AIGA Mobile is run by an all-volunteer board of local members comprised of working designers and creative professionals. Board members generally serve a two-year term. Only members who have served as a director for a minimum of one-year may be elected to serve as officers (Chapter Manager) and a President must have served a minimum of two years on the Board of Directors. Current terms for elected board members will end March 31st, 2023. Committee members and chairpersons report to designated board members who vote on their behalf. Their terms last one year and terms are renewable as approved by the board. We’re looking for community members with a passion for design, vision for our community, and drive to make things happen. See position descriptions below.

The Commitment

• Board members should be available to meet on the first Saturday of the month (you are allowed to miss 3 meetings or call/zoom in.)
• Board members must be a supporting-level member or higher by the time they assume office. Sustaining is recommended/encouraged.
• Board members must attend at least 50% of events.
• All AIGA chapter members, including Board members, are subject to AIGA’s Code-of-Conduct: https://www.aiga.org/code-of-conduct

The Perks

As a Director, you’ll also get free admission to the majority of our events and are eligible to attend the AIGA national leadership retreat. The retreat brings board members from all 75 AIGA Chapters to one city each year to share ideas and chapter success stories. Board members also receive discount pricing at the national conference and have the opportunity to volunteer at the national conferences. Serving on the Board of Directors is an exciting way to be hands-on with the planning and strategic direction of our chapter. Aside from that, it’s a fun way to connect with other designers (locally and from other chapters), meet and spend time with design celebs and other speakers that we invite to town, and make connections with members of other local organizations. Your time spent as a Director will hopefully leave you with new professional enrichment and a rewarding feeling knowing that you helped further the design community here in Mobile.

Click on the position to read a detailed description of the role: 

President
Chapter Manager
Membership Director
Promotions Director
Content Director
Social Events Director
Professional Development Director
Sponsorship Director
Education Director

Nominations for all positions are currently open and on-going. Self nominations are encouraged. 

Submit a nomination now

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Are you stumped on what to get the designer or creative individual in your life this holiday season? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a comprehensive list of designer-approved gift ideas at every price point.

1. MOFT® Z 5-in-1 Sit-Stand Desk, $59
The affordable MOFT® Z 5-in-1 Sit-Stand Desk allows you to switch from sitting to standing with ease. It has five unique positions that will help the designer in your life develop a healthy sit-stand working posture and keep them productive when working from home.

2. Polaroid Now i-Type Camera, $100
The new Polaroid Now i-Type Camera will let your creative comrades capture every life moment with this point-and-shoot analog camera. This version features auto-focus and double exposure. Don’t forget to grab a pack of film to go with it.

3. Passion Planner, Weekly Undated Elite, $30
Help your designer prepare for 2021 and get organized with a new Passion Planner that features the passion roadmap step-by-step guide to mapping out goals, monthly and weekly layouts, and monthly reflections on challenges and accomplishments.

4. Apple iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, $800+
For that special someone in your life, consider giving them an investment gift to help them take their digital illustrations to the next level. The iPad Pro and pencil offer the best on-screen drawing experience available and will allow them to create and export high-resolution digital artwork. Pair it with a Paperfeel iPad Pro Screen Protector to upgrade their drawing experience.

5. DrinkTrade Coffee Subscription, $60+
It’s no secret that designers rely on coffee to get them through creative crunch times. Keep them caffeinated with a personalized coffee gift subscription that can be delivered at a frequency of their choosing.

6. Local Coffee Connoisseurs, $10+
If your creative lives in the Mobile-area consider gifting them a gift card to a local coffee shop or a bag of local coffee beans from a local roastery. Some of our favorites include Nova Espresso and Chaleur Coffee. While you are at it, pair it with this handy desktop coffee warmer.

7. Field Notes Notebooks & Journals, $13+
Creatives can never have enough notebooks and journals – especially designer Aaron Draplin’s famous Field Notes. This year we are loving the Fall 2020 Quarterly Edition – The United States of Letterpress which features three notebooks for $12.95. If you have a creative geek in your life, the Field Notes 5E Gaming Journals are the perfect gift to enhance their next Dungeons and Dragons game session ($16.95.)

8. Typography Tees, $20+
As Kanye says, sometimes we get emotional about fonts. Help us showcase our love of a good sans serif or ampersand and pick up one of these typeface tees. If you are looking for something more on the fancy side, this handcrafted Ampersand necklace is sure to do the trick.

9. MINNICH Xcissor Full-Set Pen, $78
The maker of this super-cool invention claims that this product will “put you on the cutting edge — literally.” The Xcissor Full-Set Pen is a combination of scissors, art knife, and pen –– all contained in a sleek package.

10. Jessica Hische Procrastiworking Poster, $75
Lettering icon Jessica Hische is famous for saying “the work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.” Motivate your favorite creative with this limited edition letterpress, foil-stamped poster.

Honorable Mention: While gift cards and certificates may seem impersonal, grabbing your creative friend or family member a gift card from any of these websites will show definitely show that you care: Retrosupply Company, Creative Market, or Design Cuts.

by Brittany Davis | AIGA Mobile Professional Development Director

Designers often wear many hats and are expected to be adept in a variety of disciplines. Senior creatives are charged with managing teams. Web designers are asked to code. More and more job descriptions prefer video editing experience.

Gaining new skills can certainly be a career enhancer. For in-house designers, it could make them a more valuable team member. For agency designers, it may mean a promotion or raise. For freelancers, it could open up more income opportunities. Animation, photography, and JavaScript are attractive lines on a resume, but best of all, they could inspire a new hobby, side business, or passion project!

Here are eight side skills with online learning resources that designers can use to grow as artists, business owners, leaders, and developers:

Animation & Motion Graphics

• CGMA: Animation Master Academy
• Lynda.com: 2D Digital Animation
• Lynda.com: Motion Graphics

Business & Marketing

• HubSpot Academy
• Lynda.com: Design Business Owner
• Lynda.com: Social Media Marketing

Coding & Development

• Codecademy
• Treehouse
• Udacity

Copywriting

• Lynda.com: Marketing Copy
• Lynda.com: Ad Copy
• Skillshare: Copywriting Basics

Drawing & Illustration

• Skillshare: Mastering Illustration
• CreativeLive: Sketchnotes

Leadership & Management

• Lynda.com: Art Direction
• Lynda.com: Management
• Lynda.com: Leadership Foundations

Lettering & Calligraphy

• Crayligraphy
• Lettering Daily
• Skillshare: Hand Lettering Essentials for Beginners

Video & Photography

• Adobe: Premiere Pro Tutorials
• CreativeLive: Photography & Video
• Lynda.com: Video Editing

AIGA Mobile stands with the Black community, our colleagues, and friends. This is a fight that has gone on too long without resolution. We acknowledge your pain, your fear, and your fight and we stand with you. Black lives matter. 

The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others are abhorrent. The systems of oppression and inequity that allow them to continue must change. 

We encourage all of our members and friends to take an active role in supporting the Black community and people of color. As a start, AIGA Mobile is donating to the following organizations: Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, Alabama NAACP, and The Bail Project and is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our chapter and the Mobile, Alabama community. 

We encourage you to extend support and love to your Black friends and family at this time. Support and shop at Black-owned businesses in our community. If you have the time and/or resources we encourage to consider getting involved with or donating to several of the resources below: 

• Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice
• Alabama NAACP
• The Bail Project
• Black Belt Community Foundation
• The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
• Black Owned Mobile (Facebook Group) 
• Equal Justice Initiative
• Southern Poverty Law Center

If you have questions, ideas, or concerns please reach out to us at web@mobile.aiga.org. 

If you are looking for ways to educate yourself on being anti-racist, there are resources available here.

Stay safe and be well, 

AIGA Mobile Board of Directors

The Sponsorship Director’s primary responsibility is to manage the fundraising sources of the Chapter by means of sponsor-related development and works closely with the board of directors to identify potential sponsors/partners for the various events/activities throughout the year. Special attention is given to annual sponsorships, event sponsorships, and in-kind donations.

Duties include the following:

• Identify, contact and nurture relationships with potential sponsors
• Maintain a database of sponsor contact information and potential partners
• Identify cash partners for events and programs
• Identify in-kind paper and printing sponsors
• Provide benefit information to sponsors and ensure that sponsors receive their promised benefits under the said arrangement
• Send out printed sponsor thank you notes and provide Communications team any acknowledgments in promised media (e.g. website, e-news, etc.) and sponsor logos
• Work closely with the Events Chair to access needs, help secure sponsorship for specific events, creating sponsor agreements and invoices, which are filed with the Chapter Manager
• Follow up on donation requests
• Form committees or assign volunteers, as needed, with permission of the President
• Accommodate vendors/sponsors at events

Nominations are on-going. Self-nominations are encouraged. 

Submit your nomination

AIGA: Why did you decide to start your own podcast?

diane: In 2012, I was working full time as a professor at a local University teaching a 3/2 load while continuing to grow my freelance business, Little Bird Communications. There was a meet up downtown after work, but downtown is about an hour away from my house, and I was trying to use my time wisely. I knew I needed to have input from other designers on a regular basis, and at the time there was not an AIGA chapter in our area. At the end of the spring semester, I found this online platform called Spreecast and was an early adopter. It allowed people to come to a chat room and actually join in on the conversation through video invite or participate in the chat. I was able to meet some great people who were using the platform to create weekly content, and I invited people to join in on the learning and ask questions. I knew I could do it.

Someone I followed, Srini Rao, had a podcast at the time about business and creativity (now he has a new one called Unmistakable Creative), and one piece of advice he gave to any passion project (or for me this weekly web show) was to do it for five years. Commit to this for five years before giving up. I made a promise to myself to do it for five years.

Another reason I wanted to get more connected to other designers was I had applied for a teaching position at my alma mater and did not even get a skype interview—or for that matter—a letter saying they had filled the position. But I never held any bad feelings for my school; I still love Auburn so much. I decided I wanted to be someone who would get an interview at my alma mater, someone they would be proud of and would want to be part of their team.

In June 2012, I embarked on my first official episode and started a weekly streak that has been a game changer for me as a designer and as an entrepreneur. In 2014, with the help of some amazing guys who were producing podcasts, I got the podcast on iTunes and other platforms. (Thank you Patrick from Masters of One Podcast and Carlos Gomez from the Sketchzone Podcast for giving me their time and walking me baby steps through it).

AIGA: What resources were helpful to you getting started?

diane: People were my best resource. Simply not being afraid to email people or talk to people online. I still meet with creatives from all over the world every week over video chat platforms. I use Zoom (the most stable one, and I have tried a BUNCH).

The internet has been an incredible tool/resource. I know that seems trite, but really it was about creating a brand that looked real, getting some people I knew to do the first few interviews then posting on social media and building an email list. And kept learning about people I wanted to meet and then finding them and asking them questions.

If you meant real tools besides things that are already at your disposal, audio quality is really important in video—more important than video quality actually! So from the beginning, I bought a Blue Yeti Microphone. I used a video platform so I started with the camera on my computer and quickly upgraded to a Logitech camera in 2013, then again this year upgraded to a Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920.

AIGA: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far with the podcast? How did you handle it/are you handling it?

diane: The first year I think I did almost 50 episodes if not 50. The biggest challenge was scheduling the people and the tests. I hired a friend to help me who was not a designer and was not interested in the subject matter…and she did not work out. So I hired another friend who was working as a freelancer while she was raising two little girls—Ashleigh has been my saving grace. She has helped me keep going and encouraged me when I was ready to throw in the towel.

Ashleigh prays for me and the podcast; she is a light, and she is so good at what she does. I am not sure I could duplicate what she does. She has it down to a science; she schedules my guests out about four to six months in advance.

This year Ashleigh attended her second Creative South conference, and I am so thankful that I got to bring her along to hopefully get recharged herself.

AIGA: What problem are you trying to solve or value are you trying to provide?

diane: I am trying to provide examples of people who have done the things we struggle with as designers with side hustles, or designers who are running a business/or trying to get that business off the ground so they can quit their full time gig. I share people’s “Hope Stories.” That is what I call them. They have struggled, they have overcome or are in the middle of overcoming, but have made it up one mountain and have something to teach others. My friend Jodi Miller says I am a gold digger. She says I find the gold in people when other people see dirt. Maybe she is right, I like the analogy.

AIGA: How are balancing Design Recharge with all of your other commitments?

diane: Oh Lord, ask my students, my husband, my family. Probably not great. I really try and deliver in all these places, but my house is always messy (as is my office). My students might think I am not as available as other professors, but I hope not. My clients hopefully don’t notice anything. Client work is fun and so enjoyable. Much more so than grading. I plan my semester before it even starts. That really helps, I have all my lectures and projects ready to go usually. Sometimes it is hard because I see the calendar I created before the semester starts and it has every day on it and what we are doing. Sometimes I have to adjust it, because I wanted us to move too quickly through a piece, and the students need more time. 

When it comes to client work, I usually get my client work done first. Then Design Recharge. Then grading. I hate grading.

AIGA: What strategies or new methods are you testing out to push Design Recharge forward?

diane: In December 2018, I started a Patreon account. I have grown that every month without really pushing it. I mention it on the podcast when I remember. I also have started three other affiliates and am launching some new educational video (YouTube) playlists about building websites from scratch. And another series that takes a beginner through some computer basics, file basics, time saving techniques, typography basics. These are all things I can use in my classes as well. But I will be starting these this spring and rolling them out this summer. It is two-fold: it helps students who need more preparation for classes and people who can’t afford school get some of the resources they need too.

I am working on another new series that will be a month-long learning series that will help creative entrepreneurs in growing their businesses. It will cover things like presentation decks, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Google AdWords, Launching a Successful Kickstarter, and much more. It is called the Ignitor Series, and I hope to release it in September or October of 2019.

AIGA: What is a piece of advice you’d give someone about pursuing a passion project?

diane: Be clear about the goal. How does it serve you? What does it provide for you personally, and how will you mark your growth? It is good for it to give to other people but it has to do SOMETHING for you. Otherwise you will not keep going when it gets hard.

Even if you are clear, be flexible and allow your goals to change and pivot as you grow. Making money can’t be your motivator—it has to be deeper than that. I love what I do, and ever since I started my business and Design Recharge, every day I am so thankful to love what I get to do. One day I will retire from teaching (no time soon), but I hope I die designing and making things. My work is play, and I hope to play everyday. We are lucky to be designers and have a field that is so vast, that we can try something new if we are bored.

I hope this helps. We have some exciting things coming up, and if anyone is interested in learning more about all the things they can sign up for, the recharging you newsletter. Or they can come to a live Design Recharge episode by signing up for the weekly newsletter.

Or feel free to reach out to me at diane@rechargingyou.com.

by Heath Vester, AIGA Promotions Director

This year has been different for a lot of reasons, but probably the biggest thing that has shaped society has been the COVID-19 pandemic. It has changed the way we work, the way we shop, go to school and even how we hang out with friends.

For many students, “going back to school” has become something they thought may not even be possible this year. For others, it is something that would be a completely new and potentially scary experience for them. In order to help alleviate some potential stress, we have put together this list of things to help you navigate this difficult and ever-changing time.

1) Take Care of Yourself

This may seem like a no-brainer, but we often overlook our own physical and mental health during busy times and/or times of stress. However, now it’s more important than ever to make sure you are monitoring your health, not just to help stop the spread of COVID-19, but to also make sure you are able to function and take on all of the responsibilities you have as a college student.

2) Take Things Slow

College is a time to experience new things and you should absolutely take advantage of the opportunities you are given! However, it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t have to do everything. It’s ok to say no, especially when you feel like your health may be at risk.

3) Create for Yourself

As an artist, we often use art as a way to process stress. It’s important to remember when you feel overwhelmed to do something that will take your mind off the pressures of school or the crisis our society is currently facing. If you like to paint or draw, maybe spend an hour doing that, even if you are not taking that class this semester.

4) Over Communicate

With things constantly changing, it’s important to properly communicate with your professors. Whether you are taking classes online or in a physical classroom, it’s vital that you stay up-to-date with assignments, and if something comes up or you get sick, make sure to let your professors know ahead of time so they can be aware.

5) Give Yourself (and Others) Grace

These are difficult times we are living in for many different reasons. In college, you will be met with challenges and difficulties and now, with the current pandemic, those may be amplified. It’s important to keep that in mind and give yourself grace when you mess up and also extend that same grace to your classmates and professors that may be facing many of the same difficulties you are. At the end of the day, we are all in this together and a little kindness can go a long way.

by Paige Garland | AIGA Mobile Content Director | In-House Designer, Illustrator, and Nerd

Have you found yourself with a little extra free time? Got some pent-up quarantine energy you need to release, and your sourdough bread and whipped coffee recipes aren’t cutting it any longer? Sounds like a good time for you to start a passion project!

BUT WAIT! Don’t jump into a new project guns blazing—if you don’t give yourself a few parameters, it’s gonna be easy peasy to quit two weeks in. bUt CoNstRainTs kIlL mY CrEaTiViTy, you say. Well, you can’t stand up without a spine, can you?? By following these three basic tips for starting a new project, you can set yourself up for FOLLOWING THROUGH with your passion project.

PRO TIP #1 Define the purpose of your passion project.

Is this project strictly for you? Are you trying to build up your portfolio, learn a new skill, and/or attract new followers/clients? Can you combine some of your current interests in a unique way, so you enjoy the subject matter while you create these pieces?

For my last completed passion project (which is totally for me, if you must know), I combined my love of illustration, comics/anime, powerful ladies, and need for some affirmation:

If you need some more examples, check out these amazing folks:

• The Letter Mermaid – ocean-themed lettering and illustration
• Fancy and Wonder – hand-lettered DnD Guide for Beginners
• JiuJitsu Letters – illustrations and lettering for female martial artists
• Zulfa – cosmic-themed feminist lettering and illustration
• Luke Fehribach – cool Western-style illustrations and handmade axes
• Rob Almeida – motivational lettering and illustration
• Boss Dog – psychedelic skull and skeleton-themed art and illustration

PRO TIP #2 Set up your parameters.

If you looked at any of the previous links, you’ll notice a PATTERN and THEME. I get it, niching down is hard. HOWEVER, this project isn’t forever. By giving yourself some parameters, you take the guess work out of what you’re going to be doing for the next several weeks. Now you can commit more time creating the work rather than waffling over the details.

GO AHEAD AND DEFINE:

• medium (digital illustration, book covers, watercolor, embroidery, etc.)
• color palette/style/general vibe
• platforms (instagram, behance, dribbble, etc.)
• size/format/template
• pieces/deliverables

To put this into play, I committed to doing 12 digital illustrations in a comic book style with a pink, blue, and purple color palette. This keeps things consistent and proves you can create a more cohesive body of work.

PRO TIP #3 Keep yourself accountable.

Now, the point of doing all this leg work is to see this through. To keep yourself accountable, you have to make your goals REALISTIC.

Consider these things:

How often can you finish a piece and post it? I shot for one piece a week. If you can’t do that, THAT’S TOTALLY OKAY. Keep yourself on a schedule, whatever the frequency is! AND POST IT, EVEN IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT.

If the thought of committing to 12 pieces gives you hives, why not start with four and reevaluate? But don’t just QUIT because you’re bored with it—the key here is to KEEP GOING and let the work evolve on its own.

How are you keeping yourself accountable? In other words, do you have an accountabili-buddy? I did this project in conjunction with a group of creatives, who were also posting absolutely killer (and completely) different content each week.

It’s like getting an exercise partner…a creative exercise partner! Do you have anyone in your life you can keep updated with your project or work alongside of? If not, I am here to be your creative cheerleader. Plz DM me @pwrgrl.illustration on IG.

How are you establishing HEALTHY boundaries? There is something to be said about showing up and doing the work when you don’t feel like it, but there’s even more to be said about taking the time to REST.

Set aside a day each week in which you either do NOTHING (my favorite), spend time with your friends/family, and/or spend time on another hobby. Your brain, body, and soul need rest. Your creativity will thank you.

A little planning is worth the time & effort.

I get it, committing that much time and effort to a single thing is kind of…daunting. You’re probably like I am—trying to balance a full-time gig, life commitments, and some kind of sanity. However, I want you to PICTURE IT: at the end of this project, you’ll have a body of work you’re proud of, and you will DEFINITELY be able to leverage your new skills in the future. Most importantly, you made something that matters to YOU. And other people will resonate with that.

So, as long as you define the purpose of your project, set parameters, and keep yourself accountable, you have what it takes to make your passion project dreams a reality. Take these three simple tips and get started on your new passion project TODAY!

With the outbreak of COVID-19, many workplaces are having to unexpectedly switch to remote work environments for the safety of their workers and clients. Smaller agencies, design studios, and in-house marketing departments may not be aware of some of the free and low-cost solutions that are available to help you get started. Whether you are a business owner, manager or remote worker these tools and tips should help you transition seamlessly. 

1. Design software

Adobe Creative Cloud is still the gold standard in design software and its subscription, cloud-based model makes it easy enough for you to transition from your workplace desktop to your personal computer as needed. According to Adobe, “your individual Creative Cloud license lets you install your apps on more than one computer, activate (sign-in) on two, but use them on only one computer at a time.” Enhanced Adobe CC plans can come with up to 5TB of cloud storage based on your needs.

For UI/UX designers there are several new software programs that offer built-in collaborative tools. Figma can be used both in-browser and via desktop app and offers teams the ability to edit together in real-time, follow along in observation mode and see version history in case you need to take a step backward. While a beginner plan is free, team optimized plans start as low as $12 per month. InVision is also a great option for UI/UX designers offering prototyping, organization, collaboration, feedback, user testing and more. InVision also offers a free account for a single prototype and graduated pricing tiers that allow for multiple and unlimited prototypes for teams.

2. Video chats/conference calls

Probably the biggest concern for many design studios, businesses, and in-house environments is the ability to meet face-to-face (even virtually), share projects they are working on, etc. There are several excellent tools available to help make that happen.

The hottest tool in the industry is Zoom. Zoom allows for both one-on-one meetings and group meetings, screen sharing, recording and more. Zoom offers a fantastic free plan however meetings are limited to 40 minutes, so if your meetings tend to run longer then you’ll want to invest in their Pro plan which starts at $14.99 per host.

If you are a paid GSuite customer like me, who pays $6 a month for branded business email managed by Gmail then you should also consider Google Hangouts Meet. While the $6 plan allows for up to 100 participants during voice/video conferencing – through July 1st Google is making their higher-tiered plans available to all GSuite users (up to 250 participants) at no extra cost.

In addition to the tools listed above, Adobe Connect and Apple’s Facetime are also options to be considered. Adobe Connect is offering a 90-day trial for up to 25 participants and allows for screen sharing and audience polling. If you are an Apple user and don’t need to screen share you could also use Facetime’s built-in group calling feature.

3. Messaging systems & collaborative ideation

Many businesses are already using Slack for team collaboration, messaging and sharing at the workplace. Slack works seamlessly across your desktop and mobile devices, has tons of apps that integrate and enhance the software (like Google Drive and Asana integration) and you can get started for free or choose a plan from their tiered pricing structure for more features and storage.

I also love Mural, a digital workspace for collaboration that offers users the ability to create private boards of sticky note ideation along with collaborative boards for teams. Plans offer the ability to have facilitators who lead team ideation exercises and includes features like voting, timers, and pre-design templates.

4. Collaborative file storage

If you have been working for a company or agency, most likely you have an in-house server where you store and share files with one another. Take it from me, remoting into desktop workstations to access files and make edits is time-consuming and frustrating. If possible, set up a collaborative file sharing system for your team. Most people are familiar with Google Drive or DropBox, both of which offer solid paid options with increased storage capacity.

Businesses looking for a more secure solution that offers higher levels of encryption might consider Box which touts itself as “secure content management, workflow, and collaboration” offers two-factor authentication and file storage on their collaborative Box Drive among other collaborative tools.

5. Collaborative word processing and data tools

As far as word processing and data visualization are concerned, it is hard to beat Google’s suite of free apps that can be used collaboratively within your browser. Use Docs to write press releases or creative briefs, Slides to create presentations that are on par with Powerpoint or Keynote and Sheets to create, open and modify spreadsheets. All of these files can be stored on a collaborative Google Drive and shared with team members. 

6. Time management

If you are new to remote life then it may be hard to adjust to a less formal environment and keep yourself on track. “Clocking In” may help you separate business hours and personal hours more clearly. Clockify is a time tracking tool and timesheet app that lets you or your team track work hours across projects for free.

If you are having trouble staying on task and find yourself getting caught up in the latest Netflix original or endlessly scrolling through TikTok videos consider Be Focused for Mac, which allows you to “create tasks, configure breaks and track your progress throughout the day, week or custom period.”

7. Project management

When companies have to suddenly go remote project management can be a huge concern. Putting a software system in place that can help you keep track of tasks and deadlines is essential. While many businesses already have a digital method of project management in place there are still some old-school agencies and marketing departments that use job jackets or emails to divvy out projects.

First up is Asana which is beloved by micromanagers and enneagram type ones everywhere. Asana’s free plan allows you to collaborate with up to 15 teammates to assign and manage tasks, view projects in list or calendar view, and integrate with various apps including Creative Cloud. Their paid plans begin at $10.99 per user and adds features like timeline view, advanced search and reporting, forms, project milestones and more.

I’ve also heard good things about Cage which is a “media collaboration and project workflow [tool] built for designers, agencies and in-house teams.” According to Cage’s website, the tool is more inclusive than other services mentioned and includes file storage, project management, proof approvals, annotations, asset management, presentations and more. One of it’s biggest assets may be the ability to share files with non-designers in native formats including PSD and AI documents. You can test out Cage for free with their one user plan and paid plans start at $8 per user, per month for increased storage unlimited projects and outside app integrations.

8. Upgrading your audio/visual experience

Finally, I want to touch on preparing yourself and your office for video-based meetings. Most laptops or desktop computers made in the last five years have a webcam of some sort and built-in microphone, but depending on how old your computer is they may be of poor quality. I suggest testing your webcam and built-in mic before getting in a situation where a client or team may not be able to see or hear you. You may want to invest in a better webcam and/or audio headset to improve the remote experience.

You can find Logitech 1080p cams on Amazon for around $35 with a built-in mic that is both PC and mac compatible. If you’d like more control of your audio consider a bluetooth headset with a noise-canceling mic or treat yourself to a pair of Apple Airpods that you can also use at the gym or when traveling. If natural light is hard to come by or your office is particularly dark, also consider adding an external light source. Simple ring lights that clip easily to your workspace are cheap and add noticeable improvement. Also, take a moment to clean up and organize the space behind you to add a sense of professionalism. If you’re not feeling that there’s always this pop-up green screen that you can attach to your chair – fun fact, Zoom allows you to replace your background in the software preferences.

– Megan Cary is a designer, design educator and small business owner located in Mobile, Alabama with experience in remote work and online education.