Taken from the Future of Web Design, London 2015 Conference. http://futureofwebdesign.com/london-2015 Whether you work at home or in a studio, your work environment and approach to work is so important. Your desk, your kit, your eating habits…they matter more than you think. Arthur will share how a decade of physical pain led him to focus on how he works as much as on his output – and the difference it made. He’ll also share how running a marathon has helped him run a studio and why, in our hectic digital lives, toasting marshmallows, climbing trees and swimming in lakes are not just fun but essential!

1. Design For Life
@skylarkcreative skylark_creative skylarkcreative.co.uk
by Arthur Irving

2. The Year 2000
This was me…

3. Equipment
Power Mac G3 (beige) Nokia 7110

4. Software
Mac OS 9 Photoshop 6

5. Web
Google Black Planet

6. Print
Design
IT
Support

7. • WHAT you should work on to maintain focus and
clarity
• HOW your setup can lead to a better lifestyle
• How running has helped me re-evaluate WHY I
am working in design

8. Uncertainty

9. Calling
Career
Job

10. The Problem

11. Design What You Do

12. What is a Digital Designer?

13. • 60%-65% are an employee of a company
• 40%-50% are self-employed or freelance
• On average a web designer will work 40-45
hours per week
• 65% are satisfied by the job
*Collated from coders-survey.com, heartinternet.uk, freelancejam.com, howdesign.com, aneventapart.com

14. The Power of Time Off

15. Stefan Sagmeister uses sabbaticals:
‘…to pursue some little experiments, things that are
always difficult to accomplish during the working year’

16. • Freelancers may divide their working month
into work for clients and their own projects
• Permanent staff may want to negotiate time
off during the week

17. Passion Projects

18. Movie Posters by Mat Weller:
‘…I set aside a few hours in the week to work on
my posters. It is important to schedule the time
and sit down at my desk no matter what’

19. • Set a goal for the project
• Schedule the time each week in which you act
on your project
• Set a deadline for the project
• Get it done

20. Other Training

21. Design How You Work

22. Home
Shared
Space
Large
Agency
Corporate
Office
Small
Studio
Freelance In-housePermalance One man band Cooperatives

23. 1. Routine

24. • 29% take a regular lunch break
• 28% don’t take a lunch break at all
• 45% do not leave the office
• 31% eat at their desk
• 42% respond to work calls / emails
• 46% seldom do something relaxing or rejuvenating
*Source: bupa.com

25. The Experiment

26. Arthur, Creative Director
8,166 - average steps per day
8.7 hours - average daily sitting
29 -‘inactivity’ stamps
“I was shocked by the sheer amount of time
I spent in a seated position each day”

27. Clare, Head of Production
8,208 - average steps per day
99 mins - average daily activity
82% - average movement goal
“I found I could easily add that all important extra movement
each day by walking an extra few tube stops”
’

28. Nick, Designer
17,931 - average steps per day
165 mins - average daily activity
29,264 - most steps achieved in one day
“The device acted as a personal reminder to move by telling me
exactly how lazy I am. It has made me rethink my lifestyle”

29. Mat, Designer
5,917 - average steps per day
7 hours - average time spent sitting
4 ‘Good Posture’ hours goal hit each day
“Standing at work was a real benefit here as the 3 or so hours
I’d spend standing per day would be at ‘outstanding’ posture
according to the device”
’

30. Jocelyn, Production Assistant
12,127 - average steps per day
10 hours - average time spent sitting
“I was able to see how little I actually do
when I decide not to walk to work”
’

31. • 80% take a regular lunch break
• 10% don’t take a lunch break at all
• 10% do not leave the office
• 40% eat at their desk
• 40% respond to work calls / emails
• 20% seldom do something relaxing or rejuvenating
*Source: Skylark Creative

32. • 3 out of 5 of the participants regularly failed to
attain the 10,000 steps required for a ‘good’ level of
activity
• More senior team members spent on average 9
hours sitting each day

33. • Choosing to walk to work or an earlier tube stop
doubled the active time recorded
• The more ‘active’ users were those who made regular
breaks and chose walking over train or bus
• We all rethought our lifestyle choices

34. 2. Setup

35. Eye StrainMigrainesNeck Pain
Back PainCarpal TunnelRSI

36. Keyboard & Mouse
Screen
Chair
Topography

37. Get Up Stand Up

38. We are the most sedentary
humans in history

39. Food Glucose Blood

40. Healthy Heart

41. over the course of a year, is the
equivalent of running 10 marathons.
results in blood glucose levels falling
back to normal levels after a meal
more quickly.
burns more calories than sitting.
Standing for around 3 hours a day

42. Standup Solutions
Basic Desk (£250) Electronic Desk (£550+)

44. Standing
whilst talking
on the phone
Taking the
stairs as an
alternative to
the lift
Going over to talk
to colleagues rather
than IM or email

45. The Creative Difference

46. • Improved health, and sense of well-being
• Increased focus and concentration
• Improved endurance for longer projects
• Created a bit of a ‘buzz’ and a talking point

47. “I’d read that sitting is better for creativity whilst standing for
admin-type work. I did notice this to be true, although that might
just be the article getting in my head.”

48. “I feel a noticeable difference in how productive and reactive I am,
particularly on fast-paced days. When I have lots of small jobs to get
done, I find that I am more able to complete them when I’m using
the standing desk.”

49. “Standing periodically is great when I feel like I’m in a rut creatively
- it restarts the motor. The same can be said for sitting back down
too. Standing up is like a sprint - sitting down you feel more settled
in. When I don’t stand I certainly feel lazy.”

50. (Re)Design why you are working

51. Running

52. Sorry

53. Motivated by Time

54. Why Running is like Design

55. 1.Talent

56. 2.Focus

57. 3.Endurance

58. Acquiring Talent

59. Bringing it back to why

60. Leo, Designer
‘My motorbike unleashes a freedom and an endurance that
I try to use in my creative practice’

61. Simon & James, Print Designers
‘Being able to create both music and design as a team
means that we have a unique way of communicating and
compromising. It keeps our work fresh’
’

62. Dan, Product Designer
‘Triathlon training keeps me sane and focused whilst
also being a great escape from the office’

63. Troy, Illustrator
Troy has created a successful pop-up
‘Wingman’ in Dalston

64. Designing Your Profession

65. Overcoming Resistance

66. The Digital Battleground

68. Subverting the environment

69. Fall in love again

70. The Bottom Line

71. Design For Life