How To: Keep things from taking longer than they should

How is it that something seemingly so simple can be made increasingly complicated to the point that it takes way longer than it should?

Is it the excessive use of language that does it? Maybe the “standard processes” that are supposedly what we all need to go through? Preferences for complication and dragging things out? A combination of those?

I don’t know. Dragging things out is not how I prefer to do things. I prefer things to take the appropriate amount of time. How is that done?

By keeping it simple, fighting the urge to involve people who don’t need to be involved, editing out unneeded words, and then, finally, understanding at a deep level that the thing that needs to be done is standing in the way of all the other things that need to be done next.

Get this done, then get all the other things done.

Done and done and done.

Clean, Organized

One very important lesson I got from my dad was to always clean your tools. In his shop where he kept his big rig, greasy and grimy as it was, no matter what the task was for the day, at the end of it, always clean the tools and put them away where they belong, neat and organized.

A huge contrast to the wildly messy rooms of my childhood friends who would go on to drive wildly messy cars, which felt oftentimes like you were just riding around in trash.

As a designer with lots happening at any given time, being clean and organized is how I get shit done.

How To: Move People

Hope and Action > Regret, Guilt, or Fear

In the face of oncoming climate disaster after climate disaster in an uncertain, warming world, how do you get enough people to push for something major to be done? Society wide, system change on a massive scale. A simple formula, repeated over and over at high frequency is what we need to do. Hope and action over regret, guilt, or fear.

No to cynicism, push for the NOW.

13 years

These days I find myself working with my favorites teams ever. We’re collaborating, pushing ourselves, taking on big challenges, working through lots of moving parts, and everything simply feels really exciting.

It’s wonderful to be amongst such thoughtful people who are so focused on making a difference in their own way, using their power as they see fit. Together we’re pushing ahead, towards the dream, enjoying the journey, and acknowledging these are special days, days which I will always hold dear.

After 13 years, I’m lucky to be in such a good place with this design career. Much love to all of you who have helped make it all possible. Here we go!

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Recognize What Is

Be able to understand the current situation. To read the room. To grasp the basic facts. Take an assessment of what’s right in front of you and only then will you realize what you’ll be able to bring to the table.

Calcified

It’s a very real fear I have. Rigid, uncompromising thinking has always been bad in my view.

However.

And I say this as someone who likes to try new ways of doing things. There are, sometimes, a right way to do something. And there are very wrong ways.

So yes, while calcified thinking is not good, doing things incorrectly is also not good.

Keep learning. Pay attention. Keep your head up. Act accordingly.

Two Design Insights

Over these last few years, I’ve landed on a couple key design insights. I haven’t always believed in them, but these two insights have become something I strive for:

1. Cut out what’s not needed. Anything that doesn’t serve the core task at hand (designing a website, a logo, a graphic, etc.) has to go. Maybe it’s the mood board phase, doing sketches first, creating a complete guide of visual rules, whatever. If it isn’t part of the work-work, it’s gone. In place of all that stuff, I listen, tap into my expertise, iterate, and get to where we need to go with everyone who needs to be there.

2. I want the client to be really happy. Because I want the client to really want to use what I make. Not simply convinced. I want them into it. To be stoked. To want to wear the thing all the damn time. If that means I lose some of my preferences, or even design industry standards, then fine. My peers aren’t the ones who stand by me and my work and push for that work to be seen. The clients are. So they get what I can give them, always.

Where I used to hide behind certain processes, now I just get to work. And where I gave too much deference to what I the designer wanted, now the client is top of mind.

Do these insights ensure everything goes smoothly? Sadly, no. But they have made my work better and more effective at what it’s tasked to do. Which is to design things for people.