It’s no myth that design school is extremely time intensive.  I know first hand (and it’s likely you do too if you’re reading this).  While I was in college it wasn’t uncommon to hear of someone pulling an all-nighter (or two, or three in a row [is that even possible?]).  And it kind of seemed like after your first all-nighter you ‘officially’ became a design student.  It was certainly a part of the culture.

Afterall, it was no secret to professors that students were staying up at every hour of the night.  Their demand for work of the highest quality & quantity pretty much facilitated it.  There were even occasions where professors would come into the studio at 2am or 3am to look at work and critique it.

I know that my experience isn’t isolated by any stretch of the imagination.  Even after college, all-nighter stories seem to be a common theme most designers can crowd around a campfire for.

But this is something that I never really bought into.  Don’t get me wrong, I pulled all-nighters, but I never made a habit of it.  Really, who wants to spend more time then they need to in the design studio (which always seems to end up looking like a disaster relief shelter.)

But my resistance to the all-nighter mostly developed due to the fact that as I got further into my design education I realized how terrible all-nighters were.

Every single project I can remember pulling an all nighter for comes with a poorly colored accent.  That is to say, something bad happened.

Like the time I sliced open my hand with an xacto blade (cutting construction paper of all things).

Or had a model with glue that was still drying as I presented it…

Or the time I accidently spilled something red (I still can’t remember what that red was) on a full-size HAND drawing…

My conclusion? All-nighters never resulted in the quality or quantity of work that I felt satisfied with.  Simply put, pulling an all-nighter was never worth it.

When I stepped into the light and looked at what my classmates were producing from all-nighters, it didn’t seem worth it either.

The fact of the matter is, when you’re staying up late you’re not performing at your best.  To do your best work you need to learn and study as much as you can.  You need a good night’s rest to connect everything together so that you can make the best decisions moving forward.  But don’t just take my word for it…

Lastly, I’m a firm believe that having all-nighters as a fallback plan is limiting.  One of the reasons I started this website was to help designers become more productive.  The last thing I want for you is to remain consistent in unproductive ways and continue pulling all nighters.  By working smarter you can avoid them, I promise.

Tips on how to avoid pulling an all-nighter

• Use Evernote – If you’re writing anything I highly recommend you use Evernote to speed up the process (yes it’s free).  I really wish I’d known this in school.  The secret?  Evernote on mobile will transcribe what you speak.  Of course you’ll have to edit, but this is a very quick way to get a lot written in a short amount of time.  You may be able to go on a nice walk and get your paper written too!
• Plan ahead – Of course… It’s always easier said than done.  I needed a tool to help me get my life together.  I use Asana to manage all my tasks and set due dates and deadlines (again it’s free).
• Break your sleep myth – We often think of sleep as wasted time.  It’s not, just watch the video above!  When you realize you’re doing a lot more harm to yourself than good by not sleeping, it’ll be easier to say no to that all-nighter.
• Get better at speaking – If you have a critique where you have to present, you’re golden.  If you get good at communicating your ideas verbally you can show up with fewer physical things.  A week or so before a presentation, I rehearse what I want to say in the shower. 7 Powerful Public Speaking Tips From One of the Most-Watched TED Talks Speakers
• Find Help – You’d be surprised at how many people are willing to help if you just ask for it.  The best part about this one is that science shows asking someone for a favor makes them like you more.

Have you ever considered pulling an all-nighter?  Have a story to tell?  Share in the comments below.

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