Design Faster by Thinking Slower

Creative Physics • May 2025 • 4 min read

If you open Canva, scroll for 12 minutes, click 6 templates, change nothing, and still feel like the design isn’t “it”—you’re not slow, you’re skipping the thinking part.

The best creatives? They move fast **because** they slow down first. Here’s how that works.

The Reason It’s Taking Forever

Most design stalls aren’t technical—they’re mental. You didn’t clarify the idea before you started styling the vibe.

You’re editing a thing you haven’t even defined yet. That’s like trying to mix a song before you’ve written the hook.

“If you can’t describe the idea in one sentence, you’re not ready to design it yet.”

Here’s What to Do Instead

Before you touch fonts, colors, or grids—do this:

• Step 1: Write the idea in 1 sentence. No fluff. What are you actually trying to say?
• Step 2: Describe how it should feel. Serious? Scrappy? Like a note passed in class?
• Step 3: Only then, open your tool. Design what you already see in your head.

↑ When you think first, the template works *with* you—not against you.

Think Like a Director, Not a Decorator

The fastest designers I know are the most intentional. They don’t open a blank page and start tweaking shadows—they start with a scene in their head.

That’s the real cheat code: don’t just make things pretty. Make them make sense. Then make them hit.