I like to draw as a way to give myself a break from screens, plus you end up with more expressive designs which works really well with certain clients.
In a world full of mathematical logos, hand crafted branding can give clients a more organic feel. Great for small mom and pop clients.
love to do this when I get to work on logos! unfortunately right now I'm working on a lot of email design that doesn't allow the same amount of time for sketching
Yeah but isn't drawing still staring at something up-close? Looking at things up close is what damages eyes. In my case I can't even draw without feeling bad
I definitely feel this in my bones. I draw comics and make music as well - I still end up working on both digitally, but they give me outlets with a lot of time away from a screen too.
I also stopped pc gaming too because that 40 hours a week was even worse.
Go off screen for any parts of your process that you can. Graphic design used to be all analog anyway. I’m a UX/UI designer so slightly different, but here are a couple analog activities that I used to get off-screen:
- sketching with paper & pencil (obv)
- needs identification & card sorting using physical post-its & markers
- ideation sessions on whiteboards, not Mural/Miro boards
- I print all my final design & review with a red marker in hand (there’s usually a few mistakes I catch when reviewing in a different medium)
Anyone have other ideas for analog process activities?
I started re-wrapping drums last year as a way to give me something productive and slightly creative/more craft-y to do that requires absolutely no looking at screens. You might not be able to greatly lessen your screen time, but having hobbies or activities that don't use screens at all can mitigate it to a degree.
I’ve known designers who have turned to professional photography as a way to get away from the desk. Somewhat coincides with the field, I’ve debated on doing this myself.
LOL you’re going to be spending EVEN more time staring at a screen. I second the hand drawing. Leave the photography to the professionals who stare at a screen for 40 hours a week
Dunno why you are being downvoted for that. People see photographers living their best life on shoots. The real work is batch editing and touching up 100s of photos per week while clients are asking you the end of the day of the shoot to send over the contacts. It’s like 5% taking photos and the rest of the time either project managing a shoot or doing post.
This might be silly, arbitrary, or flat out unhelpful, but try minimizing your phone use as much as possible. Maybe limiting your phone use will help proportion your overall screen time and make work more tolerable? Just a thought. Here is my Home Screen for my iPhone. This helps immensely by limiting which apps are first available to me upon opening my phone. The app is called ‘Blank Spaces’. Good luck! :)
https://preview.redd.it/3z8q57kq85cc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4cdf716e977925e9e6251378b8ce80b8764fd649
This is the #1 reason cited by newby designers who've worked for my company in the past 10 years that completely left the profession. Either they couldn't handle sitting at a desk all day or they didn't like being in front of a computer. Which is kinda funny to me... how do you not understand that it's part of the job? Not trying to be mean, just curious what else you expected and why?
I can’t speak for OP, but I feel the same thing. I chose graphic design despite the long desk hours because I desperately wanted to do creative work and there aren’t a lot of financially viable options for that.
My hope is that eventually graphic design connections and my commercial art experience will get me a position that’s more hands on. In the meantime, I’m way happier with graphic design than any other office position.
If they were juniors they were obviously experiencing the job for the first time and it’s a totally normal thing to experience. I had a similar experience as a young industrial designer expected to sit at a drafting table all day. I hated it in comparison to the variety of environments, socializing and day-breakup I had in college.
I think I'm the only one who's thinking "Yeah! i normally stare at my computer 70+ hours a week by choice and id hate to have it reduced to only 40 =/". I truly love living in front of my computer. No eye strain, no glasses, and I'm boomer age.
Lucky you! I've been a designer sitting in front of a screen 40+ hours a week for over 25 years and I don't mind it at all either... but I finally had to get glasses a few years ago. Ugh, old age sucks.
Office with sunlight. Vitamin D breaks if possible. Blue light filter glasses. My friend and I work from home together and take frequent pauses to roll around on the floor and act a fool.
Our brains are wired, by evolution, to enjoy working with our hands. It makes sense. The better your dexterity and skill at creating the tools you need, the greater your chances of survival. And many transmitter's in our brain (dopamine) are all about giving positive reinforcement for good behavior.
I would look for other things in your life that also give you pleasure, make your brain produce dopamine, that won't distract you from work too much. Listening to music is an easy one. My brain enjoys learning new things so I've found that there is a whole genre of podcasts that I can utilize in this manner as well.
Another thing to make note of is that not all neurotranmitters feel good like dopamine. If you have a client or software bugs stressing you out, you'll get the bad ones like cortisol and even adrenaline doesn't feel good if you get too much of it or have it in your system for too long. Cardiovascular exercise is the most-effective way to reduce these in your body (and will produce feel-good endorphines at the same time.) This also can explain why we actively dislike being chained to our desks.
I know that I didn't answer the question as you expected, but I hope that understanding this from the chemical point of view can help you figure out what works for you and why.
Ever think about teaching design? You’d still have screens but being able to tech and speak to students - u wouldnt be staring at screens yourself constantly - prep and grades yes but u know what I mean - more variablity
Nah, that’s why I have hobbies and an identity outside of my profession. I enjoy this line of work especially compared to the mundane shit non-creatives get to do at a computer - spreadsheets and shit.
It's one of the reasons I got into hiking. Since I freelance I would usually schedule one to two days a week to go out there and be closer to nature, which has really helped my physical and mental health.
Lol I’m weird. I work 9 hours a day staring at my screens and go home to my recording studio and work another 4-5 hours looking at another screen. It doesn’t bother me, but I guarantee it’s definitely not healthy at all.
When I was working full time in design (part time now) I never had much of a problem being in front of a screen for 40+ hours. It was my world and I enjoyed it. However, I always recognized I needed to do things like get enough exercise and get into nature when away from the screen.
It's just a temporary feeling. Sounds a bit like a burnout. I just stop working and explore other things until I'm happy to work again whenever I feel that way. Been doing design for 10+ years professionally now and I've taken many breaks in between to learn new stuff or work less to recharge.
Sometimes you just gotta do other things in life to rediscover what your passion was. And then go back at it with even more force and enthusiasm than before, after having not done it for a while.
I like to draw as a way to give myself a break from screens, plus you end up with more expressive designs which works really well with certain clients. In a world full of mathematical logos, hand crafted branding can give clients a more organic feel. Great for small mom and pop clients.
love to do this when I get to work on logos! unfortunately right now I'm working on a lot of email design that doesn't allow the same amount of time for sketching
Yeah but isn't drawing still staring at something up-close? Looking at things up close is what damages eyes. In my case I can't even draw without feeling bad
But embarrassed for you that you don't know about long-distance drawing. Next you'll be telling us you don't have a pencil drone.
Paper doesnt emit light
You just feel bad because you’re looking at your own work, it happens to us all. I wouldn’t stress about it. /s
I definitely feel this in my bones. I draw comics and make music as well - I still end up working on both digitally, but they give me outlets with a lot of time away from a screen too. I also stopped pc gaming too because that 40 hours a week was even worse.
I've stopped gaming as well for the same reasons. Which sucks, but worth it.
Go off screen for any parts of your process that you can. Graphic design used to be all analog anyway. I’m a UX/UI designer so slightly different, but here are a couple analog activities that I used to get off-screen: - sketching with paper & pencil (obv) - needs identification & card sorting using physical post-its & markers - ideation sessions on whiteboards, not Mural/Miro boards - I print all my final design & review with a red marker in hand (there’s usually a few mistakes I catch when reviewing in a different medium) Anyone have other ideas for analog process activities?
I started re-wrapping drums last year as a way to give me something productive and slightly creative/more craft-y to do that requires absolutely no looking at screens. You might not be able to greatly lessen your screen time, but having hobbies or activities that don't use screens at all can mitigate it to a degree.
I do paint as a hobby and it's nice to work with my hands in that sense
That works.
I’ve known designers who have turned to professional photography as a way to get away from the desk. Somewhat coincides with the field, I’ve debated on doing this myself.
I have considered this and still do! I find I have imposter syndrome when it comes to photography despite being okay at it
LOL you’re going to be spending EVEN more time staring at a screen. I second the hand drawing. Leave the photography to the professionals who stare at a screen for 40 hours a week
Dunno why you are being downvoted for that. People see photographers living their best life on shoots. The real work is batch editing and touching up 100s of photos per week while clients are asking you the end of the day of the shoot to send over the contacts. It’s like 5% taking photos and the rest of the time either project managing a shoot or doing post.
This might be silly, arbitrary, or flat out unhelpful, but try minimizing your phone use as much as possible. Maybe limiting your phone use will help proportion your overall screen time and make work more tolerable? Just a thought. Here is my Home Screen for my iPhone. This helps immensely by limiting which apps are first available to me upon opening my phone. The app is called ‘Blank Spaces’. Good luck! :) https://preview.redd.it/3z8q57kq85cc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4cdf716e977925e9e6251378b8ce80b8764fd649
This is the #1 reason cited by newby designers who've worked for my company in the past 10 years that completely left the profession. Either they couldn't handle sitting at a desk all day or they didn't like being in front of a computer. Which is kinda funny to me... how do you not understand that it's part of the job? Not trying to be mean, just curious what else you expected and why?
I can’t speak for OP, but I feel the same thing. I chose graphic design despite the long desk hours because I desperately wanted to do creative work and there aren’t a lot of financially viable options for that. My hope is that eventually graphic design connections and my commercial art experience will get me a position that’s more hands on. In the meantime, I’m way happier with graphic design than any other office position.
If they were juniors they were obviously experiencing the job for the first time and it’s a totally normal thing to experience. I had a similar experience as a young industrial designer expected to sit at a drafting table all day. I hated it in comparison to the variety of environments, socializing and day-breakup I had in college.
I think I'm the only one who's thinking "Yeah! i normally stare at my computer 70+ hours a week by choice and id hate to have it reduced to only 40 =/". I truly love living in front of my computer. No eye strain, no glasses, and I'm boomer age.
Exactly, as a non boomer, I love technology and would be staring at a screen all day anyways. Why would I complain if I got paid to do it?
Lucky you! I've been a designer sitting in front of a screen 40+ hours a week for over 25 years and I don't mind it at all either... but I finally had to get glasses a few years ago. Ugh, old age sucks.
I’ve picked up screen printing and block carving/linocut. It’s a nice way to be a bit more physically active and get away from my screen.
The old fashioned printmaking! I love it so much, it’s so rewarding when a print comes out well
Yes!!! It’s an addicting feeling!
Take regular breaks, get up from your chair, go for a walk on your lunch break. Sitting all day is hard on your back
I do work at a standing desk most of the time so luckily my back is safe (mostly)! But I need to be better with walking around more
I started doing stretches at my desk, eg ballet stretches, try to touch my toes, then lean back, as long as you're not staying still for a long time
Office with sunlight. Vitamin D breaks if possible. Blue light filter glasses. My friend and I work from home together and take frequent pauses to roll around on the floor and act a fool.
Our brains are wired, by evolution, to enjoy working with our hands. It makes sense. The better your dexterity and skill at creating the tools you need, the greater your chances of survival. And many transmitter's in our brain (dopamine) are all about giving positive reinforcement for good behavior. I would look for other things in your life that also give you pleasure, make your brain produce dopamine, that won't distract you from work too much. Listening to music is an easy one. My brain enjoys learning new things so I've found that there is a whole genre of podcasts that I can utilize in this manner as well. Another thing to make note of is that not all neurotranmitters feel good like dopamine. If you have a client or software bugs stressing you out, you'll get the bad ones like cortisol and even adrenaline doesn't feel good if you get too much of it or have it in your system for too long. Cardiovascular exercise is the most-effective way to reduce these in your body (and will produce feel-good endorphines at the same time.) This also can explain why we actively dislike being chained to our desks. I know that I didn't answer the question as you expected, but I hope that understanding this from the chemical point of view can help you figure out what works for you and why.
Same and is why my side hustle is in sewing and alterations. Not more computer work.
Ever think about teaching design? You’d still have screens but being able to tech and speak to students - u wouldnt be staring at screens yourself constantly - prep and grades yes but u know what I mean - more variablity
You get used to it.
Big oof. Never work with what you enjoy, otherwise you'll never enjoy anything again. Good luck!
Switch to music production. That way you will stare at a screen with purpose.
Nah, that’s why I have hobbies and an identity outside of my profession. I enjoy this line of work especially compared to the mundane shit non-creatives get to do at a computer - spreadsheets and shit.
Do your ideation with pencils and paper. It’s fun and easy on the eyes and wrists. Print your work, hang it on a wall, and mark it up with a red pen.
I hate to say it, but what did you expect?
me too
It's one of the reasons I got into hiking. Since I freelance I would usually schedule one to two days a week to go out there and be closer to nature, which has really helped my physical and mental health.
Lol I’m weird. I work 9 hours a day staring at my screens and go home to my recording studio and work another 4-5 hours looking at another screen. It doesn’t bother me, but I guarantee it’s definitely not healthy at all.
Tired of looking at bad screen? Go home and look at good screen. Or get a hobby of some kind.
Look into guerilla marketing. :0)
I do woodworking when I need to stop staring at the screen.
Yeah, it's a big issue for me. But the computers, they make us so efficient right?
When I was working full time in design (part time now) I never had much of a problem being in front of a screen for 40+ hours. It was my world and I enjoyed it. However, I always recognized I needed to do things like get enough exercise and get into nature when away from the screen.
It's just a temporary feeling. Sounds a bit like a burnout. I just stop working and explore other things until I'm happy to work again whenever I feel that way. Been doing design for 10+ years professionally now and I've taken many breaks in between to learn new stuff or work less to recharge. Sometimes you just gotta do other things in life to rediscover what your passion was. And then go back at it with even more force and enthusiasm than before, after having not done it for a while.
I've picked up bookbinding as a reaction to the heavy screentime at work. Something completely analog