing with jewel color tones, not only because I like them but because they're known to look more expensive than other colors. 

When it comes to corporate brand, it takes a gradual approach when it comes to the visual identity. You ant to keep what works, and slowly transition other elements. If the perception of the product you're working on is that is cheap, you can create packaging can be so beautifully constructed that it can trick your audience into thinking otherwise. 

I no longer wonder, I know that I remember my classmate's commercial because I wanted to be cool.

Creativity: Skinning the Cat

NOTE: No Cats were actually harmed in this sketch.

I wondered if I could get out of a rut when my idea-sparking methods don't work so I researched creativity a bit.

Almost everyone knows that there's multiple ways to skin a cat, therefore, many creative ways to produce any given product or service. By definition creativity is the use of the imagination or original ideas in the production of an artistic work. But is there such a thing as original ideas? how does one achieve creativity and is it at all possible to be creative when you're not a "creative"? Before I delve, let's throw away the notion that creativity is an spontaneous act. Creativity requires work. Creating truly original and innovative work may require a day, a month or even years.

Rituals of the Creative

In my search, I started to read the book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, and so far I've noticed that most artists in the book have a method. As the name of the book suggests, artists have routines that help them be creative.There are some individuals whose creativity is sparked by their quiet environments, while others require chaotic organization, and there's even those who need liquor to get those creative juices flowing. I think that individuals that have a method are able to tap into their creative mind as quickly as their job requires.

Creativity for Everyone! 

Is there a method to the madness? Can everyone learn to approach creative problems and come up with creative solutions. Recently, I attended the Design Bootcamp at the The Design Gym which answered my questions. The design thinking process may be the key to unlocking everyone's creative side to create innovative products and services. The design thinking process is not a secret, it is a method employed by many. I searched to see if anyone else employs the method and found this tutorial video on Lynda.com. While, I knew some of the steps because I employ some of them, it was enlightening to see the full process.

How original is creative? 

Truly original work may not exist. Creativity is giving your own spin to any subject without copying. Austin Kleon writer of the book Steal Like An Artist, explains it best in the video below. As a creative, using inspiration is part of the process. And although you may think something is original, you may find that parts of it may be, though not everything.

My Own Creative Ritual and Process

By now you must be curious about me and my creativity process. Well, as for me, I'm an introverted collector. I collect inspiration. If you look at my Pinterest page, you will see that I have an affection for very particular things. As I mentioned on a previous post, I'm enamored with handdrawn typography and have collected many type specimen. I also own a bulletin board at home and clip inspiration from magazines I own. I go on Internet sprees. I go in search of particular subjects and find other things that inspire me on the way. I collect bookmarks.

I visit museums. I'm inspired by old works as well as new works by contemporary artists.

I go to flea markets. I'm inspired by the things people create from vintage objects.

At home, I surround myself with objects that inspire me. You wouldn't know it but everything in my home is something I handpicked not for its utility and its beauty.

I wonder. I ponder. I often just sit and think about things like this post for example.

R-e-s-p-e-c-t for Designers

I was wondering about our profession so I decided I would write about it.
I think the graphic design profession doesn't get the respect it deserves and it's all our collective fault. As a seasoned design professional*, I've had the opportunity to view dozens of portfolios from graphic design students with innovative ideas and potential to become accomplished designers; however, when these students step unto the real world their voice is lost and their ideas get lost in translation. When we we do not assert our voice, bad design is created not only by young professionals in the field, but by all of us from junior to senior level. Not always showing/giving our best work and adding bad design to the world undermines the value of our profession. I say it's time take back our profession and show the world the importance of design.

Is Our Voice Gone?

Our voice has been transposed to others inside the organizations where we work especially where there are non-design professionals making "business" decisions. The "make the logo bigger" phenomenon has now become the norm in some places. EVERYTHING BOLD is what everyone wants. Everything is important! Everything must shout. Let's use all of the colors in the rainbow. And with all of these demands our craft suffers, our professional positions become back-office jobs simply because we just give up and make that logo as big as the page. We become doers instead of thinkers.

Design Is Valuable

We need to take our jobs more seriously because our job is important. Designers are problem solvers. We make the world. Everything you see around you is designed. If you don't believe me, take a look at Apple and the reason why they're successful. Also, watch this video to see Sarabeth talk about the effect of Louise Fili's work on her business.

Take a Stand

It's not easy to take a stand especially when our jobs are at the very bottom of the totem pole. Don't get me wrong, I'm not proposing becoming a contrarian simply because you can. Not every design faux pas can be addressed and it's not always the best idea to address everything. My husband, one of my greatest inspirations, always tells me "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." I don't want to fall, so it's one of the things I keep in mind when I'm thinking of giving up.

I haven't always expressed my point of view. It is something I still have challenges with and am still learning. I do believe that taking a stand is easier when one is well-informed and able to articulate the reasons for a decision. For me, doing your research and learning as much as I can about my profession has enabled me to provide the best service for clients. I recommend surrounding yourself with design professionals especially if you're not in an advertising or design agency. They will be your sound board when all of the bad design messages get to your subconscious. Lastly, say NO to making things pretty, that is not what we do. In a recent interview for the Design Observer blog I heard the best explanation of our job by Dana Arnett, "Design  provides context for understanding."

If these suggestions fail, just take a power poser, (see video below). No Wonder I like Wonder Woman!

*I'm defining a design professional as an individual who has worked in the design field for many years or graduated with a degree in graphic design.