Progress over perfection
Not a totally outlandish concept, I know. But recently I have heard many people agonize over their own personal need for perfection in their work, and I’ve been reminded of why I am thankful I am not a perfectionist.
Should I be proud of this? Absolutely, and I’m going to tell you why.
As a graphic designer with more than a decade of experience building brand identity systems, I've learned that being a perfectionist isn't always the best approach. While it's important to strive for excellence in your work, a focus on perfection can actually hinder your ability to produce great design. Plus, if you think you’ve achieved perfection, you haven’t. Since perfection is subjective and implies that there’s an end. There’s no end to improving your services, yourself and developing your knowledge. Only progress, as you continue to learn and adopt better processes and skills.
This concept was first introduced to me by Sara Roach-Lewis, a feminist business strategist (with a fantastic book, more about that below) — THANK YOU SARA, and I’ve since heard it reiterated in varying verbiage by a number of popular figures. The phrase "done is better than perfect" is often attributed to Mark Zuckerberg, of Facebook. He used this phrase to encourage his team to prioritize progress and productivity over getting stuck in the pursuit of perfection. It is however worth noting that the concept of prioritizing progress over perfection has been around for ages and is recognized as a best practice in many fields.
One of the reasons not being a perfectionist has served me well in my graphic design career is that it allows me to work more efficiently. When you're constantly striving for perfection, you can get bogged down in the details and spend an excessive amount of time on a project. This can be particularly challenging when you're working on a deadline or when you have multiple projects to complete. By focusing on producing good work rather than perfect work, I'm able to work more quickly and still deliver high-quality design. This allows me to be more adaptable. In the world of graphic design, things don't always go as planned. A client may change their mind, a project scope may shift, or unexpected technical issues may arise. If you're a perfectionist, you may struggle to adapt to these changes because you're focused on achieving your original vision. However, if you're more flexible and open-minded, you can pivot as needed and still produce great work.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of not being a perfectionist, at least in my experience, is that it allows me to be more open to feedback and collaboration — my favourite! When you're hung up on achieving perfection, you can become defensive or closed-minded when someone suggests changes or critiques your work. But when you shift your focus to producing good work, you're more likely to be open to constructive feedback and willing to collaborate with others to produce the best possible outcome. This results in stronger relationships with clients and collaborators, and better design work too!
TLDR; While it's important to strive for excellence in your work as a graphic designer, being a perfectionist isn't always the best approach. By focusing on producing good work, being adaptable, and being open to feedback and collaboration, you can become a more efficient, effective, and successful designer. Plus, you’ll have more fun!
SHE RULES by Sara Roach Lewis is a book outlining what you didn't know has been holding you back in business with a collection of powerful, actionable strategies for women who want to get ahead without losing themselves.