Take your time to read the briefing: Understanding what you are asked to do is essential for the final design to be satisfactory. For this reason, it is worth taking the time to calmly read the brief. 

You can mark the problems or needs you might detect in different colors, or make a diagram of them, in order to find solutions swiftly later on.

Differentiate between the conceptual generation phase and the sketch execution phase. Not all designers need to devote the same amount of time to each one of them, but they must be aware of how much time they need for each phase to achieve the best result.  

If you are working as part of a team, setting deadlines for each part of the process allows each team member to know when he/she will have to intervene in it and to organize his/her tasks.

Write down all ideas. Jot down all ideas you might have from the very start of the project. You should ideally keep this notebook around you at all times. You never know when you will find inspiration!

If you write everything down, you will lose less time when starting to design trying to remember your ideas.

Rest. In order to have good ideas it is important to clear your mind. Include some breaks in your time planning. At least a mid-morning break and another one at lunch time. If possible, we recommend leaving your work space and walking for a while to stretch your body.  

Devote time to the presentation. The presentation of your project is nearly as important as the idea behind it. The presentation needs to be very clear and visually attractive, and it must be well laid out and balanced.