The Work That Happens When You’re Not Working

People often measure design work by screen time—how long you spent on Figma, how many artboards you built, or how many versions you exported. But anyone who’s really done this knows: the work starts way before that. As designers, we don’t just sit and wait for inspiration to strike. The thinking begins long before the first frame is created.

I’ve found that some of my best ideas come when I’m away from the screen—on a walk, making chai, or even mid-scroll through unrelated content. Even when I’m not “working,” my mind is quietly sketching possibilities, testing flows, and questioning decisions. That silent processing is part of the process—it’s not procrastination, it’s preparation.

Design isn’t just what you do—it’s how you think, even when you’re not trying to.

That’s why rushing into execution too fast can feel off. You need time to sit with the problem, understand the context, and let your brain do its quiet work. The actual design comes later—but it’s stronger because of everything that led up to it. So the next time it looks like a designer is just thinking or zoning out, know this: they’re probably already halfway through the solution.