The design of work-life balance
I will be writing about design and how my work helps me and my clients to create the work-life balance we want. It took me a long time to figure out how to write about my two passions: design and life. I finally found a way to combine them.
My clients who want to create a company (and therefore want an app, website or logo) want a certain way of living. They don’t view their work as just a ‘job’ but usually as something they like to do and want to take to a next level. So whenever I am applying my design expertise I’m actually helping to improve someone’s work-life balance.
In all my articles I will share my observations, experiences and wandering thoughts about design and how it connects to a great work-life balance. I will make it personal but in a way that gives you extra value in your work or business.
Why is being personal helpful for your work?
Growing up I always thought that work was a place you had to go to where you had to be very serious. A place that was clearly different than your home. With colleagues that were different than your friends. With a goal that was different than most of your life goals.
But during all my work experiences I always wanted my work to improve my life. But I didn’t want to see work as something ‘different’ from my normal life. So instead of only using my work to improve my life, I also added parts of my life into my work. These parts are: being personal and open, creating valuable relationships and staying curious. For you these might be other values. Just know you are allowed to add things you value personally into your corporate life.
How did I add these personal ingredients in my work?
1 — Being personal and open
For me this is a very important part of my work. Being personal and open grants me the freedom to express myself fully during any project. I don’t only want this for myself. I also want my clients to be able to express themselves completely.
The work we choose can be great but life can sometimes be hard. We don’t want to waste our valuable days by doing work that doesn’t feed our real needs: fulfilment, meaning and growth.
I want to do projects that make me feel alive instead of feeling like a burden. I choose clients that want the same. We don’t want to annoy each other but rather help each other grow. We want to do projects that will help both of us achieve the life that we value.
By being personal we know what our intrinsic drives are and we can communicate openly. It’s not just a dry transaction of services and money. It’s a synergy that helps create the most beautiful products which in turn help us create the work and life we love.
2 — Creating valuable relationships
One of the things I enjoyed most of all my jobs were colleagues I had a lot of fun with. We used to joke around and have great conversations. As a freelance designer I don’t just want to do a job, send an invoice and close the project. I actually want to create a long term relationship that is fun and healthy.
Just imagine having something happen in your personal life that has effect on your business. Would you rather have ‘just clients’ at that point or do you rather have valuable relationships? I’ve had a terrible loss during my freelance career that made it very hard for me to come back into the game. But luckily I had built great relationships with my clients during all my working years.
These relationships allowed me to pick up my work even though I was still mourning and wasn’t fully recovered yet. But they believed in me and gave me the chance to help them professionally. I value that so much. Some of these business relationships have even turned into great friendships. How cool is that for your work-life balance?
3 — Staying curious
I really love letting my thoughts wander and just think about stuff. Anything. I’m a daydreamer and I constantly have ideas that I want to see happen in the world.
This is one of the greatest things I can combine in my work. It helps me create beautiful products for my clients. When they come to me for an app, website or logo I use my curiosity to dive into their world. What are their problems and how can I be of value?
I happen to love reading, trying out new technology and learning new coding languages. So when someone wants a great product I can apply all the knowledge I gathered. When you learn, just learn what you love. Don’t overthink it and try to learn only ‘the best tools’. Just learn what your curiosity inspires you to learn. It might feel random like “why am I learning something completely unrelated to my work” but somehow this will broaden your horizon.
Eventually all my ‘randomly acquired’ knowledge always came together perfectly into a beautiful project. At times it might feel like clients ‘sensed’ you have new skills and they reach out to you. Let’s just say you learned what you love instead of what you thought was useful. And that which you love will always radiate and your clients will feel it.
Being able to stay curious in your field is one of the greatest blessings. It makes your work feel like play and you will come up with solutions that just-a-day-job would never give you.
Conclusion
Don’t underestimate the power and influence your daily life and values can have on your corporate life. Find creative ways to incorporate personal traits in your daily work. Even if you can only start with one simple thing like seeing your colleagues or clients as people you value in your life.
By incorporating personal traits your work will start to feel more like ‘you’. You will no longer feel that work is ‘that serious place’ and life is that ‘fun place’. It will merge into each other. You will feel better because of it, your relationships will be better and you will do greater work.
How do you feel about your work-life balance?
