Design Workflows at Work

Clean my desk. There's nothing worse than having a messy desk as far as I'm concerned. If I keep getting distracted by papers, notes, or crumbs from that tasty Triscuit (topped with cheese of course) I just ate, then I'm not concentrating on my work.

Every day is different. For the most part, I try to stick to some sort of routine just to help get through the tasks I need to complete, but forcing yourself to stick to that same routine when things change drastically isn't going to help. You have to adapt to the project, the client and the moment.

Honestly, I like both. For the most part, I like working with people. Sometimes they're in the office with me, sometimes we talk over whatever chat application makes sense. I feel more creative when I can bounce ideas off of other people. But there are plenty of days where I want to be left alone to my own accord so I can bust out some great work.

Some people need coffee, I need a hot shower and some breakfast. Even if I'm working form home, I need that shower and some fresh clothes to get me going in the morning. Working in pajamas doesn't work for me at all. And a decent breakfast gives me the fuel I need to get creative.

I don't subscribe to the Getting Things Done program per se, but I try and stay organized throughout my day. I use Backpack religiously to manage my to do lists, typically through the handy Dashboard widget. I also like the low-tech approach of a big whiteboard in my office so I can sketch out ideas, write down tasks, or plan out my day.

Meetings. I hate meetings, at least in the traditional sense. I find myself in meetings all the time where I get about 5 minutes of useful information and the rest feels like a waste of my time. I'd rather have an informal chat with my colleagues, which is usually less intrusive, and get back to my work.

Cramming in college. Trying to fit in a ton of studying at the last minute never worked well for me, and neither did waiting until the deadline to finish a project. These negative experiences helped me learn to chip away at a project or a deadline rather than try and do the impossible with limited time.

Working out at the gym. It's funny how closely related the activities actually are. Like working out, I find myself in a state of preparation before I start working, a sort of mental "stretching." While I'm working I find that it's best to take a break every once in a while to grab a drink of water, let my eyes relax, and give my creative mind a break. And at the end of the day, I wind down with some easier tasks in my "cool down" period.

My father. While there are plenty of great lessons to be learned from other designers out there, I think my father has had the most influence on me as far as my workflow and organizational skills go. He works pretty hard at his job and always manages to stay on top of everything, managing a large IT department and keeping up on the ongoing changes in technology. Plus, he's a super cool dude.

iTunes and headphones. Usually it's other people that distract me, so I find that throwing on some music and getting myself into a secluded "zone" works well. I stick with music that isn't too heavy and is usually electronic of some sort. BT, Portishead, and Imogen Heap come to mind.