I’m back from holiday and raring to go.

While away, I took a break from my laptop. Oh, I checked e-mail and Google Reader, but I limited my time to 10-minute sessions—and no Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin. Gasp! What did I do? I worked on outdoor projects—like the pond that needed cleaning. And the stone wall with a gate and arbor that needed finishing. I love working outdoors on projects. It clears my mind and provides the instant gratification of creating, fixing and admiring.

As a designer, I need that same break for the computer. Too often, jobs in my department are a rush and need “designing” now. I jump on my trusty Mac and design-away, for better or worse. But what happens if I take 5 minutes to work it out with pen and paper first? Typically, I find a better solution. And in most cases, I find the solution quicker. I just feel like I’m engaging a different part of my brain when I have pen and pad versus mouse and monitor. I feel like I can bail on a bad idea quicker. With the computer, I feel compelled to “work it” a little more. I usually get there, but may I could have gotten there quicker and with better result.

So give it a try. On your next rush, step a way from the computer and sketch out your designs–you just might like the process and the results a little more. And who knows, maybe the solution is one that’s completely hand-drawn.

I’ve run across a couple great posts lately, involving hand-drawn designs. Here’s great one from SPD.org

For the September issue of Los Angeles, art director Joe Kimberling collaborated with illustrator and type designer Marian Bantjes to create the cover. The solution, done solely with a blue ballpoint pen, is a notebook covered with doodles inspired by a creative, yet distracted high school student. As Marian says on the contributors page “I did everything but the bar code”. Check out more of her amazing work here.

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