How to know which jobs to take

I’m terrible at turning down projects. I think that’s because my favorite phase of any assignment is the initial contact (when it’s okay to let my imagination get away from me a little bit).

Whether it’s an email from a potential client or an editor stopping by my desk, I get excited about the idea of making something new. Usually, I start brainstorming in the middle of that first conversation and get too distracted to work on anything else. Any current assignments usually lose my attention — I’ll spend two, three, even four hours off-schedule and end up taking lunch at my desk or staying at work way too late. So, how does an in-house designer manage to stay on task?

Plan for distractions

I’ve learned that it’s best to cushion my daily calendar with at least one full hour of free time in the middle of my workday, just in case something unplanned comes across my desk. The mid-day break frees me up enough to handle random requests from coworkers or pursue work-related side projects. On the best days, meetings get canceled or end early and I can sneak in even more free time or, if I’m feeling responsible, an extra 15–30 minutes to play catch up on any task(s) I’m putting off.

I bug art directors at The Magazine for (small) illustration work just about every week. Before I began padding my workday with that free hour, I would justify working after-hours or shirking priorities by telling myself it was a win/win: The Mag didn’t have to hire a freelancer — which meant assigning, budgeting and waiting on final art — and I got to develop my illustration skills — as well as get something printed for ESPN (a personal goal for years). The results were always conflicted: the work got done, but more haphazardly than if an illustrator had been hired, and I was too stressed to appreciate my work. Now, having learned to manage my time more wisely, magazine illustrations turn out much better — not to mention way more fun.

While any spot illustrations I make for The Mag are (usually) brought on by my own hubris, “design time” (as its labeled in my calendar) is just as much about accounting for the randomness of a news-driven website like ESPN. It’s not uncommon for a developing story to prompt an entire project — including steps like brainstorm, sketch, outline, code, illustrate, write, edit and publish — within 24 hours of news breaking (e.g.: this story from 2015). Our team prides itself in unique storytelling and quick turnarounds, but lots of conditions dictate a story’s success. For every fun project we accept, another one falls by the wayside.

Saying “no”

It’s impossible to know when the best projects will present themselves, but a safe bet is when I’m at my busiest. Parcelling out free time is more of a band-aid than a cure for the onslaught of work requests, and the inevitably tough decision to decline new assignments comes around almost daily.

Before rejecting new projects, it’s important to find out how much of a commitment is needed; poor communication can lead to underestimating the lift and doom a project to failure before even starting. Disclosure is crucial; I always say more than just, “no.” Clients and coworkers deserve explanations why you’re rejecting their ideas, even if it’s simply a matter of bad timing. How else will he or she know it’s okay for them to come back to you in the future? One of the best parts about being in-house is the ability to defer work to another person on the team; just because I can’t work on something, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get made. Even though you’ll be missing out, knowing that someone else gets a fun project is great consolation. And who knows? Maybe your roles will be reversed soon. (This applies to freelance, too; referring a job to a friend is great for relationships and, ironically, good for self-promotion.)

Just like anything, turning down work gets easier with practice. Over time, you figure out the nomenclature; for example, “not right now” is acceptable if you can’t hit a target date, while “maybe” is never okay (you might as well say “no”). Learning how to speak to clients or coworkers that present new work is just as much a part of the design process as brainstorming or revising.

Whether you freelance or work in-house, no doubt you understand the importance of time-management. A common goal is to be busy enough with work you enjoy that you’re able to pick and choose projects as they present themselves (personally, I’ve always considered this a measure of success; being able to turn down a project usually means I’m already being fulfilled). Until you achieve that benchmark, it’s helpful to recognize the unavoidability of becoming distracted with new projects, as well as the necessity of telling others, “no (at least, not right now).”