Category: Graphic Design

The image of the solitary artist, painting alone in her studio or typing away by herself at a writing desk, is a familiar one. But how important is alone time, really? It turns out that alone time is actually critical to creative success. Studies have shown that spending time alone leads to many benefits, including better memory, focus, creativity, and mood.

Better Memory

Research has proven that, when you spend time alone, your memory works better than when you spend time with others. When you’re alone, your brain doesn’t have to focus on others’ needs and actions; it only focuses on remembering what you’re trying to recall. Studies show that you will most likely remember facts you’ve learned, associations you’ve made, and ideas you’ve come up with better when you’re alone.

For the creative process, this has enormous benefits. You can better remember your past creative projects and the steps you took to get to your final product. Alone, you’ll also better remember the mistakes you made, which will help you know how to avoid them. Alone time empowers creatives to fully utilize their past experiences when completing a new project.

Better Focus

Similar to improving memory, increasing focus is another benefit of spending time alone. Again, you don’t have the distractions of others’ actions and needs diverting your attention from the project at hand. When you spend time alone, you can zone in on exactly what needs the most of your focus, time, and energy.

If you’re researching a copywriting project, for example, it’s much easier to focus when you are the only person finding articles, reading them, and taking notes on their content for your project.

When there is another person sharing your space or assisting you with the task, you might be sidetracked by their ideas. When you have a creative task at hand, focusing in on your own resources and ideas saves you confusion and time.

Better Creativity

Collaborating with others can often lead to great ideas, but not always. Studies show that when we brainstorm with others, we don’t put all our ideas on the table because we are afraid of judgement and limited by the group’s thought process.

Creative tasks require idea generation that leads to results. If you aren’t coming up with ideas, or if you aren’t following through on the ideas that you’ve thought of because of the group, then you’re reducing your creativity.

Let your ideas flow unchecked. Come up with a list of ideas for your next creative project on your own. You’ll be surprised by what you’re capable of when you work independently.

Better Mood (Long Term)

The research about the effect of spending time alone on your emotions appears to be contradictory, but actually makes sense when you consider the big picture. Here it is: in the short-term, alone time has a negative effect on our emotions, but in the long-term, alone time puts us in a better mood.

When you’re in a better mood, you’re more likely to trust yourself and your creative process. Better moods lead to better relationships and more satisfaction with your work. While it may feel lonely in the short-term, in the long-term, spending alone time will actually make you happier.

One Disadvantage of Alone Time

However, there has to be a balance. While research across the board shows that alone time is needed for creatives to thrive, it also shows that spending too much time alone can lead to negative emotions.

Make sure you are regularly connecting with others outside of your creative hours. Keep in touch with family, friends, and others in your field. Don’t spend too much time completely alone.

When you balance alone time with meaningful connection time, it is ultimately is more helpful than harmful for creatives.

The Benefits of Alone Time

Studies have shown that alone time leads to better memory, focus, creativity, and mood. Having the mental space to work out your problems and generate new creative ideas is key to leading a fulfilling life.

Nowadays, though, it’s easy to get caught up in constant online communication. Whether you’re connecting with friends, family, or coworkers through email, text, chat, or social media, it’s easy for our alone time to become internet connection time. And that’s not really alone time at all.

Here’s how you can make your alone time a truly solitary space.

A Beginner’s Guide to Alone Time

1. Set limits.

Tell everyone that you won’t be available at a certain time because you need to focus on deep creative work. Put your phone in a different room. Turn off your WiFi (unless you absolutely need it). Isolate yourself as much as possible from the internet.

2. Stick to a time.

Research has shown that our brains function best in 90-minute blocks. Find an hour and a half to put your phone in another room, block all distracting sites, and sit down and truly focus on your creative work.

3. Create a solitary space.

If you can, set aside a corner of a room and designate it the place where you’ll spend your alone time. Make it as distraction free as possible. Keep it clutter-free and stocked with all the tools you need for your creative projects.

In Conclusion

Alone time is critical for creativity. Protect your alone time from intrusions (whether they be people, pets, or the internet) and rely on just your brain for your creative tasks. While it might feel lonely in the short-term, in the long-term, alone time will lead you to fantastic ideas.

• The world’s most influential designers played with typography and images in an unprecedented way.
•  Great graphic design acknowledges the history and culture of the institution that it’s done for.
• These designers offered thought leadership and trendsetting aesthetics throughout their work.

Humans are a highly visual species. We’re surrounded by logos, magazines, posters, and other forms of visual expression. These iconic images shape our perceptions and reflect our culture. And they’re all created by graphic designers. Some graphic designers have had a remarkably influential role in our lives — yet aren’t household names. In this article, we aim to change that. Here are the top five famous graphic designers who have shaped our world.

Paul Rand

Widely considered to be the father of modern graphic design, Paul Rand was a professor at Yale University and author of the seminal book Thoughts on Design. Highly philosophical in nature, Rand believed that design should strike a balance between functionality and beauty. Perhaps that explains why Rand was able to create such iconic logos as IBM’s, ABC’s, and UPS’s.

Milton Glaser

Known for his whimsical use of typography and a psychedelic aesthetic, Glaser truly captured the feelings and culture of the 1960s and ‘70s. He created the iconic “I Heart New York” logo that adorns bumper stickers and t-shirts around the world, as well as the logo for DC Comics. In 2009, he became the first graphic designer to receive the prestigious National Medal of the Arts.

Paula Scher

With a fresh look for New York mainstays such as the City Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Museum of Modern Art, Paula Scher has established herself as one of the world’s top female graphic designers. Scher focuses on the creative use of typography to communicate the history and breadth of her clients’ work. She also created the new Windows 8 logo to freshen up a tired look into something innovative and user-oriented.

Saul Bass

Saul Bass got his start in advertising but abruptly found himself in the world of Hollywood when he was asked to design the poster for the 1954 film Carmen Jones. That launched his career as a seminal film poster and credits designer. Ever seen Vertigo, Psycho, or The Shining? Bass designed the animated titles for those films. He also created striking posters for the films Anatomy of a Murder and Schindler’s List, to name a couple. Not to be outdone, Bass also created the distinctive logos for AT&T, Dixie, and United Way, among many others. His logos are so good that they tend to stay in use for several decades before a design is needed.

Ruth Ansel

Ruth Ansel shaped magazine design for the century, serving as the first female art director for famous publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, House & Garden, and Vogue. Her signature style blends strong typography with powerful photography, and she’s worked with the likes of pop art provocateur Andy Warhol and esteemed photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Wrapping Up

These designers did more than produce stunning designs. They tapped into the heartbeat of our culture and created something with a deeper meaning. We know these logos, movie posters, and magazine covers because they reflect our society’s core interests and deepest emotions. Their designers weren’t afraid to stand apart from the crowd and do something different. That’s what makes them among the century’s most influential designers.