Love it or hate it, A designers job can be very VERY stressful. I mean, marketing what is potentially, a piece of art, is tough! It’s not like number crunching or getting that possible sale. A designer must be able to design something that will be visually appealing to an audience that the company needs. From A/B tests, to creating hundreds of logos, templates, websites, and so on. It’s madness. And this is just the design part! Most companies won’t even hire you if you don’t know how to code either! And even then, you are asked alot of the time to code in a language you hardly know.
But who am I to complain? It’s the career I chose. What I’m trying to get at here is how you, the designer, can manage it! You are in a unique position to make yourself needed in the design field by everyone! Here are a few ways how.
1. Be honest!
If something takes a week to design, say it will take a week and then some! It won’t hurt the clients feelings. It just gives them a proper estimate so they can plan things out on thier end. Obviously, the sooner the better for you and the client, but giving outrageous deadlines is career suicide. It makes you look undependable WHEN (not if) you don’t make the deadline.
2. Don’t stress over all the work! Baby steps!
I used to look at the list of design work I had to do and just freak. When I freaked, I would put it off because of the anxiety issues I have and then, on the last possible day, I would just crank them out in a nervous wreck. The problem was that I would make mistakes, and just end up getting discouraged and contemplate parking my car into the nearest wall I could find. Now, I just take work I can do, and do it at a moderate pace. And if something takes longer than expected? I usually just stay up and do it. Sleep can always wait. Why? Because I want to make deadlines. I want to make the client happy. And more importantly, I want to get paid.
3. Cut out distractions that put you in a bind!
“But Modern Warfare 2 came out and I got to play it!” “But My girlfriend wants to go to a dinner and a movie!” “But I downloaded new songs for Rock Band!”
But But But BUT NOTHING! I’ve personally used these excuses when I’ve fought against myself to work. But as I’ve grown older, I’m starting to realize that I have a job to do. I have obligations. And though games can wait, sometimes a social life or a relationship can’t. So in this situation, I look at a at this for a reward process. I am able to play games because I work hard. So when I finish, I can then relax with a stack of cash by my side, and a controller in my hand. I can take my special gal on a cool date because I work hard. So rather than taking these distractions and think “I wanna do that over work” Think “I wanna do work so I can bask in the fruits of my labor”
4. Stop being a WUSSY! Get off your ass and GET TO IT!
You know why people are successful? Why they are on TV promoting their own self brand or their own company? Cause they work their ASSES OFF! There’s no secret formula. Add Liquid, make awesome company. No, this is fairly simple. If you want something to succeed and make your clients happy, then go out there and get it! If you have a day time job that you think prevents you from doing it, you’re SO wrong. You can devote your extra time off work to work freelance or on personal projects. fro 7PM to 1AM are perfect times to work on your other money making ideas.
The more you can focus on these 4 simple steps, the more of a necessity you will become to the business industry. There’s no doubt about it.