{"id":7567,"date":"2020-03-31T15:16:05","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T19:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=7567"},"modified":"2022-05-24T16:04:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T20:04:14","slug":"designers-guide-to-productive-quarantine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/designers-guide-to-productive-quarantine\/","title":{"rendered":"A Designer&#8217;s Guide to a Productive Quarantine"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<p>School\u2019s out, restaurants are shuttered, the MTA is running on a weekend schedule. As the coronavirus sweeps across the globe, the majority of people are taking a pause. But for some of us, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/heroes-of-the-quarantine\/\">the daily grind is still happening<\/a>\u2026 just from the living room. Those of you who are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/remote-work-ultimate-guide-2020\/\">new to remote working<\/a> might be experiencing some of the benefits for the first time: the flexibility, the time saved on commuting, the non-existent dress code. But making sure that working from home is time well spent takes some diligence. Now that 32 states have issued stay-at-home mandates, it\u2019s important for creatives to stay engaged and inspired in isolation. Here is a guide to a productive quarantine for designers and creatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Pick up some new skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Take the advice of an astronaut <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/03\/21\/opinion\/scott-kelly-coronavirus-isolation.html\">who spent a year in space<\/a>: You\u2019re going to want to find something to do that isn\u2019t work or a household chore. If there\u2019s some skill that you\u2019ve always wanted to pick up but you haven\u2019t had the time\u2026 well, now you do. Here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Adobe is free for the next two months! Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/petapixel.com\/2020\/03\/18\/adobe-is-giving-everyone-2-months-of-free-creative-cloud-heres-how-to-get-it\/\">step-by-step instructions<\/a> for how to get access to it. (And be sure to visit the virtual <a href=\"https:\/\/business.adobe.com\/summit\/adobe-summit.html\">2020 Adobe Summit<\/a>. Tickets usually run around $1,500 per person, but this year, all the keynotes and breakouts are online for free.)<\/li><li>Now that you have the Creative Suite, learn how to use it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lynda.com\/\">Lynda<\/a> is offering a free month of tutorials.\u00a0<\/li><li>If you become <a href=\"https:\/\/eyeondesign.aiga.org\/guide-to-self-isolation-for-designers\/\">an AIGA member<\/a>, you can get two months free in a subscription to <a href=\"https:\/\/join.skillshare.com\/bd-aiga-2mth\/\">Skillshare<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li><li>Learn how to make <a href=\"https:\/\/variablefonts.io\/\">variable fonts<\/a>.<\/li><li>Take a drawing class from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carsonellis.com\/blog\">Carson Ellis<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carsonellis\/\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/li><li>Learn how to make your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCiEoAFsLgMzLhHQt--9Prbw\">own mask<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li><li>Learn to dance like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/03\/24\/arts\/dance\/yvonne-rainer-do-it-yourself-coronavirus.html\">modern powerhouse Yvonne Rainer<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Spring Spruce-Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve certainly got the time now. One of these weekend nights, throw on some comfy clothes, pour yourself a glass of wine, and set out to update your online repositories. That means your portfolio, website, LinkedIn (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/how-to-use-linkedin-creative\/\">yes, you should be using it<\/a>), Behance profile\u2014wherever your work lives online, put your most creative foot forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Start a movie night<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no better way to glean creative inspiration than by watching masters at work. Spend a little time watching <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/design-documentaries-netflix-abstract-creative-brain-minimalism\/\">design documentaries<\/a> like these:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/abstract-art-of-design-season-two-netflix\/\"><strong><em>Abstract: The Art of Design<\/em><\/strong><\/a> &#8211; If you\u2019ve been telling yourself that you\u2019ll finally get around to seeing this Netflix Original, now\u2019s the time to make good on your promise. It\u2019s a must.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hustwit.com\/helvetica\"><strong><em>Helvetica<\/em><\/strong><\/a> &#8211; For the remainder of the COVID-19 crisis, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/helvetica-documentary-gary-hustwit\/\">Gary Hustwit<\/a>\u2014the director who\u2019s also behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hustwit.com\/rams\"><em>Rams<\/em><\/a>\u2014is making all of his design documentaries available online.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/ondemand\/designcanadaintl\"><strong><em>Design Canada<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>&#8211;<strong> <\/strong>Directed by the Vancouver-based designer Greg Durrell (with a star-studded roster of producers, including Jessica Edwards and Gary Hustwit), this film takes a dive into the nation\u2019s identity through the lens of graphic design.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Konstantin-Grcic-Design-Work\/dp\/B077Y84LXD\"><strong><em>Konstantin Grcic: Design is Work<\/em><\/strong><\/a> &#8211; Director Gereon Wetzel<\/li><li> followed the acclaimed designer and his team for over a year, studying their creative process and capturing footage of beautiful furniture in progress.&nbsp;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/ondemand\/architectureofinfinity\/390464353\"><strong><em>Architecture of Infinity<\/em><\/strong><\/a> &#8211; Get a tour of the transcendent work of Peter Zumthor, James Turrell, and Cristina Iglesias Ames, among others. This one\u2019s directed by Christoph Schaub.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Get inspired while you work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s nothing like hearing it straight from the horse\u2019s mouth. If you want to get a better grasp on how designers do their work, and how design thinking permeates everything from business to politics to our social interactions, check out these series:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/livetalkfrom.com\/\"><strong><em>Live!<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is a new talk series broadcast on Instagram\u2014where designers talk \u201cto fight quarantine, boredom and instil hope.\u201d<\/li><li>Check out the past lectures on type design from <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/showcase\/letterform-lectures\">the Letterform Archive in San Francisco<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/podcasts\/\"><strong><em>Face to Face<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, a new podcast from Dezeen, hosted by founder and EIC Marcus Fairs, features some of the biggest names in architecture and design, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2020\/03\/10\/es-devlin-face-to-face-podcast\/\">Es Devlin<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2020\/03\/24\/hella-jongerius-face-to-face-podcast\/\">Hella Jongerius<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/designobserver.com\/designofbusiness\"><strong><em>The Design of Business, the Business of Design<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, hosted by Jessica Helfand and Ellen McGirt, looks at how design shapes industries and organizations, interviewing thought leaders across artistic disciplines. Start with the episode with the architecture and design curator of MoMA <a href=\"https:\/\/designobserver.com\/article.php?id=40161\">Paola Antonelli<\/a>. Her charming Italian accent is a plus.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Roman Mars\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/99percentinvisible.org\/episode\/fraktur\/\"><strong><em>99% Invisible<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, a podcast which tells little known stories about design and architecture, will have you on the edge of your seat. Try this episode on the typeface <a href=\"https:\/\/99percentinvisible.org\/episode\/fraktur\/\">Fraktur<\/a> or this older story about designing <a href=\"https:\/\/99percentinvisible.org\/episode\/ten-thousand-years\/\">signage for biohazard materials<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Curl up with a book&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re staring at a Zoom screen all day, you\u2019ll welcome the still beauty of the printed page. Whether you\u2019re in the mood to dig into design history or pick up an art book, consider supporting the bookmakers and sellers by buying directly from them. Here are a few ideas about what your next reading material should be:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Explore the offerings of the magazine world by subscribing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stackmagazines.com\/\">Stack<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Check out all the great design essays on <a href=\"https:\/\/readings.design\/\">Graphic Designs Readings<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li><li>See what\u2019s recently arrived at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.printedmatter.org\/\">Printed Matter<\/a>\u2014like the 2020 edition of Osamo Sato\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.printedmatter.org\/catalog\/artist\/34835\"><em>Art of Computer Designing<\/em><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.printedmatter.org\/catalog\/46751\"><em>The High Line : A Field Guide and Handbook<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>by Ethan Hauser, Mark Dion, Jorge Colombo, and Naomi Reis.<\/li><li>Pick up the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.counter-print.co.uk\/collections\/all-books\/products\/workplace-skills-bookset\"><em>Workplace Skills Book Set<\/em><\/a> from Counter-Print, for a balance of business and design thinking.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Pre-order a few of Phaidon\u2019s spring titles, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phaidon.com\/store\/design\/soviet-space-graphics-9781838660536\/\"><em>Soviet Space Graphics<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phaidon.com\/store\/design\/bruce-mau-mc24-9781838660505\/\"><em>Bruce Mau: 24 Principles for Designing Massive Change in Your Life and Work<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/li><li>Check out the small publishing venture <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uniteditions.com\/collections\/all-1\">Unit Editions<\/a>, and pick up their monographs of Herb Lubalin and Paula Scher, or <em>Letraset: The DIY Typography Revolution<\/em>, a history of the dry-transfer lettering system.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Volunteer your design savvy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have the resources, consider dedicating your skills to help the efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Companies are finding innovative, experimental ways of responding to COVID-19\u2014like with these 3D-printed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2020\/03\/19\/3d-printers-valve-ventilators-hospital-coronavirus\/\">ventilator valves<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/design\/mitsufuji-hamon-ag-mask-washable-03-20-2020\/\">reusable masks<\/a>, and elegant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2020\/03\/18\/coronavirus-covid-19-graphic-design-illustration\/\">infographics<\/a> and quirky <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2020\/03\/22\/coronavirus-animations-toby-morris-siouxsie-wiles-design-graphics\/\">illustrations<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking for a way to get involved, get in touch with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designtocombatcovid19.com\/\">Design to Combat COVID-19<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Access important resources&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because you\u2019re in self-isolation doesn\u2019t mean you should feel siloed. There are a ton of resources out there for those of you who are looking to stay engaged in the design community while you\u2019re working from home. Here are a few forums of conversation:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com\/\">aggregated list of resources and opportunities<\/a> for freelance artists in the time of COVID-19\u2014and consider attending some of their free talks and panels.<\/li><li>The Type Directors Club has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tdc.org\/news\/help-for-designers-and-businesses-resources-during-the-pandemic\/\">put together a list<\/a> of everything a designer might need to weather the coronavirus pandemic\u2014from financial advice to webinars and tutorials.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Here\u2019s a crowdsourced <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirustechhandbook.com\/remote\">Coronavirus handbook <\/a>for tips on remote working.&nbsp;<\/li><li>If you\u2019re on the lookout for work, try this <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1J3IO_N-z-uu-Py5IuhFbtaGhaY2pyyE_YC7wIb4XwUI\/edit\">unusually-formated<\/a>, but expertly-curated list of job postings\u2014and this list of job openings <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/11gU0KThfomgY-697xsBi26s_P_5tOpYfV0y4IeluhRg\/edit#heading=h.111041s8x7f1\">put together in response<\/a> to COVID.&nbsp;<\/li><li>If you\u2019re a design educator, join <a href=\"https:\/\/sfpc.io\/people\/zach-lieberman\/\">Zach Lieberman<\/a>\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSdk0eL1INg81QDhPH7X8cATg_pHX1G4mcFF6kWYeIKsXIyJUQ\/viewform\">gone virtual\u201d<\/a> Slack for tips and resources while you make the shift to remote learning.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>Set goals, and stick to them<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever you do to keep your creative juices flowing, just remember to set some goals. The best way to stay inspired is to have something to work towards\u2014and to chip away bit by bit. If you\u2019re looking for more tips on how to make goals and schedule your time, check out our series on remote working\u2014where we dive into how to make <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/how-to-stay-connected-as-a-remote-worker\/\">good work habits<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/best-remote-working-tools-apps\/\">the tools you need<\/a> for optimal productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style='position: relative;width: auto;padding: 0 0 62.16%;height: 0;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;border: 0 none' id=\"experience-5f2c7bc26c2c1\" data-aspectRatio=\"1.60869565\" data-mobile-aspectRatio=\"0.97560976\"><iframe allowfullscreen src='\/\/view.ceros.com\/ceros-marketing\/get-industry-report?heightOverride=460' style='position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;padding: 0;border: 0 none;height: 1px;width: 1px;min-height: 100%;min-width: 100%' frameborder='0' class='ceros-experience' title='Industry Report' scrolling='no'><\/iframe><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/view.ceros.com\/scroll-proxy.min.js\" data-ceros-origin-domains=\"view.ceros.com\"><\/script>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"myclass\">While we&#8217;re all isolated, It\u2019s more important than ever for creatives to stay engaged and inspired. Here are some ways for creatives to stay sharp while we&#8217;re all staying apart.<\/div>\n<p><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":7580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Designer&#039;s Guide to a Productive Quarantine - Ceros Inspire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While we&#039;re all isolated, It\u2019s more important than ever for creatives to stay engaged and inspired. Here&#039;s a guide to a productive quarantine for designers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/designers-guide-to-productive-quarantine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Designer&#039;s Guide to a Productive Quarantine - Ceros Inspire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While we&#039;re all isolated, It\u2019s more important than ever for creatives to stay engaged and inspired. Here&#039;s a guide to a productive quarantine for designers.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/designers-guide-to-productive-quarantine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ceros Inspire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-31T19:16:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-05-24T20:04:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/960x557.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"557\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Eliza Martin\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/\",\"name\":\"Ceros Inspire\",\"description\":\"Just another Ceros Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/designers-guide-to-productive-quarantine\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/960x557.png\",\"width\":960,\"height\":557,\"caption\":\"Guide to a Productive Quarantine\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/designers-guide-to-productive-quarantine\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/designers-guide-to-productive-quarantine\/\",\"name\":\"A Designer's Guide to a Productive Quarantine - Ceros Inspire\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/designers-guide-to-productive-quarantine\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-31T19:16:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-05-24T20:04:14+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/#\/schema\/person\/d4816d142f11de0931d050a980e2d76b\"},\"description\":\"While we're all isolated, It\\u2019s more important than ever for creatives to stay engaged and inspired. 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