Is it done yet?
Getting sh*t done (as a designer) part 4
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One of the hardest things about getting things done as a designer is to know when something is, in fact, done.
Design work is inherently subjective and there can be an endless amount of potential improvement to be made.
There is never a final “right” answer to arrive at.
For many designers, the work is done when there the clock runs out. This attitude is common in design schools, and is sometimes even actively encouraged by professors. The project is only done the minute before it’s due, when there are no more sleepless nights to be had.
This can engrain unsustainable work habits into many young designers. Habits that then seep into professional work environments, eventually leading to burnout and disillusionment with the craft and profession.
It is of course sometimes necessary to put in the extra effort in your education and early in your career to figure out what is actually good design work and where your efforts actually count.
But it seems to me that many designers do not break out of toxic patterns of perfectionism and cannot call something done until the moment it has to be.
Over the years, I have become more aware of my own perfectionist tendencies. I’ve found impactful ideas that have helped tame them and I’ll share some of them with you today.
Note: this is part 4 of a multi-part post series about how I get things done effectively as a designer. You can read part 1 about getting the right things done here, part 2 about deep work and energy management here, and part 3 about time management here.
The Pareto Principle
You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule, or the Pareto Principle. It roughly states that 80 percent of the outputs of any activity are the result of just 20% of the inputs.
This means that 80% of your efforts go towards ever diminishing returns for that last 20% of output.
I’ve found this to be somewhat true in design.
If you know where to focus your efforts, you can get to an 80% design outcome fairly quickly. Then, if you know where to look (or get feedback on where to look) for high-return refinements, you can maybe eek out 5-10% more. But after that, I think you are often just slamming your head against the wall for hours and hours looking for 0.5-1% extra.
I am not saying you should always look to deliver 80% work, but you should be cognizant of whether you’ve hit the 80% mark and whether you are hunting for diminishing returns. You should make an informed cost-benefit analysis about whether the extra effort is worth the reward for the stage of the project you’re in.
Sometimes the answer is yes. You should continue to seek perfection because maybe you have the time and it is energizing for you to continue.
Oftentimes, it means you should stop polishing your work before you think you’re ready to stop.
Done is better than perfect
This was such a liberating phrase for me to learn.
First I think we need to recognize that perfection is impossible. The pursuit of perfection can certainly be a noble one, but true perfection is unattainable.
Not recognizing this truth can lead to a paralyzing cycle of endless refinement and rework.
For me, what this phrase means is that at some point, you have to call something done even knowing it is imperfect. And putting it out into the world despite its imperfect form is actually better than keeping the work trapped in perfection purgatory.
When you call something done, you can release your stranglehold on it and receive meaningful feedback from a more detached point of view. You can take that feedback and apply it to the next time you solve a creative problem of a similar nature.
We are often our own worst critics. When we call something done, we can let go of the process and find that others judge it so much better than we even expected. We were just so close to the work we couldn’t see it.
For professional work, the fact is that clients and bosses rarely demand true perfection in the way that many designers seem to. At the end of the day, they have companies and businesses to run. They need something that is good enough (but ideally still very good) to move onto the next step.
For personal work, you need to call something done and let go of it to do something even better next time.
So look for done in the endless pursuit of perfection.
Done is better than perfect.
What’s done is done
I used to revisit my portfolio on an endless cycle.
Revising and redoing old work.
I used to think this was how to achieve a perfect portfolio of work.
It was painful constant reminder of my past limitations and honestly, not really that productive.
I’ve found that the way to actually put what you’ve learned into practice and create your best work is to let go of your old work.
Give yourself permission to create new and better things free from the baggage of old, unsatisfactory scaffolding.
Of course, there is often a practical need to spruce up our old work when presenting our portfolios. This is fine, but try not to indulge in the pointless and self flagellating practice of endlessly polishing old work for no particular reason other than to bring it up to your newest standards.
Let what’s done be done, and move on.
Defining “done” is the key part of getting things done as a designer.
Knowing how to call something done can be the difference between a painful and unfulfilling creative practice and an energizing and joyful one.
I’m still on a journey to figure out what done means to me in a lot of areas of my creative work, but these ideas have helped me along the way.
How do you know when you’re done?
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Just the ID Jobs - 12x Full-Time, 3x Internship
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Iron Mountains LLC - Industrial Design Intern (post graduate)
Morgantown PA
Baby goods
0 years experience minimum
Sig Sauer Inc - Intern, Industrial Design
Exeter NH
Firearms
0 years experience minimum
The Hillman Group - Industrial Design Intern
Atlanta GA
Outdoor products
$20 an hour
0 years experience minimum
Briggs & Stratton - Industrial Designer Senior
Wauwatosa WI
Outdoor equipment
5 years experience minimum
Rosanna Imports Inc. - INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER
Seattle WA
Kitchen and bath products
$23 - $29 an hour
1-3 years experience minimum
Argento SC - Packaging Designer
New York NY
Packaging
From $60,000 a year
3 years experience minimum
Kohler - Manager
New York NY
Kitchen and bath products
0 years experience minimum
West Elm - Designer, Decorative Accessories – West Elm Kids
Brooklyn NY
Home goods
$75,000 - $100,000 a year
3-4 years experience minimum
Horizon Group USA, Inc. - Packaging Designer
Township of Warren NJ
Packaging
3 years experience minimum
Smart Design - Industrial Design Director
Brooklyn NY
Consulting
$155,000 - $195,000 a year
15 years experience minimum
Just Play, LLC - Associate Packaging Designer
Newtown PA
Packaging
0-3 years experience minimum
LJS Solutions, LLC - Product Designer
Sumter SC
Equipment
$15 - $22 an hour
1 years experience minimum
Delve/Bresslergroup - Senior Director of Industrial Design
Boston MA
Consulting
15 years experience minimum
Lifetime Brands - Industrial Designer
Garden City NY
Kitchen and bath products
$68,000 - $73,000 per annum
2 years experience minimum
Acacia - Senior/Principal Industrial Designer
Newark CA
Personal care products
$125,000 - $175,000 per year
8 years experience minimum