When it comes to web design, creativity and productivity are central to your work. If you lack in either of these areas, it will be a struggle to come up with quality results.
The challenge, especially with the productivity half, is that everyone is unique. What works for one designer might not work for you, and vice versa.
The more you try varying techniques to boost your productivity, the greater your chances of raising your creative output.
Try These Five Productivity Hacks
By one definition, productivity is the “measure of the efficiency of a person, machine, factory, system, etc., in converting inputs into useful outputs.” This definition goes on as follows: “Productivity is computed by dividing average output per period by the total costs incurred or resources (capital, energy, material, personnel) consumed in that period.”
In other words, productivity entails the maximization of resources. Your primary resources are your time and creative energy. If you use the following suggestions, you may find you’re able to enhance your ability to maximize resources substantially.
Take a look:
1. Keep a Bullet Journal
When you’re someone who spends your entire day working in front of a screen, it’s healthy to take a step away now and then. One excellent way to do this is to try keeping your to-do list on paper.
“That’s because your brain reacts differently to stuff on your device versus stuff on real paper,” Marygrace Taylor writes for Amerisleep. “Devices are distracting. We might read worse on screens than on printed pages, and using them drains our brainpower faster. Plus, there’s something that’s just really satisfying about using a pen and paper. It feels like you’re really getting something done.”
Taylor suggests using a bullet journal: a system for organizing daily, monthly, and future goals/tasks, so they’re easily identifiable and accessible.
2. Use the Kanban Schedule System
In Japanese business, professionals often use a Kanban scheduling system to expand overall efficiency. This system contains five columns: pending, analysis, development, test, and deploy.
Tasks are listed vertically beneath these headings and can be moved left or right as you make progress. You might find a similar system to be useful for your web design projects.
3. Learn to Love Offline Mode
As a web designer, you probably need access to the internet more of your working time than not. But if you find yourself in situations where you don’t require web access, try unplugging and operating in offline mode.
As designer Jason Long points out, “You will eliminate all those distractions from social media to push notifications to email. If you anticipate needing certain webpages to help you do your work, open and load them first, then either leave your browser open or save the pages to your computer for later reference.”
4. Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Repetitive Tasks
If a keyboard shortcut doesn’t already exist for a task you perform multiple times per day, create one. When viewed in isolation, the amount of time you can save with keyboard shortcuts might seem negligible.
But when you recognize that these shortcuts keep you moving and reduce distractions, you may begin to grasp how valuable they can be.
5. Store Everything in the Cloud
You’re probably doing this already, but make sure you store everything you can in the cloud. The last thing you want is to be restricted to a particular device. When you make all your files and programs accessible via the cloud, you give yourself the freedom to work from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Adding It All Up
There is no formula for maximum human productivity. As a person, you’re limited by your available energy and finite attention span.
By employing the techniques outlined in this article, though, you should become a better web designer. At the very least, you’ll become a more effective one.
