Looking to learn how to deliver better results—and on time—as a designer?
Your problem could be poor time management. We have prepared a list of tested tools and tricks to help you. But first, let's set the foundation. Why do you need time management?
The Unique Time Management Challenges of Designers
Designers, with their creative minds and passion for aesthetics, often face unique time management challenges that can derail even the most ambitious projects.
Here are some of the common hurdles:
Creative Workflows: The creative process is inherently unpredictable. Inspiration can strike at any moment, and design blocks can halt progress.
Multiple Projects and Deadlines: Designers often juggle multiple projects with tight deadlines, making it difficult to prioritize tasks effectively.
Client Communication: Constant client communication, from initial briefs to final approvals, can consume significant time and energy.
Why Designers Need Time Management Apps
Time management apps have become essential tools for designers in today's fast-paced digital age. With these apps, designers can improve productivity and reduce stress, helping them stay organized.
Smooth Workflows: Time management apps can help you break down complex projects into smaller, manageable tasks. This can streamline your workflow and make it easier to track your progress.
Increasing Productivity: By prioritizing tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking your time, you can maximize your productivity and achieve more in less time.
Reducing Stress: Effective time management can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and reduce stress. When you know what needs to be done and when, you can work more efficiently and calmly.
Essential Time Management Principles for Designers
Understanding Time Thieves
To effectively manage your time, it's important to identify the "time thieves" that can drain your productivity. These are the activities and distractions that steal precious hours from your day.
Common Time Thieves for Designers:
Social Media: Mindless scrolling can consume hours.
Email Overload: Constant notifications can disrupt your workflow.
Perfectionism: Overanalyzing and overthinking can slow you down.
Poor Planning: Lack of a clear plan can lead to wasted time.
Unrealistic Deadlines: Setting unrealistic deadlines can lead to stress and burnout.
To eliminate these time thieves, consider using techniques like:
Time Blocking: Allocate specific time blocks for different tasks.
Pomodoro Technique: Work in focused 25-minute intervals with short breaks.
Mindful Multitasking: Prioritize tasks and focus on one at a time.
Digital Detox: Schedule regular breaks from screens to rest your mind.
We will cover some of these techniques in more detail in later sections of the article. Keep reading!
Top Time Management Apps for Designers
Now, let's dive into some efficient tools that can help improve how you manage your time.
Todoist
Todoist is a popular task management app that can help you stay organized and focused. It has a clean and intuitive interface that allows you to create tasks, set due dates, and add notes.
Key Features:
Task Management: Create and organize tasks into projects.
Prioritization: Assign priorities to tasks and set deadlines.
Reminders and Notifications: Stay on top of deadlines and important tasks.
Collaboration: Work with team members on shared projects.
Time Tracking: Estimate and track the time spent on tasks.
How Designers Can Utilize Todoist:
Project Management: Break down large design projects into smaller, manageable tasks.
Client Communication: Use Todoist to track client requests, deadlines, and feedback.
Task Prioritization: Focus on high-priority tasks and avoid distractions.
Time Tracking: Monitor your time spent on different projects and tasks.
Goal Setting: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
Asana: Your Collaborative Workspace
Asana is a powerful project management tool that goes beyond simple time management. It's designed to help teams collaborate effectively, track progress, and meet deadlines.
Key Features:
Project Management: Organize projects into boards, calendars, or timelines.
Task Management: Create, assign, and prioritize tasks.
Team Collaboration: Collaborate with team members through comments, notifications, and @mentions.
Workload Management: Balance workloads and prevent burnout.
Integration with Other Tools: Sync with other tools like Google Calendar, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
How Designers Can Utilize Asana:
Organize Your Projects: Break down complex design projects into smaller, manageable tasks.
Communicate with Clients: Use Asana to share project updates, gather feedback, and track approvals.
Collaborate with Your team: Collaborate with other team members, such as developers and writers.
Time Tracking: Estimate and track the time spent on different tasks.
Portfolio Management: Organize and showcase your design work.
Trello: Your Visual Task Board
Trello is a flexible project management tool that uses a Kanban-style board to visualize tasks and workflows. It's a great tool for designers who prefer a visual approach to task management.
Key Features:
Kanban Boards: Organize tasks into different stages of a workflow.
Cards: Represent individual tasks with detailed descriptions.
Labels and Checklists: Categorize and break down tasks.
Power-Ups: Add additional features and integrations.
Mobile App: Access your boards on the go.
How Designers Can Utilize Trello:
Project Organization: Visualize the entire design process from start to finish.
Task Prioritization: Organize tasks into different columns based on priority.
Client Communication: Share project updates and gather feedback.
Team Collaboration: Work with team members on shared boards.
Brainstorming: Use Trello to brainstorm ideas and organize thoughts.
Toggl Track: Your Time Tracking Companion
Looking to understand how you spend your time? Toggl Track is a popular time tracking app that helps you achieve that. It's particularly useful for freelancers and designers who need to track their billable hours.
Key Features:
Time Tracking: Accurately track time spent on different tasks and projects.
Time Reports: Generate detailed time reports to analyze your productivity.
Time Entries: Easily add and edit time entries.
Time Estimates: Set estimated time for tasks and compare it to actual time spent.
Integrations: Integrate with other tools like Trello, Asana, and Slack.
How Designers Can Utilize Toggl Track
Time Billing: Accurately track billable hours for clients.
Productivity Analysis: Identify time-consuming tasks and areas for improvement.
Project Budgeting: Estimate the time required for projects and plan accordingly.
Client Reporting: Provide detailed reports on the time spent on projects.
Personal Time Management: Understand how you spend your time and make adjustments.
Timely: Simple Yet Powerful
Timely is a unique time tracking app that automatically tracks time spent on different applications and websites. It uses AI to categorize activities, making it easy to understand how time is being spent.
Key Features:
Automatic Time Tracking: Automatically tracks time spent on different tasks and projects.
AI-Powered Time Categorization: Categorizes activities based on the apps and websites used.
Time Reports: Generate detailed reports on time usage and productivity.
Integrations: Integrates with popular project management and communication tools.
Team Time Tracking: Track time for teams and collaborate on projects.
How Designers Can Utilize Timely:
Time Awareness: Gain insights into how time is spent on different tasks.
Productivity Improvement: Identify time-wasting habits and improve focus.
Client Billing: Accurately track billable hours for clients.
Team Collaboration: Track team members' time and productivity.
Project Management: Monitor the time spent on different project phases.
Time Doctor: Your Productivity Partner
Time Doctor is another robust time-tracking and productivity tool designed to help individuals and teams stay focused and efficient. You'll find a range of features to monitor work habits, track time, and improve productivity.
Key Features:
Website and App Tracking: Monitor time spent on various websites and apps.
Screenshot Monitoring: Capture screenshots of your screen at regular intervals.
Idle Time Tracking: Identify periods of inactivity.
Detailed Reports: Generate detailed reports on time usage, productivity, and project performance.
How Designers Can Utilize Time Doctor:
Time Billing: Accurately track billable hours for clients.
Productivity Analysis: Identify time-wasting habits and improve focus.
Project Management: Monitor time spent on different project phases.
Remote Work Accountability: Prove productivity to clients and team members.
Habit Tracking: Use the time tracking feature to identify patterns and improve focus.
Google Calendar: Powerful Scheduling Tool
Next on our list is Google Calendar, a versatile and widely-used calendar app that can help designers manage their schedules efficiently. Although not really a time-tracking app, you can manage your time more efficiently with it.
Key Features:
Event Scheduling: Create and manage events with reminders.
Time Zone Support: Schedule meetings with people in different time zones.
Calendar Sharing: Share calendars with team members or clients.
Task Management: Create and track tasks within the calendar.
Integration with Google Workspace: Seamlessly integrate with other Google apps like Gmail and Google Meet.
How Designers Can Utilize Google Calendar:
Project Scheduling: Create events for project milestones and deadlines.
Client Meetings: Schedule meetings with clients and track their availability.
Team Collaboration: Share calendars with team members to coordinate schedules.
Time Blocking: Allocate specific time blocks for different tasks.
Reminder Setting: Set reminders for important deadlines and tasks.
Calendly: Your Easy to Use Calendar
Similar to the previous tool, Calendly is a powerful scheduling tool that automates the process of booking meetings and appointments. It's particularly useful for freelancers and designers who frequently schedule client meetings.
Key Features:
Automated Scheduling: Allow clients to self-schedule meetings based on your availability.
Customizable Scheduling Links: Create unique links for different types of meetings.
Time Zone Support: Automatically adjust for different time zones.
Integration with Google Calendar: Sync with your Google Calendar to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Customizable Settings: Customize your availability, buffer time, and notification settings.
How Designers Can Utilize Calendly:
Client Scheduling: Automate the scheduling process and reduce back-and-forth emails.
Team Meetings: Schedule team meetings and sync calendars.
Remote Work: Coordinate with remote team members across different time zones.
Client Consultations: Offer convenient scheduling options for client consultations.
Workshop and Webinar Scheduling: Schedule and promote online events.
Identifying and Eliminating Time-Wasting Habits
To effectively manage your time, the first step is to identify and eliminate time-wasting habits. Here are some common habits that designers should be aware of:
Procrastination: Putting off tasks can lead to stress and decreased productivity.
Multitasking: Trying to do multiple things at once can reduce focus and efficiency.
Perfectionism: Spending excessive time on minor details can delay progress.
Poor Time Management: Lack of planning and organization can lead to wasted time.
To combat these habits, try these strategies:
Time Tracking: Use the time tracking apps we have listed to identify where your time is going.
Mindful Work: Focus on one task at a time and avoid distractions.
Set Realistic Goals: Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable steps.
Reward Yourself: Celebrate your accomplishments to stay motivated.
Time Management Tricks for Designers
Time Blocking Technique
Time blocking involves dividing your day into specific time blocks for different tasks. This technique helps you stay focused, prioritize tasks, and maintain a consistent workflow. To effectively structure your day, consider the following:
Identify Key Tasks: Determine the most important tasks for the day.
Allocate Time Blocks: Assign specific time blocks to each task.
Be Flexible: Be prepared to adjust your schedule as needed.
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves working in focused 25-minute intervals, followed by a short break. This technique helps you maintain focus, reduce mental fatigue, and increase productivity.
Prioritization Techniques
Eisenhower Matrix: This matrix helps you prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance.
ABCDE Method: Assign priorities to tasks based on their value and impact.
Eat the Frog: Tackle your most challenging task first thing in the morning.
By implementing these techniques, you can improve your time management skills and boost your productivity as a designer.
More Tips for Effective Time Management in UX Design
Creating a Dedicated Workspace
A dedicated workspace can significantly improve your productivity and focus. It should be a clutter-free environment where you can concentrate on your work.
Minimize Distractions: Turn off notifications on your phone and computer.
Organize Your Tools: Keep your design tools and supplies organized.
Personalize Your Space: Decorate your workspace to inspire creativity.
Setting Realistic Goals
Setting realistic goals helps you stay motivated and avoid burnout.
Break Down Large Tasks: Divide large projects into smaller, manageable tasks.
Prioritize Tasks: Focus on the most important tasks first.
Set Achievable Deadlines: Avoid setting unrealistic deadlines.
Learning to Say No
Although difficult, it's important to learn to say no to additional projects or tasks that may overwhelm you. Prioritize your workload and focus on what's most important.
Regularly Reviewing and Adjusting Your Schedule
Regularly review your schedule to ensure that you're on track. If necessary, adjust your schedule to accommodate unexpected tasks or changes in priorities.
Conclusion
Effective time management can help you to maintain productivity and deliver high-quality work without burning out. But first, you need to understand the unique challenges of the design profession. Then you can implement the strategies discussed in this article. With the right time management apps for designers, you can be on your way to a more optimized workflow, achieving your goals.
