For many creative types, the old cliché that a cluttered desk is a sign of genius seems to hold true.
In fact, a study last year found that “working in tidy room encourages people to do socially responsible, normatively ‘good’ things like eat healthfully and give to charity. But working in a messy room seems to help them try new things and come up with creative ideas,” according to an article from the American Psychological Association.
So you might bristle, and rightly so, at the “de-clutter” mantra so prevalent out there today.
Still, there are a few basic thoughts on how to arrange your workspace to keep the ideas flowing and the productivity high. From the minds at YouTheDesigner, here are a few key points from “A Designer’s Guide on Workspace Organization.”
- Think about ergonomics. “A well-designed workplace should provide comfort and avoid stress or physical injuries. There are ways to prevent your back, neck, shoulders, and wrists from aching after a long day at work.”
- Get good lighting. “Whether it be natural or artificial, good lighting provides more energy and enthusiasm towards our work.”
- How’s the view? “Let your mind wander and gaze outside the window for a while…The inspiration you’ve been waiting for might just pass by the window!”
- Use dual monitors [a personal favorite of mine]. “This is especially helpful when you’re designing while simultaneously looking on design pegs or inspiration.”
- Keep an idea drawer. “You never know when you’ll be lost for a concept to start from, so it is a little help to have something where you can stash away ideas from different materials.”
- Name your files descriptively. “This will save you time when searching for a particular file within a folder of random things because you just have to type it in the search bar.”
- Use file folders. “Create several folders and be as descriptive as possible when naming each for every project.”
- Backup everything. One computer glitch could ruin your whole day. [We like cloud-based offsite backups.]
- Clean it up. Love the mess, but do make a point to tidy up and clean once in a while. A little more space can leave some room for new ideas.
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