Time management is the process of planning how you divide your time on set tasks.
Establishing a plan will keep you motivated, on task, and if followed well, will avoid procrastination and a last-minute rush. Simply knowing the due date of a project is not a plan. Designers have to manage multiple priorities and tasks. Tips for managing your time include:
- plan your day
- prioritise tasks
- eliminate distractions
- track your time
- stop procrastinating
- be good, not perfect
- don’t forget to enjoy your life.
A successful designer thinks strategically about their time and effort.Inside Design
It is all well and good to have a plan ahead of time, but what about all of those interruptions? Well, let's take a look at some common hinders of time management and solutions that will help.
Too many random interruptions
Set office hours for interruptions. Plan ahead for tasks requiring focus and concentration and put your schedule status as 'do not disturb'. This establishes when people can come by for walk-up questions, small design tasks and design reviews. It makes your time more predictable.
Put time on your calendar to check slack and email and only do so three times a day.Inside Design
Small design favours
Deflect: Let people know that you would love to help them but have several large projects at the moment. Redirect people to speak with your manager about priorities and times.
Delegate: Rather than people coming to you for their design problems, encourage them to undergo the creative task and then come to you for feedback. This allows you to establish tools and processes that make the organisation more capable and efficient.
Too many meetings
Prioritise meetings that you have to attend but schedule yourself design time so that you're not fitting design in around your meetings, you're fitting meetings around your design time.
What about if you are hoping to be a freelancer? How would you manage your time then? Take a look at this video below to find out.
Have you ever heard of the saying, 'You are only as good as your tools'? There are amazing time management tools available. Of course, the age-old tools have been tried and tested, these include:
- calendar
- timelines
- lists.
Now there are online project management tools that break down tasks, prioritise them and attach dates and status updates.
Some online management tools are:
Using these tools with colleagues depends on the organisation that you work for. However, most of these tools are free for personal use.
Using time management tools means your work does not control how you act, you do. Understanding the amount of time it takes for you to get something done--and when you need to get it done--allows you to assess yourself and how you work. Once you understand your workflow, the work you typically do in 3 hours can be done in 1 hour.
This is important for a designer as it means you can produce amazing work in an effective timeframe, juggle multiple tasks and provide accurate timelines to your managers, colleagues and clients.
You have been asked to design a new logo for a sole trader. Janelle creates handmade clay goods. These include pots, mugs, plates and vases. Using one of the online management tools listed above, create a timeline for this project.
Your timeline should plot your design process, identifying the timelines to complete each part.
Janelle has given you no more than 2 weeks to:
- speak with her regarding the brief
- research design elements
- create a mood board for Janelle's approval
- collect and implement feedback regarding the mood board
- create three drafts for her to review
- collect and implement feedback regarding drafts
- create one final logo
- collect and implement feedback regarding the final logo.
