An Argument for Designers to Not Have to Reinvent the Wheel

Three Shortcuts That Made Me a Better Designer

When you’re an up-and-coming designer, every project is a new opportunity to show others how creative you can be. But what happens when you’re designing your fifth, tenth, or hundredth one-page informational sheet? Good design means efficiency, but good designers also need to be efficient with their time and effort. So…what does that look like? How do you design something with authenticity that delivers on the prompt and is something you can be proud of? Take shortcuts. And skip to the H2s if you’re not interested in anecdotes. 

In my first internship, I was tasked with building a new training manual layout. I was given free rein within brand guidelines, so I spent weeks building a completely original template. I did my best to take what was previously a Word Doc with weird spacing and make it the most illustrious, finessed document I could. I added every color I could justify to categorize sections. I used simple graphic elements to tie it in. I added, subtracted, printed testers, and eventually landed on a final layout. I built this simple, professional template on my own, using only my brain and inspirational design elements. 

I was still finishing my undergraduate degree in graphic design, and I was given an incredible opportunity with this paid internship within my career field before I even had my Bachelor’s. But something that would become a common theme in my career was that I was terrified of messing up. I was scared that if I didn’t prove my creative capabilities, they would find someone else. I was insecure, inexperienced, and (eventually, thankfully) a sponge. An important note about this project is that I had to be reminded countless times to embed and link the pictures I used so others could access them. This was just your everyday mistake made over and over because I was so afraid of making other mistakes—Forrest for the trees and all that. Yes, I used an Em Dash, but I typed every word of this. Saving AI for another post.

So let’s jump forward - that was my first professional position. My most recent multi-page design was for my last full-time employer. When working on it, 10 years after that first job, I found myself certain. I developed a template and completed the design within the week, with time to spare for the print/digital color variations. I was experienced and unafraid of feedback - a quality that only time can grant.

What changed? Well, I did for starters. My therapist says I have an awareness of mental health that has provided growth and insight over the years. I find direction by looking back at a project with humility, grace, and dissecting the good, the bad, and the ugly. Understanding where I was at when I made that design and what I could do differently next time to improve myself, the design, or my process. 

But what I want to focus on is one of the lessons I’ve learned through trial and error. The trap every designer I’ve ever met has fallen into at one point or another - every design must be fresh, new, never seen before, popping, creativity meets trendsetting. That is the most Papyrus pitfall I’ve ever heard. That’s a typography joke; I’m saying it’s an overused belief that has no place in today’s design world. Like when you’re provided an EPS logo file, but it’s just a JPG pasted on the artboard - ain’t nobody got time for that. 

Logically, every design cannot carry that weight. Even the most excellent designers would suffer from the heavy burden that is placed on your right-sided brain (if that’s a thing). If I could tell my 23-year-old self two things, the first would be to invest in Bitcoin, and the second would be to come to terms with the reality of being a graphic designer in a corporate position. There will be projects that allow for creative juice to spew out, making your coworkers think you might have lost a few of your marbles. For all others, get inspiration and don’t be afraid to use it. There is a reason that stock image sites sell templates, and it’s because we shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel. I finally said the thing from the title, and I meant it. Technical specifications and corporate brochures for investors are, in my experience, destined to be a bit more stodgy, laced-up, and “modern” (read: boring). I think that’s okay, though - that information isn’t meant to stop traffic. So, here are my proposed shortcuts to adjust your mindset and improve your efficiency.

Shortcut 1: Stop Overthinking It

Okay, so this is rich coming from me, the Queen of Overthinkingland. But do as I say, not as I do in this instance, yeah? You’re asked for a tri-fold brochure, content provided, and it’s to be for Company A. You now have an idea of the size, color requirements, branding, and copy. Start there. 

Shortcut 2: Let Someone Else Have the Stroke of Genius

Using the example above, at this point, I’m Googling “brochure tri-fold designs” and, having paroused the information, looking for layouts that could work well for this piece. Is it for a product with limited imagery available? Then look for more shape-heavy and text-centric designs. Do we need one fold to be entirely collaged with vertical stock imagery, but you can’t find an example of a brochure that has one? Widen your search to “business printed designs” and combine inspirations to make something that answers the call. 

Shortcut 3: About that Wheel…Recreate it. KIND OF.

What? I thought that’s what we were against!? You’re saying. But hear me out. My argument here is that expecting yourself (or, if you lead them, your designers) to develop new, cutting-edge designs constantly is a very, very, very tough thing to ask for. So use those inspirations you found and put your twist on them. Or don’t, to be honest. Some designers have already spent a fair amount of time creating the perfect layout that caught your talented eye. Take their perfectly designed wheel, and customize it. Recreate it (or buy it if you’re bougie), then let the content drive your revisions. Tailor it to fit your prompt. That’s where your creativity can shine, and it doesn’t have to cost you weeks of pining and creative blocks, when instead you can knock it out of the park and move on to your next project.

I feel like I need to make something abundantly clear - there are absolutely times when following inspiration too closely, and I do not condone taking credit for someone else’s work. But when you were hired as a designer, I like to imagine the person who hired you was hiring the whole package of design expertise that you provide, and included in that is knowing what kind of designs will fit the content. Even on projects with more creative freedom, starting with inspiration and building off of it is a normal part of the process, in my opinion. Just be fully transparent and honest with yourself and others about the work you do, the knowledge you provide, and trust your instinct about where your line in the sand is. Everyone is different, which is what makes designing such a fascinating profession. Even if you buy a stock template, you’re likely going to add your unique spin on it, intentionally or not. So don’t be afraid to use a step stool sometimes. You don’t always have to be striving for a new level of creativity. Use other designers as weapons in the arsenal of what you can offer.