I used to hate ‘the deadline’. ‘Nobody can ask me to deliver on a schedule. I’m working on art here, you can’t rush art!’ But I’ve started to love the deadline, because it’s the only thing preventing me from working myself to death. Let me explain.

When someone is on a job interview and they are asked what there specialities are they will almost always answer: ‘I’m a perfectionist’. Trying to do your best is great. But being a perfectionist is a great disadvantage. Perfectionists have the tendency to miss deadlines because they want to deliver perfect work. You did good when you get your deadlines with OK work. You’re doing really bad when you miss every deadline with perfect work. That’s why I learned to love the deadline. It gives me the opportunity to stop worrying about the quality of my work. It doesn’t always get better when I have more time.

So stop being a perfectionist and start delivering.

Designing seems like a gift. To be able to create beautiful things on will almost seems magical. Time after time we, as web designers, are asked to deliver our best work on a very tight schedule. And every time I stare at the blank photoshop canvas I start worrying if I can pull it off this time. I don’t know where it comes from, this ability to make designs which please the clients time after time. And I’m worried that one day I will wake up and that it this gift will be gone. Just as easily as it came. I didn’t study design, I didn’t go to Art school… I just started designing.

And even when I have ‘completed’ the design it’s still a gamble if the client likes it. I’m never sure. Of course I do my best to follow the brief as closely as possible. But is it enough? Maybe I misunderstood the client? And then the moment comes. I have to present my design to the client. My heart is pounding, my hands are sweaty. I start talking and then… I show it. And the first look, that first facial expression of the client always makes me think that they hate it. But 99 out of 100 times they actually like it. It may need some tweaking or some copy is wrong but overall they are very pleased. I’m relieved, happy, high five my boss. And then it starts all over again… staring at that blank photoshop canvas, stressing out.