Designer’s Guide to Productivity: Tips to Improve Your Workflow
Boost Your Productivity and Design Career with These Hacks from Top Designers.
It is very natural for designers to feel overwhelmed with a truckload of work. From brainstorming and creative ideation to design, organization, and meeting deadlines, balancing these multiple tasks is no easy feat. With so many tasks to manage and the need to maintain a work-life balance, designers must stay organized, efficient, and productive. However, in an era where social media and endless digital distractions are prevalent, staying productive can be a Herculean task.
For anyone looking to produce high-quality work, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and build a successful design career, productivity is paramount. To help you achieve this, we asked five top designers to share their productivity hacks that help them deliver brilliant work every time. If you're seeking a productivity boost and inspiration to enhance your creativity and stay ahead in your design career, read on for these productivity hacks from leading designers.
Sharon Onyinye
Senior Product Designer at HubSpot and Founder at Coachli.
Write It Down and Use Your Calendar: Writing tasks down and scheduling them in your calendar ensures they are addressed. Communicate constantly and use a to-do list to track completed and pending tasks.
Routine and Activities: Having a routine or schedule sets the tone for a productive day. Engage in activities you enjoy, such as dancing, walking, or lifting weights. I find weight lifting helps clear my mind and boosts productivity.
Read this full interview here: https://ninthgrid.substack.com/p/these-tips-from-sharon-onyinyechi
Timeyin Gordon
A Full-Stack Designer and a master’s student in Digital Management at Hyper Island.
The Pomodoro Technique: Work in focused intervals (usually 25 minutes) followed by a short break. It helps maintain high levels of concentration and prevents burnout. I use the Slash app for this when I’m feeling out of sync.
Time Blocking: Allocate specific time blocks for different projects, ensuring focused and uninterrupted work periods.
Task Batching: Group similar tasks together to minimize context switching. For example, I batch all my design work in the morning and meetings in the afternoon.
Read this full interview here:https://ninthgrid.substack.com/p/productivity-hacks-from-timeyin-full
Sarah Shaibu
A Senior Product Designer at Pearson.
Manage My Time: I use time boxing with a calendar. I time box not only my 9-5 workday but also 24 hours of the day. I allocate time for sleep, meals, household chores, side projects, and family calls. Prioritizing tasks based on the day's theme improves productivity. For example, Mondays are for work and family time, Tuesdays are for work and chores, and Wednesdays are for work and self-development.
Do Not Underestimate Burnout: Incorporate downtime into your schedule. Resting improves productivity and helps maintain a healthy balance.
Read this full interview here:https://ninthgrid.substack.com/p/productivity-hacks-from-sarah-shaibu
Abiodun Bada
A Product Designer at Tangerine Africa.
Take Mental Breaks: After work, I avoid thinking about work to refresh my mind and stay productive.
Avoid Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. Prioritize tasks and allocate 90% of mental effort to the primary deliverable, with the remaining bandwidth for other tasks.
Prioritize My Tasks: This helps me achieve a sense of fulfillment and maintain a productivity mindset.
Read this full interview here:
https://ninthgrid.substack.com/p/stay-productive-with-these-hacks
Samuel Lasisi
Product Design Lead at the University of Nottingham.
Hot Drinks: I find that having a hot drink in the morning benefits my productivity.
Task Management: I use a board on my Apple Notes to prioritize and sort tasks based on difficulty and priority. I tackle difficult tasks in the morning when my mind is clear and handle easier tasks later. I also go to the gym during my breaks.
Check Emails: Managing emails helps me list and complete tasks efficiently.
Read this full interview here:
https://ninthgrid.substack.com/p/productivity-hacks-from-samuel-lasisi
While these productivity hacks may not be applicable to everyone, we hope you find them useful in your daily life as a Product Designer. Understanding your main challenges to productivity and addressing them can significantly improve your overall impact as a designer.
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https://ninthgrid.com/