I see you graphic designers. Forewarning: this article is going to feel like tough love. (I’m sure you’re thrilled to hear that). We all know the struggle: having time trickle down working on a design project, trying to recreate that one swatch that you dragged into by sheer happenstance. Or you are disillusioned to find that the font you used in a program can’t be seen on your design program once you open the same file on a different computer.

Did you know that bread can take anywhere from one to three hours for its dough to rise? The time it takes for bread to rise is dependent on temperature – a warmer temperature causes a quicker rise. Although, there are some bakers that prefer a slow rise for its texture and flavor.

Effective time management skills are dire in a workflow. Ever heard of the 80/20 rule? Eighty percent of results come from 20 percent of actions. The more organized you get with your workflow, the less remorseful you’ll be when you’re in the throes of a design project. Put that Kleenex box away and get organized. Period. As much as designers want a lot more time on a project, sometimes that is a far off wish. Designers are not bakers, and being given more time–while great–isn’t a catch-all solution. So keep reading if you want some hand-picked secrets to eliminate workflow obstructions!

Stop stop stop using the mouse wheel (or worse, the laptop cursor pad)

When looking through websites for design inspiration, do yourself a favor and use the PGUP and PGDN keys. I experienced firsthand that mousewheels have a limited shelf life. Rest in peace, first mouse. PGUP and PGDN are the keyboard equivalent of the mousewheel. If you’re looking for an image to grab for a moodboard, you’re going to be looking through a lot of thumbnails. It only takes a second to recognize and record what you’re seeing, and even quicker for you to say “yes” or “no” to get the images you want.

Bookmark things better

I’ll go on the record and say that this one tip is the queen on the chessboard for your workflow. Having a browser extension that lets you categorize your bookmarks is far better than having it go to the top of the bookmarks bar by default. 

What happens when you pin something to the bookmarks bar? 

Why is that bad?

Pinning a bookmark to the bookmarks bar is generic. It doesn’t tell you anything besides the URL. Organize your bookmarks into collections, give them a small note, and throw in some tags to be able to quickly identify what you are looking for. This is key to stopping the I-SPY game in its tracks. It’s similar to reading a book and turning to the index every time you want to find your graphic design tools.

Presets are a path to peace

You as a designer know for a fact that you will be designing layouts constantly. You’ll probably design a business card or a letterhead more than once in your career. Luckily, design programs have presets to choose from. What if you design video thumbnails or newsletter popups, though? You should make custom size presets to suit your needs. Add to your preset library to save the dimensions and color modes you’ll work with most.

Use stock images within your creative program

This is a useful way to look for royalty free photographic images, and can be beneficial if your internet connection is not the best. In Affinity Designer, you can bring up the window with View > Studio > Stock. You can choose from Pixabay or Pexels from the dropdown list, and then drag and drop the images you want directly into your work area. The downside: there’s not as much variety to choose from when compared to searching the web for stock images.

Try Snapshots (Affinity Designer)

This feature is useful for making tweaks and comparing it to the original work you created. Think of it as a live way to test the waters – you can even show the client the two versions with the same file open. Say goodbye to debating if you should undo a change!

Thanks for reading! You’re well on your way to being more structured in your workflow! I have a little bonus treat for you. My freebie is a goldmine for becoming more in charge of your productivity! To get it, visit my page and subscribe to my newsletter! Get the freebie