PROMPT #1

Have a life

This week I came across an article by Kautsar Anggakara where he shares five things that worked for him in addressing his insecurities as a designer. The one that resonated with me the most was, ‘Have a life’:

“Not attaching my self-worth to work and not feeling guilty about having a life is by far what help me the most in gaining back the confidence, and the love to what I do as a designer… In short: stop trying to be a great designer, and some of you will be a better designer for it.” – Kautsar Anggakara

Read Kautsar’s article about the plague of designer’s insecurity

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PROMPT #2

Reign in your email-checking addiction

If you are a Gmail user and have trouble with incessantly checking your emails (this was a big problem for me), try this:

• Install Boomerang for Gmail
• Once installed, click the 'Pause Inbox' button
• Only unpause at limited intervals when you are ready to attend to your emails (I do it twice a day at 11am and 4pm on workdays).

This has stopped me from ‘just quickly’ checking my emails during the weekend and evenings because I know there won’t be anything in my inbox, which means I get a more restful break when I’m not working.

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PROMPT #3

‘Create with Confidence’ Manifesto

I’ve been working on a manifesto as a reference point for designers, to help them create with confidence. With #6 in mind, I’m keen to know what you think. Here's what I've got so far:

1. I don’t compare myself to other designers
2. I’m dedicated to developing my processes
3. I define good enough at < 100%
4. I share my design knowledge
5. I know my strengths and weaknesses
6. I continually seek feedback
7. I aim to inspire change
8. I remember my journey is unique

As a designer, are there any points that you do or don’t relate to? Let me know.