Like many fellow designers and artists, I struggle with “finishing” projects. I don’t have a problem being done with one thing and moving on to another, but rather deal with a fair amount of internal uncertainty on where to label a design (a website design in my case) complete. Couple the fact that most designers are borderline OCD in their attention to detail with the frenzied pace that new technologies and techniques become available and you can see how easily it could be to carry a project on forever.

One issue that I’ve encountered is that with the countless blogs, tutorials, showcases, etc. that are frequented by thousands of designers, we are literally learning something new everyday. Design is a trade that draws heavily from an individual’s past experiences, learned skills and personal point of view, but these are almost certain to continuously evolve. So, the designer we are and the way we view things may be significantly different at the close of a project compared to the start. It becomes tempting to “try that new CSS animation” or “add some textures” to fit with the current fad.

Another issue is that it’s difficult to “turn off you brain,” so to speak. I find that I continue to have ideas throughout a project, long after I’ve chosen a course of action and begun designing. In that sense, I’m like my own worst client, potentially expanding the scope and adding additional work.

One way to combat this is to focus on the time/cost associated with each component of a project and remind myself to stick to those constraints. Realize that you must be efficient with your time to make the project profitable and, to a greater extent, a successful designer in general. I think that, for a lot of people, there is a fundamental struggle between something as free flowing as creativity and the rigid rules of business. To be a creative professional though, a designer in particular, one must be mindful of both. Realize that without business concepts like deadlines, cost estimates, etc., we could never make a living as designers.

Another way is to look at the project goals and determine how they are being addressed. I often end up asking myself if the angle of the shadow on a given element is critical to the success of the project and whether my time might be better served on something else. Sure, details make the difference, but you also need to draw the line somewhere. If you make good, logical decisions throughout the project, you should have no problem standing behind them. Remember this, and it may calm the urge to continually tinker with things at the end.

Now if I could figure out how to stop redesigning and finally finish my personal projects…