Designing From Home: Benefits, Problems, & Tips for Working from Home

Working from home is an extremely exciting, but also daunting lifestyle choice for designers. It can be quite different to going freelance and renting office space, but it is worlds apart from working in a traditional office environment for an employer.

This article aims to cover some of the reasons why working from home is becoming an ever more appealing idea for designers, and share some essential tips for overcoming the potential problems that can arise when you do co-habit your house with your own business.

The tips and advice in this guide are aimed at designers who are either new to freelancing, planning to start their own business or are already working for themselves but currently rent office space, rather than using a home office or studio.

Benefits of Working from Home

The Freedom

It’s not just the freedom to stay in bed until midday and go to work in your pajamas that attracts designers to working from home. Sure, that no doubt is a big selling point for a lot of people, but there are other, more important little things too. Things you don’t really notice until you actually start doing it.

A big one for some designers, and most creative professionals is music. Where as in a traditional office with co-workers, you would probably be limited to the local radio stations, or taking in your own headphones. At home you can listen to whatever you fancy. Everybody has their preferences when it comes to working to music, but I’m sure not alone in finding that music can help stimulate creativity.

The freedom to wear your own clothes is another big plus, you can wear whatever you feel most comfortable in. Whether that be your underwear, or your best suit. If it helps you work, then nobody is going to tell you that it’s not appropriate.

Choosing Your Own Hours

When working from home, you can choose your own working hours. So naturally, you can tailor your schedule to suit when you usually feel the most productive. For example, if you’re a bit of a night owl, and you suddenly come alive in the small hours of the night, then there would be nothing to stop you breaking the norm, and working a 9PM to 5AM shift. I wouldn’t recommend it personally (especially if you work with non-nocturnal clients) but hey, if it works for you, then that's your own decision to make!

If you have family life to juggle as well as working, you can adjust your schedule so that your work day allows for this. So for example starting your day after the kids have been taken to school, and you've had a chance to grab a morning coffee.

Saving Cash

If you currently rent an office space for your business, then working from home can also be an excellent financial decision. Not only do you eliminate the cost of rent for the office, you can even claim use of your home as a business expense (check this with your accountant though as rules may vary in different countries).

There are various other things you can do that lower your expenditure too such as, sharing your personal computer with your business, preparing your own meals and using your home internet connection and software licenses etc.

Commuting

When you work from home, you can reclaim time in your day that used to be lost to commuting back and forth from from work.

What you choose to do with it is completely up to you, but whatever you choose, it’s almost certainly going to be more appealing than sitting in rush hour traffic jams or on crowded public transport.

You could end up saving a lot of extra cash too by cutting down on your travel costs.

Eating Right

Having your own kitchen a short walk from your office has will have positive effects on both your health, and your bank balance. It reduces the temptation to eat fast food, and gives you the freedom to prepare proper meals for yourself.

Try to also eat foods that stimulate your mind. Carbohydrates are recommended, especially wholegrain foods as they give your brain the energy it needs to keep running smoothly. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential too, so things like oily fish and nuts are helpful.

Just remember to resist the temptation to keep making regular trips to the fridge for snacks, and you’ll see some major improvements to your concentration, fitness, and wallet.

Obstacles When Working from Home

Distractions

The absolute number one obstacle when working from home has got to be the distractions. It’s so easy get distracted from your work unless you take the proper precautions to avoid it. And unsurprisingly, one of the main culprits for causing lost hours in a day is the television.

It’s not just procrastination though, if other people are in the house while you are working, they may not understand that you need to concentrate on what you’re doing, and you can end up doing odds and ends around the house, instead of focusing.

The best way to overcome the distractions is to dedicate a section of your home to work. Whether it’s the corner in the bedroom or your converted spare room, try to take efforts to block it off from the rest of the house.

Something as simple as a room divider can at least block the television and bed from your sight.And if you are lucky enough to have a spare room to use as your studio, you can create a house rule where that room is off limits, except for you during the hours of X and Y.

Motivation

A key part of working from home is keeping yourself motivated. It will come a lot easier to some people than others, but it’s bound to be a constant struggle. You won’t ever have the boss looking over your shoulder to keep you going when you feel tired. So, it is much better to try to tackle the problem at the source and keep those creative juices flowing smoothly.

If you made the decision to be a work from home designer, you probably have something you want to achieve, whether it be financial goal, or personal accomplishment. Take the time to regularly remind yourself of that. Strategically place something in your office to remind yourself of your goals, for example a photo of that super car you’ll be driving in 5 years time, or a picture from last year’s family holiday etc.

So far, the focus has been on avoiding distractions, and working hard. But there are negative side effects to overdoing these things, so set yourself breaks in your schedule, and do something like going outside for a breath of fresh air, or having a chat with your friends or family to take your mind off work every now and again. In the long run it will increase your motivation.

Finances

If you’re running your own business, or thinking of setting up, it should be obvious that there are going to a lot of expenses. And I’m definitely not here to give out business lessons, but you will no longer be able to rely on always having the proper equipment to work provided to you. You are in control of keeping all of your hardware and software up to date (yes, I’m looking in the direction of a certain suite of creative applications). Not to mention the cost of furniture, the increase in utility bills and office equipment etc.

The best way to overcome this obstacle is keep on top of your accounts, make a business plan before you start, and when you do get going, be sure to get some professional advice.

Think about investing in some comprehensive accounting software such as QuickBooks or FreeAgent.

Feedback

One of the things that you leave behind when you move from an office job to working from home, is your co-workers. Now, although that may be a big selling point for a lot of people, don’t forget about who gives you feedback when you work in a traditional office environment, more often than not it will be your co-workers. Without that interaction, and the extra opinions, you can start to dwell on things and eventually drive yourself insane.

Luckily though there are many designers all over the world in the same situation and there are places online where designers can “show and tell” their work, sharing their feedback and opinions. Websites like Dribbble and Forrst were designed for exactly this reason.

Over-Working

Over-working is the fastest way to losing your sanity, you need to find the balance between working and relaxing time. Too many designers over-work, and wear their hours per day like medals of honor.

Working 60+ hours per week isn’t so much something to brag about, as something you should be seeing a doctor about! There’s no denying that being self-employed is hard work, but by never stopping, you will eventually end up doing damage to yourself. So if you do find yourself overwhelmed with work, don’t look for more hours in the day, instead look for ways to make better use of the hours in the day.

Aim to take a quick 5-10 minute break every hour, and if you’re working heavily with your computer, take this time to rest your eyes too. You may find that the break comes around so often, that you focus on each hour more, trying to squeeze as much out of each one as possible. In time you will find that you are using your time much more efficiently.

Under-Working

On the opposite end of the scale, under-working is also an issue you may face when working from home. Even if you avoid distractions and are in the home office for a reasonable amount of time every day. You may find that things just don’t seem to be getting finished on time. This is caused by the exact same thing that causes over-working. Not properly utilizing your time. If you do find yourself falling behind with work but don’t want to start pulling all-nighters and risk your sanity, then try tracking your time.

Have a look at web apps such as Harvest and Toggl. Once you start timing yourself doing day to day tasks you will soon see where the issues lie. It can also help you assess how much you charge your clients for certain projects. If something takes much longer than you thought it did, consider adjusting your pricing structure. You might even find that if you charge more reasonable prices, your cash flow will reflect the work you are actually doing, and all of a sudden, you aren’t under-working anymore.

Conclusion

Just remember, although it can be difficult at times, working from home can be an extremely satisfying lifestyle. Especially for designers, and most creative professionals, the freedom it offers invaluable.

If you are thinking about working from home, make a plan and decide if it is a viable option for you, if it is and you really want to do it. Then go for it, it could be the best decision you ever make.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

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