When we’re not talking about actual design techniques, one of our favorite things to cover are ways in which you can improve the quality of your life as a graphic designer. We feel this has the potential to radically change the way you do things. To us, that’s a good thing. We’re always looking for new ways to keep our designs fresh and inspired. So if you’re looking to do the same, but aren’t really sure how to go about it, then skip on down below the break! We’ve got all of our top tips lined up and ready for you to peruse.

  1. Throw it All Out: After about three months of solid working for our clients, we tend to find ourselves using the same ruddy textures, patterns and thoughts. This is a bad habit, as it not only makes all our designs look the same, but it’s also rather boring. You can avoid this though by doing what we do: Throw all those textures and patterns away! Just get rid of them. This ensures that you’ll actually go find new ones, as well as new ideas to use with them. This is a rough thing to do, and you’re really going to have to be committed. Obviously don’t do it during a big project, but in the in-between, go for it! You really won’t regret it.
  2. Read the Blogs: If you aren’t already, follow a multitude of design blogs. These are places where other designers point out what they’re creating, as well as what they like in the work of other designers. This is a great way to catch up on what’s cool and trendy, as well as to learn what you haven’t yet. Get some really great ideas underneath your bonnet, and then use those to produce designs that will rock the socks right off of your clients.
  3. Use Different Software: Recently we mentioned how we stopped using Photoshop to produce our page layouts. Instead, we’ve swapped to using InDesign, and the results may look the same, but we feel much better about the situation. Similarly, if you feel stuck in a rut, try a new piece of designing software! Use a different Adobe product, or maybe try a freeware edition that comes close in functionality. Don’t lessen the quality of your work, but if trying some new tools out makes things easier and more fun, then by all means! Go for it.