I can recall countless times when a client has needed a brand and website redesign "ASAP." The familiar pattern sets in – I drop everything, work late nights, skip weekend plans, and rush through the process to meet their urgent timeline.
Sound familiar?
Here's the thing I've come to realise: while clients are generally happy with the rushed results, I always walk away with that nagging feeling that the work could have been better. Great design needs breathing room. Those truly unique ideas – the ones that make a project special – often emerge during the quiet moments between work sessions, when your mind has space to wander. Some of my best work has come from projects where I had time to sit with concepts, let them marinate, and revisit them with fresh eyes.
Rush jobs strip away that critical incubation period. No matter how talented you are, creativity can't always be summoned on demand.
The High Cost of False Urgency
As designers, especially those of us running solo practices, we're particularly vulnerable to the 'urgency trap'. We want to be responsive, helpful, and valued by our clients. We fear saying no might cost us relationships or future work.
What I've learned the hard way is that constantly responding to other people's emergencies costs more than just time:
- It deteriorates the quality of your work (rushed design is rarely your best design)
- It teaches clients that poor planning on their part is acceptable
- It chips away at your mental health and creative energy
- It steals time from the people and activities that truly matter to you
I've pulled too many late nights only to hear "oh, we're actually not launching until next month" or "the stakeholders haven't even reviewed it yet."
The Hidden Need for Validation
If I'm being completely honest with myself (and you), I used to say yes to these urgent requests because I craved the validation:
"You're a lifesaver!"
"I don't know what we'd do without you!"
"You're the only one who could pull this off!"
These little hits of validation felt good in the moment. But they came at the expense of my wellbeing, my family time, and ironically, my best creative work.
Taking Back Control (Without Being a Jerk)
Here's what's working for me so far:
- Ask better questions. When someone says it's urgent, I ask: "When do you need this by, and what's driving that timeline?" Often, the answer reveals it's not actually as urgent as initially presented.
- Offer clear alternatives. Instead of a flat no, I say: "I can't drop everything today, but I can prioritise this for Thursday. Would that work?" This gives them a solution while preserving your boundaries.
- Create urgency policies. I now charge a % rush fee for truly last-minute projects. It either discourages non-urgent "urgent" requests or compensates me fairly for the disruption.
- Practice this mantra: "Poor planning on your part doesn't mean an emergency on mine." (I don't say this to clients, but I repeat it to myself).
The Surprising Results
Clients respect me more, not less. By setting boundaries, I'm letting them know that my time and expertise have value. The clients worth keeping appreciate working with someone who treats their craft with respect.
And the quality of my work has improved – when I'm not constantly switching between urgent tasks, I can give each project the focus and creativity it deserves.
So the next time a "NEED THIS ASAP!!!" email hits your inbox, pause. Ask yourself if this truly requires dropping everything. If it doesn't – protect your time. Your creativity, your wellbeing, and yes, even your clients will benefit in the long run.
Because when everything is urgent, nothing is.
If you need a little help saying no to these urgent requests, check out prompt #3 from QC#48: Fail Joyfully.
