Graphic designers are busy bees. We wear many hats and juggle at least ten different projects at any given time. While we would love to give every ounce of our heart to every second of each project, there really just aren’t enough hours in the day. That’s why it’s super important that we know how to manage our time, prioritize our processes, and optimize our workflow.
So today I’m sharing five ways I cut corners every day to be more efficient with my time as a designer:
1.The Noun Project
Infographics and web icons are big right now. It seems like within the past year, more and more of my clients have requested these pictorial symbols to illustrate their ideas, whether it’s on their website, in a case study, or even on a flyer.
But every designer knows just how long it takes to draw those intricate little designs. So I present to you… The Noun Project. It’s an incredible resource that lets you search and download millions of icons… for FREE! And we’re not just talking about JPG formats: they provide the editable vector versions as well!!
Obviously if a client requests custom-drawn icons, it’s a no-go. But if they aren’t picky about it and want to be as cost-effective with your time as possible, I suggest turning to this site for a helping hand. (Another great one is flaticon.com.)
2.CMYK to Pantone
So I gotta fess up: I don’t design in Pantone. Unless a client specifically asks that I design in their specific PMS colors, I opt for CMYK every time. Why? Well, it’s more natural, accessible, and easier for most clients to understand.
But every now and then a client will come back to me because their printer has requested their list of PMS swatches. So since I might be the only freelance designer left on this planet without a Pantone Color Book, I have to get creative with finding those answers.
My secret: CMYK to Pantone. All you have to do is enter your CMYK values and it spits out the closest Pantone swatches to match. You can also convert RGB to Pantone, CMYK to RGB, CMYK to HEX, the list goes on. (I’ve also been told that Adobe Illustrator has a technique for converting the colors, but this is just the route I’ve always taken.)
3.Adobe Color
Another confession: I’m terrible with color theory. I hate brainstorming color palettes and I’ve never enjoyed hunting down the right shade of blue. So when it comes to pairing the perfect hues for a project, I turn to Adobe Color. It’s a brilliant tool that helps you piece together a color palette, starting with a single color and it’s great for those of us who didn’t pay attention in art class.
Because why reinvent the (color) wheel when you don’t have to? 😜
4.Font Finding Sites
I can’t tell you how often a client asks me to redraw their previous logo that is a low-res JPG with cobwebs all over it. Sure, retracing the icon part can be a breeze, but matching the exact font of the logo is every designer’s worst nightmare. Ain’t nobody got time for hours of scrolling through their font database.
So my nifty trick for minimizing my detective duties are these three font identifier websites: WhatTheFont!, Font Squirrel, and What Font Is (listed in order of my preference). All you have to do is take a screenshot of the typeface in question, upload it to one of those sites and they will do the dirty work for you! (I must say, they aren’t always 100% correct, but they will at least set you on the right track for finding a match.)
5. free illustrations
Back to the point I made in #1, why spin your wheels perfecting a graphic that is readily available to you? Two of my favorite resources for free illustrations and vectors are Vecteezy and FreePik.
But user beware: my best advice is that no matter how perfect the graphic you find might be for your project, always put a twist on it to make it your own. Your clients aren’t paying you to repurpose someone else’s work so use this tool in moderation and as a jumping board for your own creations. Turn to these sites for pulling small pieces of the overall puzzle you are building.
There you have it folks! I’ve spilled my secrets.
Now it’s your turn: what are some of your favorite design cheat codes?