The Importance of Patience in Design
Design is one of the easiest things to critique. Juxtapose it with a piece of code. Have you ever seen anybody looking at the code for 2 seconds and giving you 200 comments? No right? There is an expectation of mastery over JavaScript or c# or c++ to critique a piece of code but, when it comes to design, it’s a free world. Design is Democratic. Everybody has the right to critique your design and we, as designers, welcome it. Hence, it’s very important that a designer learns to deal with the influx of feedback flowing at him/her.
Challenges
Being a designer is easy. Being a great designer is hard. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be a great designer. It is rarely an easy ride for a designer with a bunch of challenges following us daily.
Rejections. Hard to deal with but something which cannot be avoided. Gaining the trust of your client/manager is always tricky.
Criticisms. People react to bad designs in different ways. Some play it down while others react rudely. Nevertheless, harsh negative criticisms are a difficult pill to swallow.
Creative Block. The feeling of being lost is real. You try to reach out for some inspiration but it becomes hard to tap into your inner creativity. This can last for days, even months and it’s very REAL.
Change Request. There is nothing more frustrating than pulling out an all-nighter to complete the design before the deadline but receiving more change requests in the morning ( sometimes, just minutes before the deadline). AARGH!
But as a designer one has to understand that great results come with Patience.
Patience
Good things take time. You could perhaps rush a good piece of work, or even a great piece of work if you’re really talented, but extraordinary works that stick in people’s minds are those which have undergone experimentation, deep thought, and long term development — all of which takes a lot of time.
Handling criticism is difficult but a necessary part of a designer’s job. It helps if we don’t take the criticism too personally and try to look for the bigger picture. The criticism is on the design. Don’t dwell on it, process it, work together and make it your friend.
We get intimidated by other fellow designers who are up-skilling rapidly. Be patient with your learning. The goal is not to swallow everything that is there to learn but to be consistently learning every day.
It happens to the best of bests. Take a break. Change the scenery. Have a cup of Tea. Restart. Keep pushing.
You are not just a designer. You are a husband, a friend, a father, a brother and so much more to people around you. Things that happen around you subconsciously affect your work and that’s “Okay”. Be Patient. Give yourself time and also give your time to your loved ones.
Choose to focus on progress rather than perfection.
Thank you for reading.
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