Less Talk, More Action
Don’t Procrastinate
Be Prepared
Don’t Fight Change
Get Moving
Avoid Busywork
Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes
Act Quickly on Opportunities
Continue to Grow
Keep Going
Don’t Self Sabotage
Don’t Give Up
Wise Up

Check after the jump for a more in-depth writeup & how we feel they connect to the design world.

The Comments at the end of each point are how we feel the tip correlates to design.

Less Talk, More Action

“Well done is better than well said.”

Talk is cheap. Talking about a project won’t get it completed. We all know people who constantly talk about the things they are going to do but rarely ever take that first step. Eventually people begin to question their credibility. Taking action and seeing the task through to completion is the only way to get the job done.

Everyone with a Mac & Photoshop is a graphics designer but one look at someone’s work makes it easy to see who’s actually the designer.

Don’t Procrastinate

“Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.”

This is probably one of the first quotes I remember hearing as a teenager. With an impressive list of achievements to his credit, Benjamin Franklin was not a man hung up on procrastination. He was a man with clear measurable goals who worked hard to turn his vision into reality. What are you putting off till tomorrow that could make a difference in your life today?

Even when super busy, always try to get one one more project done during the day. It makes a tremendous workload feel a bit more manageable.

Be Prepared

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

You need a plan to accomplish your goals. Charging in without giving any thought to the end result and how to achieve it, is a sure way to fall flat on your face. Think like a boy scout. Have a realistic plan of attack and a systematic approach for getting where you need to be.

Planning is everything on big projects, breaking the project down to a workable to-do list makes it seem less daunting & easier to keep on schedule

Don’t Fight Change

“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”

Whilst many of us don’t like change, others thrive on it. Either way change is inevitable. The stronger we fight against it, the more time and energy it consumes. Give up the fight. Focus on proactively making positive changes, instead of having change merely thrust upon you. Wherever possible, try to view change as a positive instead of a negative.

Styles & tastes are constantly changing, what works today might not work tomorrow. As designers, we’re always looking to the future, looking for what’s next.

Get Moving

“All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.”

There’s a reason we use the expression, movers and shakers. Movers are the ones who take action, the people who get things done, while the immovable are sitting around scratching their heads wondering how others could possibly be so successful. Which group do you want to belong to?

Million dollar ideas are a dime a dozen, but for one to be successful, it has to be done. Wheatpaste posters were around loooonnnngggg before Shepard but his hustle & dedication to an idea made him an icon (and a rich one at that).

Avoid Busywork

“Never confuse motion with action.”

We are always running around doing things. We rush from one meeting or event to the next, sometimes without achieving a great deal. At the end of the day, how much of our busywork are we proud of? How much of that running around improves anyone’s life (including ours) for the better? Make your motion mean something.

Nothing beats a couple stress filled all-nighters at the end of the project as payback for a couple days of busywork at the beginning of the project. Oh, wait…

Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes

“Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”

If we fear making mistakes, we become scared to try new things. Fear leaves us nestled in our comfort zone. Staying in your comfort zone rarely leads to greatness. Taking risks and giving yourself permission to make mistakes, will ultimately lead you to whatever your version of success may be.

It would be interesting to find out how many successful projects had “happy mistakes” happen somewhere along the way.

Act Quickly on Opportunities

“To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.”

Opportunities are everywhere. The trick is being quick enough and smart enough to seize them when they arise. Instead of jumping to the conclusion that something won’t work or can’t be done, allow yourself the freedom to ask what if?

If you don’t answer that phone call / email / tweet / carrier pigeon, another designer will.

Continue to Grow

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”

We all have vices of some description. The key is to keep them under control or preferably eradicate them entirely. Be kind to those around you, whether they are neighbors, family, co-workers or friends. Never accept that you have finished growing as a person.

Always strive to be better, whether it’s a person, designer or member of society. Keep on top of software developments & design trends.

Keep Going

“Diligence is the mother of good luck.”

Have you ever looked at a successful entrepreneur or business person and thought how lucky they are? Most of the time, luck has nothing to do with it. Hard work and sacrifice on the other hand have everything to do with it. Successful people deal with failure. They tackle their demons head on. They pick themselves up and keep going.

Hustle. Plain & simple. Don’t let a lost pitch / project / job get you down, learn from it & go after something better.

Know Yourself

“There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.”

Understanding ourselves is not easy. Sometimes we just don’t want to see ourselves for who we really are. It’s much easier to hold onto a romanticized version of ourselves or to simply view ourselves through other people’s eyes. Start by being brutally honest with yourself. Follow through with understanding, compassion and acceptance.

Find what your strengths & weaknesses are, then find ways to hone your strengths & improve on your weaknesses.

Don’t Self-Sabotage

“Who had deceived thee so often as thyself?”

We spend so much time worrying about other people hurting us, yet fail to comprehend the damage we inflict on ourselves. If you are using negative self-talk, lying to yourself or indulging in addictive behavior you are self-sabotaging. Life can dish up enough challenges without us adding to the mix. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself like you would a best friend.

Clients & project reviews will get you down enough on their own, don’t beat yourself up on top of the lost project.

Don’t Give Up

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

Achieving our goals can be downright exhausting. There will be days when you want to give up. There will be times when your energy levels flatline and you wonder why you bother getting out of bed. Yet you push forward, day after day because you believe in yourself and you have the determination and strength to back up that belief.

Keep at it. Know that some days ideas will flow like water & other days, it will feel impossible to come up with something worthwhile. Collect a reference library (books, magazines, photos, jpgs, whatever) to spark ideas on slow days.

Wise Up

“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.”

Benjamin was definitely onto something with this one. Who hasn’t had the thought – I wish I could know then, what I know now? Unfortunately there is no time machine; there is no going back. The key is to wise up as early as you can to start forging a life of purpose, achievement and happiness.

Learn all you can as soon as you can & keep at it. Find ways to use your age to your advantage (one being that all your friends every brand’s target market). Pay attention & use what you learn to make your design better.

Thanks to Business Insider for the article

Check the video of how he does it after the jump.

Thanks Core77!

All businesses, no matter what they make or sell, should recognize the power and financial value of good design.

Obviously, there are many different types of design: graphic, brand, packaging, product, process, interior, interaction/user experience, Web and service design, to name but a few.

In this post, I am referring to design as a broad and deliberately applied discipline, with the aim of creating simpler, more meaningful, rewarding experiences for customers.

You see, expecting great design is no longer the preserve of a picky design-obsessed urban elite—that aesthetically sensitive clique who‘d never dare leave the house without their Philippe Starck eyewear and turtleneck sweaters and buy only the right kind of Scandinavian furniture. Instead, there’s a new, mass expectation of good design: that products and services will be better thought through, simplified, made more intuitive, elegant and more enjoyable to use.

Design has finally become democratized, and we marketers find ourselves with new standards to meet in this new “era of design.” To illustrate, Apple, the epitome of a design-led organization, now has a market capitalization of $570 billion, larger than the GDP of Switzerland. Its revenue is double Microsoft’s, a similar type of technology organization but one not truly led by design (just compare Microsoft Windows with Apple’s Lion operating system).

Every day my Twitter feed populates with astounding growth facts about the likes of Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Pinterest and the more recent travel site, AirBnB. It is no coincidence that these successful brands seem to really value design and utilize it to secure a competitive advantage.

Even the UK government has issued its “design principles,” naturally on a clean, easy-to-navigate website.

But why have people become so design sensitive? Why does that credit card mailer look so bad and dated now? Why can’t you access my account details? Why does airport signage seem so unhelpful? Why doesn’t that technology plug and play?

Perhaps Apple’s global dominance has elevated our design expectations, or Ikea’s vision to bring great design at affordable prices to everyone on the planet has finally taken effect, or perhaps the Internet has taught us what well-designed user experiences and good design really are. Likely, it is a combination of all.

What is certain is that the design bar has been raised and design-oriented businesses are winning.

Think how swiftly and strongly a design experience shapes our opinion of that brand, company or store, for good or bad. For instance, we know quickly when a website is bad. And we associate that feeling of frustration, or worse, disappointment with that brand.

Design-oriented organizations invest in thinking this stuff through. They put design at the heart of their company to guide innovation and to continually improve products, service and marketing. They recognize that a great design leads to differentiation, customer loyalty and higher profits.

First Direct, a UK bank, has designed all its service touchpoints so carefully that it has become the most referred financial brand in the UK, with over 82 percent of customers happy to recommend it to friends. It’s a joy to use via any channel, and despite being a bank, I’d happily recommend it.

When you buy Apple Care, instead of receiving the standard bland letter or email, you receive a nicely designed box containing the paperwork, guidance and all the information you need. You have questions? No problem. There are clear user diagrams and a simple section on the website to help you.

The impact on brand is that customers see these brands as both progressive and customer-centric. Thoughtful and innovative design makes us feel good. It is no surprise that we are happy to advocate them, talk about them in social media and can be fiercely brand loyal.

As Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney, once said, “A brand is a living entity—and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.” That thinking still holds true, but it all happens a lot faster now. Thanks to the Internet and a hyperconnected, social-media-fueled society, brands can be instantly undermined and that experience shared with millions.

So this is a call to action for executives to recognize this new era and make the effort to transform even a mundane product or service into something more rewarding and more memorable. Try to assess each element of your service or product and better it—to see design not just as a marketing thing but as a genuine source of competitive advantage, customer and employee satisfaction and, lastly, a route to higher profits.

From Forbes.com 5/3/12, written by Adam Swann (head of strategy at gyro New York)

Follow Adam @swanninNYC