FIve easy ways to boost your productivity

Originally pubilished by: www.techradar.com

1. Zero your inbox
If you can, answer emails right away. If not, file them into folders for bulk-reply sessions. Don't just let your inbox mushroom, or important emails may get lost in the flood.

2. Don't reinvent the wheel
If some high-quality, proven and suitable mechanism already exists for something you're trying to do, and you're legally entitled to use it, do so, be it a coding library or CMS. If you can create components usable over multiple projects, do so to save working on the same thing over and over.

3. Hone things down
If a client wants a 50-page site and you can see a way of doing it in 10, tell them and convince them to do so. Smaller sites are typically more creative, and offer more clarity and focus.

4. Avoid interruptions
Quit your email client and browsers when you want to fully focus on some design work. At all other times, work with passive communication, so you communicate when you want to. Avoid interrupting others, unless the matter is extremely urgent and simply can't wait for an extra hour.

5. Get away from your computer

Inspiration rarely comes from staring at a monitor for hours. So walk, visit exhibitions and read, rather getting all your 'inspiration' from other websites. Also avoid the temptation to start with the computer. Instead, design and plan freely with paper and a pencil. Work fast and don't linger – you may find ideas come surprisingly easily.