The Process 1: Setting the Stage

Oh, did you think this design article was going to teach you how to design? When you are ready to see the design article, the design article will present itself to you. Or this time next week. The truth is, while designing your space isn’t the design work you may have in mind, it has everything to do with setting your process up for success. Here’s an overview of how I set up my day for the creative slay.

Step 1: Put Some Pants On

I work from home most of the time, so the temptation to stay in my PJs can be monumental AF. But if my wardrobe’s asleep, my mind’s asleep. I make sure to at least start my day in something cute, fashionable, work-appropriate, and slightly stiff (think skinny jeans, not a straightjacket). This keeps me on my toes, and puts me in a work mindset.

Step 2: Fuel Like a Winner

I always start my day with a healthy, substantial breakfast. When I first started out, I’d be so ready to get started that I’d frequently forget to eat (which is literally insane). But I realized that even if I wasn’t getting hangry, I was finding it hard to keep my head in the game. Favorite breakfasts include acai bowls (it’s just a thick smoothie with fruit on top) or eggs in purgatory (baked eggs in spicy tomato sauce). They both take about 3 minutes to make and 5 minutes to eat.

My day also hasn’t started until I have my matcha. Coffee makes my head hurt and my hands shake, but matcha gives me a calm alertness that lasts almost all day.

To be honest I usually don’t drink a lot of water. Imagine where I’d be if I did.

Step 3: Distractions Off, Soundtrack On

While a lot of design work can be done with a background podcast, audiobook or (dare I say) TV, I can’t have words around when I need to get thinkwork done. That said, I find silence to be a total creativity killer. My favorite artist to work to is Flook (and solo spinoff Brian Finnegan) – they play beautiful Irish flute tunes that I find wake up my mind. I also love Kalyn Nicholson’s atmospheric playlists on Spotify. Whenever I can, I spend at least part of the day listening to music that matches the client. I’ll try switching it up to see if different moods change how I feel or inspire different directions (spoiler alert – they usually do). Noisli is also the bomb for atmospheric background noise, if even simple tunes are too much.

Step 4: Get your Tuchus Off the Couch

Especially in the morning, I need to spend at least a little bit of time at my desk sitting upright. Over the course of the day, I get a little more lax, and change my environment (like I change my background noise) if my desk is getting stale. The most important thing for me, though is to avoid lying down (I fall asleep). And standing desks (I just fall).

Step 5: Get your Tools

In the beginning stages of the creative process, that’s a notebook that speaks to my heart (Appointed and Shinola are my favorites) and Micron pen. My computer is there for research and inspiration. Later I’ll bring it on board full time, but not until I have some solid concepts. Brainstorming hurts, so the temptation to open a new tab is real. I find starting on real paper grounds my work and keeps me in the zone.

Step 6: Read the Brief

I read the brief, underline the brief, take notes on the brief, rewrite the brief in my own words, rinse and repeat until I know it like my name. There’s NOTHING worse than having an amazing idea that doesn’t solve your client’s need. It’ll happen, but I know I can mitigate the risk by keeping the client’s demands at the forefront of my mind.

Note – there is an important difference between knowing what the client needs, and letting the brief hold you back. In the brainstorming section, I’ll go into how I let myself go off brief while mind-mapping so that I can fully explore my creative universe. It’s also crucial to know the difference between mandatories and requests. I memorize the mandatories, but tend to leave the requests aside until later in the process so I can give myself the opportunity to come up with a solution that may solve their ask better.

Step 7: Ask Questions

When I’m doing a deep dive on the brief, I almost always realize there’s information I need to fully address the challenge that I may have missed during early meetings. I always ask those questions as soon as possible. Usually when I start designing I’ll end up with even more. Never be afraid to ask questions, even if it feels a little late in the game.

Step 8: Clear your Head

The last thing I do before I get started on actual design work is to make sure my mind is free from distractions or preconceived ideas of what the project should be. A lot of people use meditation but I can’t be still for that long. My best strategy is a free write, or mind dump of everything going on in my head, be it professional, personal, or project-related. I find that once something is on paper, it doesn’t weigh me down anymore.

I also use this time to write down/sketch out all my terrible ideas. The moment I treat them as legitimate, they stop blocking my good ideas and I’m ready to get started.