Creating a Productive Office Space for Web Designers

As a web designer, you need to remove all the barriers that prevent you from being focused and efficient. You need a work space that is both functional and inspirational. It is not just a simple matter of putting your computer and various equipment wherever you find room in your home or office. The tools and software you use, how your office is designed, and even where your office is located directly affect how successful you a web designer you become.ecommerce

Tools and Software

Computer

First off you need to determine what computer works best for you. Some designers swear by Apple’s Mac, while others think that Windows PC is the tops. A few—fewer in number, but no less passionate—use Linux as their go to system. Whatever computer you decide to use, the important thing to remember is that you need to be comfortable with it. If you often need to travel for work consider a laptop, but if not, a desktop computer might be the best option for you.

Coding Editors

There are many options when considering coding software and again, just like the computer you work with, you need to find the software that works best for you. Many websites are built with the bundled software such as Notepad on Windows, or TextEdit on Mac.

While conveniently located on your computer, these bundled applications are limited in their capability; there are free code editors with much more capability available with a simple search. Paid options exist as well, for the more advanced web designers.

Graphic Editors

Web designers work with images on a daily basis. You will need a graphics editor—even if you plan on only using simple clip art—to resize images and optimize them. There are free options of course, but if your use of images will be extensive, and nowadays it should be (check out this article about web trends of 2015), you will be better off paying for a graphics editor. Unlike coding editors, free image editors offer very little feature-wise.

Solid Internet Connection

A solid internet connection is vital to your success, and not only because you are creating sites for the web. Often, web designers work remotely, usually connecting with clients, via email, instant messaging, and video calling and possibly, at any time of day. If your connection is anything less than solid, you will miss out on potential clients and could end up disappointing your current ones. Providers like Frontier Internet at frontierinternet.org ensure your clients can always reach you when they need too.

Office Location and Design

Location

If you choose to work on a laptop, you can work pretty much anywhere you please, while a desktop obviously more than likely ties you down to one spot. Maybe as your web design business grows, you will have both, allowing to move when you need to.

Even if you choose to work primarily on a laptop, having a regular workspace is more productive than working in a different spot every day. Just knowing that you have one spot where you do your best work goes a long way. Ensure that space has room for all your equipment.

Design

As an artist—yes, web designers are artists—you need a space that is comfortable, inspirational, and allows you to focus on your work. Such a space will increase your productivity, allowing you to take on more projects and complete them in a shorter period of time. More projects and less time leads to more cash in your pocket, which means you can spend more playing or investing in your business.

First off, to be comfortable you need a desk and chair. Your desk can be any flat surface as long as you can see your computer on it without looking down, and you can reach the keyboard comfortably while sitting properly. Designers tend to sit in their chairs for long periods of time, so if you have money to invest, invest it in a good ergonomic chair.

Now, you have your computer on your desk, and you are sitting in your comfortable chair, but do not stop there. You need to make sure the place where you can focus and create has an inspirational vibe.Place posters and painting from artists that inspire you. Give your home office wall a splash of color, or if you work in an office that gives you some freedom, do it there.

The whole point is, it is your creative space, you need to make it your own, so you feel comfortable. If you lack the proper tools and your space is bland, you will never feel the creative vibe you need to create outstanding websites for you clients.

 

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