Indecisiveness is death by a million choices. It’s a time killer; a budget killer; a productivity killer; a creativity killer; an energy killer. Don’t let it kill the project you’re working on!
Even though I try not to be, I’m an indecisive person and thus an indecisive designer. Maybe all designers are to some degree though. We fuss between a dozen shades of yellow trying to find that perfect magical one. And then we try out a dozen…two dozen…three dozen colors to pair with it, trying to find the palette that will best represent the brand, print well, convey the right message, stir up the right emotions, etc. And even when your creative diligence pays off and you arrive at something you’re pretty happy with, there is that voice in the back of your head, “But what if we tried…” because the possibilities are endless. ENDLESS.
Sometimes it is fun to get lost in it — to get in the zone and keep exploring the infinite possibilities. More often than not though, it becomes a drag on your soul and energy and the millions of choices and second-guessing slowly kill the enthusiasm you originally had for the project. Maybe even making you want to hang up your hat and move on to something else.
If any of that rings true for you, the key I have to avoid the doubt and indecision is relatively simple.
Research
No matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, don’t skip the research! By researching and finding out all there is to know, you narrow down your choices. You discover problematic colors or words, or you discover a new perspective that will make everything just click. Be curious, and ask questions like: What does this need to accomplish? What are the goals? What is right for the target audience? How does it work? When you start gathering those answers and gain a deeper understanding your next step can be done with…
Creative Confidence
Because you’ve done your research, you can make decisions with understanding and confidence. When asked why you made a decision, you have insightful reasons to back up your choice. Making decisions on a whim is what leads to dissatisfaction later on. Our taste is constantly changing and as we grow and evolve, so does our inner critic. This can make it tempting to go back on choices. If I have solid reasoning for my choices though, it is difficult to justify spending more time on it.
Deadlines
Most people will agree having a deadline keeps them on task. It is a must for us indecisive sillies because it gives us a schedule to follow and ushers us along. We must switch from pondering endless possibilities to actually creating the final product.
To be fair, indecisiveness can be great for concepting and brainstorming. All of the “what ifs” can lead to a plethora of ideas and concepts to explore. Just make sure to follow the advice above to narrow your path so your exploration isn’t quite so vast and aimless. Set a deadline, ask questions, find answers, make decisions with confidence and your project will get past what could have been to what is.