I’ve found myself drawn away from work to RSS feeds, Twitter, and now World of Goo often enough to know that I need discipline to keep on track. I’ve found the following methods to be most effective toward that goal.

1. Have a plan. At the end of every work day, I put together a plan for tomorrow in my Moleskine planner (which I love, by the way). Write up a list of everything you need to accomplish the next day, both work and personal.
2. Get dressed. I’m actually in my pajamas as I write this–then again, I’m sick. Regardless, I’ve learned the best way to make a day productive is to begin it like you would a full-time job. Wake up to an alarm, shower, and arrive at your desk dressed and ready to go.
3. Change your environment. Most people find that they can better focus when they are away from distractions. What helps me, though, isn’t solitude but breaking out of my familiar environment. I’ve found that moving my work away from home for the day has a positive effect on my concentration. Even sitting in a busy airport or a plane has given me focus, oddly enough. I usually fill up several pages of my notebook with sketches and thoughts in one flight. And if you can’t escape home, change it: move furniture, change the artwork on your walls, switch out throw pillows. Don’t let your environment stagnate or your work will reflect that.
4. Exercise. One liberty we freelancers usually enjoy is the ability to escape sedentary desk work at any time. The majority of the reasons we leave it hurt our productivity, with one exception being aerobic exercise. Research has proven what I’ve discovered myself: we can focus much better after a good workout. I even listen to podcasts rather than music while I run to keep my mind active.
5. Have a side project. Previously I believed that I could do my best work when I focused on one thing at a time. But I’ve now found that I’m easily burned out with this method. What has helped me most is giving myself a side project to turn to when I need a break. Taking a real break seems like it would help more, but it in fact causes me to go into idle mode, making it difficult for me to go back to work.

Write post on productivity: check. What methods do you use to keep yourself on task?

The Issue

It’s no secret that I (and many others) have a love/hate relationship with Adobe products. In some ways, they simplify my life as a designer and give me previously nonexistent creative options. But every good gift from Adobe is imperfect, so imperfect that my work is often interrupted by endless troubleshooting.

When I previously posted this fix, I had spent a good deal of the previous night and the next afternoon trying to figure out why when I attempted to use the “Save for Web” feature in both Photoshop and Illustrator CS3, the colors in my image came out horribly desaturated.

I had done quite a bit of research on the web and discovered several fixes, but none solved my problem. My monitor was calibrated with a colorimeter, I used an sRGB profile, unchecked the “Convert to sRGB” option and checked “Use Document Color Profile” in the SFW dialog. Nothing worked.

The Fix

Then my husband, who built a website when he was 13 without using any Adobe apps, suggested that I try his old image-saving method (which I admittedly felt was very unprofessional). I tried it, and the color shift vanished.

So, without further ado, the uncivilized, no-frills Dave Method.

1. Open the original image you want to save for the web (uncompressed), and choose View > Actual Pixels. (The image should fit into your monitor’s resolution, or this will not work.)
2. Move all toolbars and windows so that nothing is covering your image.
3. Use the shortcut Command-Shift-3 to make a screenshot of your entire screen (if using a Mac).
4. Use Crop to cut out your image.
5. Choose File > Save for Web & Devices… and choose the settings with which you want to export your image before hitting Save.

Step 1: Create your new identity.

Do you want to update your old identity or to start over? Either way, consider which aspects of your old identity would help create a strong new brand, if any. Brainstorm for qualities you want your identity to portray, and if you are starting over, carefully choose a name that best fits these qualities.

This part of the process should not be rushed, as it is the foundation for your entire identity. I’ve found it helpful to take breaks, for hours or even days. When you come back to it, you’ll have a clearer mind ready to reevaluate.

When you’ve chosen the name, sit down and write. Write about what makes your brand unique, the reasons behind the name, and your values. I also wrote up a business plan for our future, planned out our design process, and prepared a FAQ.

Step 2: Build your image.

Now you need a new logo and identity pieces like business cards.

If you are not a graphic designer, hire a good one. Your logo is one of the most visible aspects of your business and should not be taken lightly. Discuss the the qualities and strengths behind your brand with the designer, and trust them to portray those qualities well.

If you are a graphic designer, start sketching on paper and stay away from the computer until you have a good solid sketch to work from. As with the previous step, give it time and take breaks before moving on to the computer.

Another part of this step is to determine your brand image. You’ll need to decide which colors, style, and communications will be associated with your identity. Your logo is a good source for these, but you may even want to determine them before beginning the logo. Everything about your identity should reflect the qualities and values you chose in the first step.

Step 3: Update or create a web presence.

In today’s web-centric culture, it is an unspoken rule that a real business must have a website. But if you know nothing about web design, this is not an area you can afford to DIY either. Good web developers not only know how to code a website, they also know a lot about making it usable and attractive.

But if you’re a young freelancer like myself, you probably can’t afford to hire a web developer. Thankfully, there are other options.

• Ask a friend. Do you know a developer who would be willing to trade services or give you a discount? Don’t expect them to do it for free, as web design is a lot of work, but you might get a better deal than elsewhere.
• Simplify. Another option is to use an app like Apple’s iWeb, which requires no web knowledge and is decently customizable. If you choose this route, I suggest upgrading to a real website as soon as you can afford it.
• Build it yourself. If you have some web experience and are willing to learn more, you will likely be able to pull off a decent site. There are loads of resources online, some of which I used in the process of building my own site.

In addition to your website, you might want to enter the social networking scene. Sites like Twitter and Facebook are the most well-known, but there are many others, including professional ones like LinkedIn. If you already have profiles on these sites, be sure to update them with your new identity, information, and website.

Step 4: Publicize.

Now that you’ve built your brand and established a web presence, it’s time to let everyone know. The best way to do this is to send out an e-newsletter, about which Collis Ta’eed wrote an excellent article over at FreelanceSwitch. There are many other ways to publicize your new brand depending on your industry, so be creative.

If you’re rebranding a business with clients, be certain that they are informed of the change and what it means for them. They will likely be impressed by what you’ve done and may even send more business your way!

Congratulations!

You’ve successfully rebranded, and now you can start acting on the plans you made in Step 1. Did you discover any other steps I missed? Feel free to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear about your experience!