Using Defaults to Streamline Decisions
Time is precious, and spending it repeatedly customizing the same elements is a drain. Set certain defaults to kickstart your projects. Whether it's pre-set color palettes, typography styles, or layout grids, having a set of go-to design elements can dramatically reduce setup and design time.
- Leverage Reusable
Components: By creating and reusing design elements, you can maintain consistency across projects, avoid reinventing the wheel, and focus more on refining your designs.
- Templating: Build templates for common layouts, such as dashboards or landing pages
- Invest in learning: Learn keyboard shortcuts and time-saving
plugins for tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD.
Leverage AI for Exploration and Iterations
Instead of spending hours brainstorming or iterating manually, let AI
do the heavy lifting.
- Summarize user research: AI tools can sift through feedback and highlight the most important insights.
- Generate design ideas: Kick off with a prompt and let AI help you explore multiple design concepts while evaluating their feasibility.
- Simulate user interactions: Use AI to model user behavior, enabling faster refinement and validation of your designs.
- Give data-driven suggestions: AI can deliver actionable recommendations based on user behavior and market trends, ensuring your designs align with user needs and expectations.
Simplify Hand-offs with Organized Files
Ever received endless questions from developers after a hand-off? Save time (and your sanity) by ensuring your files are well-organized and self-explanatory.
Create a set naming convention for layers, groups, and components. Group relevant items logically, and use helpful annotations to add context for developers.
- Organize with Pages: Break down your design into pages for different sections or stages
of the project (e.g., “UI Components,” “Prototypes,” “Assets”, "Scratchpad").
- Clear Documentation: Include detailed documentation in your design file or as a separate hand-off document to explain any complex interactions or animations.
- State Everything: Use prototyping tools to visually represent states and interactions,
making it clear how elements behave in the final product.
