Any creative occupation has the potential to get into a rut or even be stuck altogether because of “writer’s block”. Web designing is no exception and most, if not all, designers will probably find themselves dealing with lack of inspiration at some point in their careers. Here are some suggestions for those days when even taking the trash out seems more appealing than designing a website.
It is a well documented fact that starting at the beginning of a project is the most difficult. If you are having trouble at the top of your webpage, try beginning in the middle or towards the bottom. The same idea works for content. If you begin an article with the content rather than the title, it is much easier. Eventually when you have a good bit done for the rest of the page, you can go back to the top and see what you can get done there.
Try doing your rough drafts on paper rather than the computer. This way, if the design isn’t working for you, it is much easier to trash and begin anew. Making changes to a rough design is simpler to do on paper rather than a computer as well. “It can get very easy to get hung up on technical issues like HTML or JavaScript when [doing] an initial design on the computer.” If you feel like your site design is in a rut and you just can’t seem to think of fresh material, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make sure you can find someone who can give you a balanced perspective, not just a “yes-man” or pessimistic personality.
A.A. Milne once said, “Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” Glossing over the planning phase of your designing in favor of the creative work is a mistake. “If you prefer designing a page, you probably get out Dreamweaver or Photoshop immediately after starting a project. If you prefer developing pages, you probably jump right into the PHP or JavaScript to generate behaviors.” In order to keep yourself within your deadlines and budget, it is always a good idea to make sure you have done the boring work and planned out your site first. According to one web designer, “Planning won’t hurt your designs, but lack of planning will.”