You know the saying “less is more”? It’s such a great little concept. That single saying has saved me multiple times from having an over-crowded design.

As an art student, it’s necessary to be able to look at your work and decide what is essential and what isn’t. Anything that you’re questioning, get rid of. Sometimes even concepts you love can be taking up too much real estate. I can’t lie to you, I am so incredibly guilty of getting caught in my design and not thinking of how much precious white space I’m taking up. White space in design is golden.

How exactly can you be so critical of your work, though? Let me tell you, it’s hard. Creating something then having to strip it down to the bare minimum is sometimes heartbreaking, but I promise you, it’s so rewarding. The best thing you can do is just take a step back. Normally procrastination encouragement isn’t something you’ll come across often, but do it! Take a step back from your work and just do anything else. Clear your head! Watch a show, eat some popcorn, play with a pet. Anything! Returning to your work with a fresh mind will help you more than staring at a screen, frustrating yourself. The best thing about being a graphic designer is the freedom we have with removing and replacing parts of our design. Painters and other artists don’t have that ability unless they want to risk having to start from scratch. So don’t be afraid to take chances!

So in a nutshell: less is more, don’t been afraid to step away from your work and take chances because they’re always undoable!