A Day in the Life of a Graphic Designer

Have you ever wondered what it is like to just be creative the whole damn day for your job? See how our Senior Graphic Designer Jason describes his average day 👇

07:30 AM Good morning! The day starts. Or so, the commute rather. Pre-covid I’d spend my commute listening to relaxing music or the news before it was time to switch on at 9am. However, now we are working from home, my commute is slightly different, but still a very important part of my day. I still leave the house every morning to fill my lungs with fresh air, look for inspirations around me and piece together solutions that may be needed for the day ahead. 

08:30 AM is coffee time. Black. Strong. No sugar. The way it should be! And perhaps a bit of toast to feed the brain.

08:45 AM They say being 15 minutes early is on time. For me this means 15 minutes to catch up with emails and prioritise my tasks for the day. This leaves me with a clear focus and less stress when 9am comes around, ready to face new ideas and challenges for the day ahead. Organising my tasks in advance is the key to ensure I have a structured plan set in place for the day – a routine that never seems to fail!

09:00 AM The morning video call meeting commences! At Refiine we have maintained a light hearted catch up every day at 9am this year since the coronavirus wreaked havoc. Only for 10 minutes or so to keep each other in the loop and up to date with all ongoing projects, and just general keeping in touch/staying sane kind of thing of course…

09:10 AM It’s showtime. As a designer it is not all new conceptual, arty and wacky concepts, you have to remember in a commercial environment there is a business behind all of it so working in an efficient manner is of utmost importance as well as producing fantastic design work. Whether it be new ideas or simply amending existing work, or even repetitions, working smart but with passion are great values to have. I find it best to focus on one project at a time so that each design is dedicated to my full creative attention.

10:00 AM means it is time to turn on some tunes to keep the creativity flowing until the next….

11.00 AM coffee break. Oh and water.. hydration really is key.

13:00 PM is lunchtime/screen break time. As a designer dedicated to their work, staring at details on a screen for hours causes strain on your eyes. Giving your brain a time – out is so important, not only for a clearer mind but having the concentration to produce your best work.

Oh, and so is eating lunch.

14:00 PM from here until 5.30pm the day usually consists of jobs just getting done. Jobs being worked on, ones that are completed, or in progress. There is no ‘I’ in ‘team’, so it is important to have the ability to coordinate among different departments as we are all working for the same goal. Being a designer in today’s world means you have to be multi-disciplined and have the ability to assist and adapt wherever is needed, as well as understanding what your peers strengths and weaknesses are too. Let’s get the last push of the day done 💪

17:30 PM Home time right? In an industry that never sleeps that isn’t always the case, but the brain does need a recharge so if deadlines permit, it’s time to wind down and prepare for the journey home. In our current situation that may mean switching off and listening to music or the news.

18:15 PM Dinner.. or work? Well, work should be left at work, after all that’s why you left the office at 5.30 right? Well, of course but I find it is still good to chat with your loved ones at home so they know how you feel, and what kind of day you’ve had, as that helps with the work/life balance… so talking work is good. I love to cook, so being creative with food is a good way to unwind and get away from the screen and free up your brain for a while. Time to get creative with cooking, and talk about work.

19:00 PM Exercise. For me this is important, keeping healthy helps me deal with life. Outside of work, we designers still have to cope, and solve other issues in our day to day lives so it’s important to relax, and after a workout of whatever sort (whether it be 20 minutes of relaxing yoga or an intense crossfit session!) it helps to unwind so you can let your body prepare for the next day.