Designing with a Clear Mind: The Case for Stepping Outside
The belief that spending more time on a design project will result in a better outcome is total bullshit.
Great design doesn’t come from spending more hours in Adobe Illustrator. It comes from clarity, something that’s hard to find when your nervous system is fried from 17 open tabs, constant Slack pings, and jumping between design files without a single thread of thought connecting them.
As a designer, I rely on my process. But when I’m overstimulated and anxious, that process unravels quickly. I’ll start sketching, shift to my laptop, open Procreate, get distracted, return to paper, then ping-pong around all over again. It’s chaotic, and it rarely leads to meaningful work.
Real exposure to nature helps me slow down and reconnect with a rhythm that feels more sustainable. Just 10 minutes of sunlight, walking barefoot on the grass, or plunging into the sea can completely reset my mind and body.
Nature doesn’t follow a brief or a deadline. Its raw and untamed. I believe it’s precisely this raw, untamed energy that creates space for curiosity to flourish, rather than being trapped in chaos.
As graphic designers, we’re prone to long hours indoors, screen-bound and overstimulated. Yet so many of our best ideas live outside those confines. It’s also worth mentioning that inspiration and clarity can come not just from nature, but from exposure to other cultures, music, food, and people who create from their own realities. We can’t solve problems creatively if we’re disconnected from the world that inspires us most.
Building a brand is a deeply human experience, meant to capture imagination, evoke emotion, and build connection. Nature is the source; it’s what makes us human. Having the ability to reset through nature as a designer isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Design isn’t just about big ideas. It’s about being in the right state to recognise them, and having the presence of mind to turn them into something real.
If you’re a designer or creative who struggles to cultivate space for clear thinking, a great place to start is away from the screen.
