Managing Time

As a self-employed web designer, one of my greatest challenges is using time efficiently. Unless I periodically step back and review my time management (or lack of it) I can easily slip into a pattern of wasting too much valuable time. That is why I like to review articles on time management as a way of assessing my use of time. Scheduling my time each day is essential for good productivity. Here are a simple set of guidelines I saved from an old magazine article. They help me to manage time wisely on a daily basis:

First, list all the things you need to do. Next, follow the principle at Philippians 1:10: “Make sure of the more important things.” Yes, prioritize. What absolutely has to be done? What are some things that can safely be put off for later? Finally, figure out how much time you need to get things done and when you can do them. Be realistic, and avoid scheduling too much in too little time.

Indeed writing this short blog post is a way to remind myself to use time wisely. Gotta' go! Important projects are waiting!

Inside The Type Designer's Mind

I have a great admiration for type designers. It is an art form I dabbled with obliquely, through a love for Calligraphy that kept me obsessed for the better part of ten years. I do not regret the many hours spent mastering the lost art of handwritten letterform. It has taught me the artful arrangement of type and whitespace, a skill I call upon in my current role as a web designer.

Type design is a more rigid and exacting art than Calligraphy. And, it requires the same degree of obsession to master! I appreciated a recent online interview with Jos Buivenga, a self-taught Type designer who makes his work available for free online. Many of his designs are reminiscent of classic typefaces. Yet, they have a vigorous character of their own.

Jos was asked why he designed type. "It has grown on me. It’s now more or less like breathing to me. I can’t help it. I just want to do it. It allows me to be highly involved—or even lose myself—in a creative process."

Jos's answer perhaps sums up the creative drive that spurs on so many of us "creative types." We "just want to do it." Be sure to visit exlibris, the font foundry started by Jos Buivenga, and download a handsome typeface or two.