Learn from the Stupid: Consistancy

There are many things that can be learned from the stupid about how to be successful in life. One that is often overlooked is that stupid people don't get bored with consistency. Smart people constantly try new things, with the result that they never get anything done, while the less bright plod forward and win the race.

This is a great lesson to learn in design. Over the last year or two, I've been forced to learn the bitter lesson that consistency is often much more important than brilliant creativity. To succeed as a design business, you must define a process, and then stick to it religiously. Almost every time a project has gone awry, it has been because I thought I could skip some seemingly unimportant step, cut corners or skim through something. The result each time was that saving that hour cost me many hours later when the project fell apart.

Successful business people understand this. They have tried and true processes and they stick to them. They look for the same thing from the designers they hire. If you aren't sticking to your process, the client will notice, and they'll see you as undisciplined and chaotic. You'll be dangerous and unpredictable, and they won't hire you again. Stick to your process and deadlines will be easier to meet, and everything will run smoother. The client will notice and more work will come your way.