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Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
I’m a graphic designer and I run a visual communication studio in Warsaw. I teach visual communication at School of Form in Poznan.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
I have two ways of working: first one is to have specified goal, the road from A to B is divided into smaller parts, everything is quantified, work goes according to plan. Second one is with no plan, just to catch the flow and make snapshots along the way. And use them later.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
In order of importance: pencil, A4 paper sheet, Adobe software. I’m using my phone instead of scanner and few third party apps to generate random stuff. Processing is cool.
What does your office space look like?
It’s a giant attic, over 100 square meters with two terraces. Painted white, so it looks even bigger. We are sharing it with other designers.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
I can’t concentrate if I’m not listening to music, so the list could be pretty huge. Braindance, soul, funk, italo-disco, dub, post-rock. Recent playlist includes Peaking Lights, Tomasz Stanko, Chez Damier, Jackie Mittoo and just random Lovefingers dj sets.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
I set up structure of my day with a to-do list. But real problem is how to manage this small events that are bombarding you through the day: phonecalls, emails, notifications etc. My rule is: if you can do it in less than 5 min, do it immediately. If not, put it on your to-do list and go back to work.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
If you are bad at something, like managing emails, hire someone to do it for you. It’s better to share your income than to declare email bankruptcy.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
Really, I don’t know. Maybe I’m just lucky and can work long hours so I find time to do regular work and to experiment.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
To draw as much sketches as you can without considering which idea is good or bad. The more bad ideas come to paper, the more room in your head for fresh thoughts. Only then you can start working on your computer.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
I don’t know, I guess wasting time is part of the process. Nowadays there is too much talking about productivity than about just living the moment. Good ideas can come from being bored.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
I have to eat regularly, it’s like my internal clock. I can’t start a day without breakfast and I like to read before work. Mostly books but also yesterdays articles from Instapaper.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
I’m frustrated if I forgot my earbuds. As I mentioned before, music is quite important part of my life. Earbuds and sketchbook. And kindle.