In the fast-paced and ever-changing world of design, it’s important to stay on top of the game! One of my biggest fears as a designer is that my work will quickly look dated, so I always try to keep up with the latest trends and predict what’s next. Not an easy task, especially since, in order to design this way, I need more than just my eyes involved. I need some objectivity! There are a few methods to obtaining it, and one of them is (gasp) constructive criticism.

Nobody likes to hear that their creation is not quite hitting the mark. Let’s face it, most of us designers are sensitive. But when you have fresh eyes looking at your work, chances are that they will catch something you didn’t, or give you an idea that you hadn’t thought of. This is one of the greatest things about being a designer in an agency. You get the chance for many eyes to see your work, giving you an opportunity to make your work hit the nail on the head!

Another way of staying objective is to review the work of other designers and see what approaches they are taking. (*Warning, use this method with caution as my self-esteem has been known to take a hit) I often find myself on dribbble, and 99 Designs comparing my work to the work of other designers and drawing inspiration. Immersing yourself in high-quality work like this not only drives you to improve on your knowledge and techniques within the design software, but it also allows you to think of things differently. Quite often I will look at a design and say to myself, “Wow, I would have never thought of approaching it that way”. While looking to the design world for inspiration and guidance is very helpful, sometimes it is not enough and you need the eyes of someone even more objective and unplugged from your profession.

Sometimes, you just gotta’ ask your friends for some feedback! They may not have your enthusiasm for typography or composition (you do love those things… right?), but their unique opinions and ways of thinking are often-times invaluable, measuring the effectiveness of your design.

The concept of straying outside of your comfort zone for personal growth is far from new, but sometimes we need guidance on how to do it. In the end, we all want to be the best we can be at whatever we do. It’s important to stay positive and recognize your strengths, but also to stay objective and recognize your weaknesses. Utilizing the people around you is a great way to work through your weaknesses help you gain the objectivity you need to stay ahead of the game in anything you do.

Can we be productive designers while listening to music? At first thought, one might say “Heck no! How can listening to Justin Bieber make anyone more productive?” Alright, they may have a point there, but since Bieber isn’t my cup of tea, I can say that music does in fact make me productive.  More importantly, it helps me get through the day.

Studies show that music plays a vital role in the creative process and interacts with brain centers to stimulate creativity. From my personal experience, I can vouch for this! I find that when I am listening to music, I am able to see the completed design much more quickly than without, resulting in a fast turn-around (which I think we can all agree is a point for productivity). While turning around projects with great speed is awesome, listening to music means a lot more to me than a productivity boost. I think there is something to the mental stimulation that feels medicinal, which is the primary reason I listen while I work.

Some of us listen to music to relax when we are stressed, some listen to music for sheer ambient noise, some listen to get pumped up. I do a bit of all of these. I listen to many different types of music (ah, the classic ‘eclectic’ phrase). My choice will usually depend on what type of mood I am in, or more importantly, what type of mood I need to be in.

If I am gearing up for a long day of programming or layout, I tend to engage in ambient, layered music with upbeat and modern drum samples (such as Aether or Tycho). If I had a rough meeting with a client, I turn to what I call “comfort tunes,” or better known as “anchors”.  These “anchors” bring me back to a great time in my life and can pull me out of a moment of low self-esteem (I almost always go to Nobou Uematsu’s piano-driven masterpiece, “To Zanarkand”). In the case of dragging in the morning, nothing kicks my brain into gear like the powerful lyrics and fortissimo instrumentation of rock band Thrice.

I am fortunate enough to work at a place where I have the freedom to listen to music while I work (in headphones of course, can you imagine the sonic mess from all of our computer speakers? Justin Bieber from one corner, Thrice in another!). This (in my case) helps mitigate the stress of a fast-paced agency. As designers, we create our own systems to mitigate our stress. Some of us go for a walk outside, some of us push the next button on our iPod.