Let it Marinate

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Melissa Martin.

Do you swear to let it marinate, completely marinate and not return until it is fully marinated, so help your graphic design career?
So help my career, I do.

Today I got stuck in the purgatory all graphic designers know as design block. I was working on creating a marketing piece intended for a monograph pitch and just felt stuck. No amount of shifting photos or re-arranging titles was fixing the fact that something just wasn’t working.

So I did what you’re supposed to do when your design is being the bully on the playground, pushing you around and getting in your face. Instead of fighting back, I walked away.

Whenever I get stuck on a design project, as hard as it may be, I force myself to step away and let the work I’ve done already just sit – or in cooking terms, marinate a little. Unless you are under a serious time crunch, removing yourself from a project for a little while can save time and frustration and prevent over-designing.

Move on to another project, catch up on email, whip out a yoga pose, clear off your workspace or blog (my current method of choice). Do anything, but don’t stare at your computer screen manipulating elements mindlessly while all of your creative energy withers away. As with any good recipe, sometimes you’ve got to let it congeal, let it soak, let it be!

After returning from your brief diversion you will be able to analyze your work more effectively. Fresh eyes = fresh perspective. You can better decide whether you should scrap your idea, push it a little further or maybe you’ll find one small tweak that takes your layout from functional to fabulous.

One of the most challenging aspects of design is that there is no one right answer to a problem. Because designers are faced with endless possibilities it can be difficult to decide when to stop designing.

So, when in doubt – let it marinate! (It’s not just for meat anymore.)

Tags: design block, fresh eyes = fresh perspective, let it be, marinate

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