Found this list, and I wanted to essentially immortalize it for myself and others I suppose.. The way my luck works, the original website it was posted on would be dead the next time I need to fall back on this list. So here’s the list, and some of my comments

50 Ways to Become a Better Designer

1.  Metaphors
2. Don’t take all day to brainstorm – I like to go drink coffee with a friend and talk, most of the time a non designer friend because even though they are not designers, they are consumers and a lot of times they have some crazy good ideas, and if anything a starting point…which is the point of brain storming in the first place!
3. Get off that computer! – As much as I am an advocate for Mac and other Apple products, my favorite days are when I don’t even bring my computer with me, when I have an idea, I excersize it throughout two or three pages of my sketchbook to get as much out of that idea – the computer believe it or not, can kill good ideas fast.
4. Join a forum – I will probably do this when I graduate, currently im racing to try and find a Dribbble invite to get professional critique on some of my work.
5. Think brand – Sometimes this is hard, but I just try to remember sometimes simple is better – just think starbucks.. Their cups dont even say starbucks anymore, just has their brand/mark on them.
6. Use a sketchbook – Duh. I always laugh now when I over hear first year design students complaining about Mark and Spiros not letting them on the computer before they have a sketch.. I actually had one flip crap because I told them “You can fight it all you want, but in the end, they are right..” I am not required to keep a sketchbook for portfolio but I stinkin have one!
7. Get your specs straight – Oi, I hated listen to that classmate flip out about her specs being off… her whole design was shifted and the math was screwy, measure twice, cut once…doesnt just apply to woodworking.
8. Draw a map – Holy smokes I love mind maps, greatest Apps on iPad other than SketchBook would hands down be SimpleMind+!!! It helps you lay out and color code a mind map for your design, or your presentation. I didnt like them when I was first introduced to them (because doing them on paper is messy to me) but now I am a huge advocate!
9. Rough it out – re-read 3 and 6 again if you have to, nothing gets done in one easy swoop. Ideas sure, but getting it finished properly requires a lot of tweaking a lot of the time. Sometimes I sit down with my wacom and rough out a sketch in illustrator just to get ideas down in the computer for clients to have a clearer idea.
10. Take a shower – When I am most productive, I am clean for one, because I feel good about myself. But secondly the shower is a great mediation space where everything else slows down, and….theres no cell phone (unless you’re like me and have a lifeproof case) and no laptop… no sketchbook. Just you and your brain.
11. Stay on top of the latest happenings – Read the news, you never know when a silly sketch of Obama and Romney will come in handy for an editorial (and getting your name out there)
12. Keep to web standards – get up with the times, only grandparents and UPS Stores use Internet Explorer (I work there so I can say things like that)
13. Make a library – Basically, stay organized.. You guys would crap bricks if you saw my mac and my external… I never know when I am going to need something I made, so I want to be able to find it when I want it! Also, buy books..books smell good and are inspiring.
14.  Save. Save. Save. Save again – I would tell you I do this like a religion, but I forget, and then the Adobe Karma Gods get me and the program lags and crashes……SAVE YOUR CRAP
15. Collaborate – You might be able to find a sick niche that you never would have known about without collaborating. Its always fun, and has always been a positive experience for me!
16. Do it right the first time – once I put the wrong phone number on a business card design, thankfully we noticed it wayyy before print. However it was still frustrating to have to go back and fix it.
17. Save your repeated actions – I dont know anything about actions, I dont camp out in photoshop sooo…
18. Your assets’ greatest asset – Organization, check 13 again, make sure you dont save over that original Vector, or your high res original shot with something stupid… that would be a sad and depressing day.
19. Simplify – If you can say it in fewer words, do it.
20. Experience is everything – Im a terrible human being, I know it. But I laughed so hard this past wednesday when a classmate started slamming around her sketchbook because “Illustrator keeps screwing up.” we are literally working on state of the art Macs… theres no way that program is screwing up… In reality she doesnt know the program and was getting frustrated… and gave up. In my most honest opinion, giving up doesnt get you anywhere… Experience is the only way to get anything done.
21. Naming Files – 13 and 18… Keep your hard drive organized.. I cant stress that enough… I work in two phases, I make changes and save accordingly, normally adding the time of the edit in the filename like such – 100612 1238p – month, day, year, hour, minute, am/pm – It works for me because if I need to go back to an earlier date, I can. Second phase, I print as I save, those get initialed dated and time stamped for lack of a better term. Keeps me organized, and productive.
22. Gradients in Flash – I dont use flash, but he says not to use the green to black cause its evil, so take his advice..
23. Another layer of Photoshop Cake – Use good judgement on layers, make sure you have a lot – instead of finding yourself drawing and working on one that really really should have been alone… too far to undo…oh crap.
24. Use a pen and paper – SKETCH DANGIT. Like i said, i laugh when first year students complain, especially when its “I cant draw” sure you can, cause really brain storm sketching is just shapes and layouts.. Quit being a baby and grab yourself a bic and some printer paper and get to work!
25. Play with Color. Like no other – Even after I feel like I am finished with something, I change it up – maybe not permanently, but to make sure I make the right decision. I personally enjoy using Kuler through Adobe (its down till Mid-October…booo) however its a great tool, they also have a panel in Photoshop CS4 – CS6
26. Buy a new computer – Give your old mac to your grandma and get yourself a new beast. I cant wait till I have the cash money to get myself a new mac.
27. More RAM – just go for the upgrade, it’ll cost you more… but seriously, other than money, what do you have to lose? nada. no excuses. get the RAM.
28. Get more plug-ins – Adobe has a TON on their site, you would be amazed how much more you’ll love working when you have a plugin that makes your process go a little quicker.
29. Gradients in Photoshop – Remember adding a little noise to the gradient will help reduce the weird bands… man i just hate gradients.
30. Learn more – Get yourself books, learn new things – I’ll update one day soon with some of my favorite design books… Also, stay off Tumblr, Reddit, Pinterest, and Imgr.. seriously just stay away.
31. Ask a friend – Like i said back on 2, I always enjoy a cup of good coffee with a friend – designer or in my case most of the time, a psych student.. they really have good insight on the consumer side.. Not only that, if it looks like garbage, they’re gonna be more honest with you than the barista at starbucks who has a work day crush on you..
32. Do some Acrobatics – guise, when you’re printing….check your settings… seriously. just do it.
33. Add texture – I did this for the first time for a class project last semester, and it was beautiful. I thought for sure i was gonna be blasphemed for doing something like that in Illustrator…but i survived, and my GPA did too… so try it!
34. Bring a little shade in – shadows and darker areas can add to your work, but dont over do it.
35. Take a Break. Then Stare until your eyes hurt – Go get a cookie while your draft is printing after you checked your settings, and after you have had a nice break and some milk, look over it and mark it up. Your fresh eyes will do a lot more good than tired computer stressed eyes.
36. Stop. STOP! – Know when to stop!! You know that feeling after coloring a sketch with crayola markers you had as a child… yeah thats what this means.
37. Print Finishes – for printed designs, the design doesn’t stop once you send it to the printer.
38. Prepare yourself – Dont flatten that Photoshop file till you know FOR SURE you have a full high quality file saved..
39. Proof read – Did you know Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop have spell check? Now you do. Also, print it and take your friend with good grammar and spelling skills out for coffee with a red pen..
40. Return to the brief – Dont be that idiot who got WAYY off track on a project..
41. Never ever rely on the spell checker – their, they’re, there. need I say more?
42. Work with clients, not against them – remember who holds the pen and the checkbook.. you can always tweak it for your portfolio later.
43. Re re read – coffee/friend/red pen… do it like three times.
44. Stick to the brief like honey on toast – If all they want is a logo, dont waste your time on a whole identity package.. However, mention that you have great ideas if they would like to continue working with you.
45. Specifics – make sure the client knows what you are doing and what you are capable of. If it is above you, charge more, add more time, hire someone else, or make sure they know it’s going to get left out.
46. Do what you do best – They hired you based on your experience, and portfolio… dont let them think you can do something you cant, and dont let them convince you to change your style.
47. Keep a back up of everything – Daily/weekly/monthly backups. (External, jump drives, DVDs, etc)
48. Never assume anything – ever
49. Justify yourself – this is why brainstorming is important… “Why did you use three lines instead of two?” well the company was started by three brothers…etc.
50. Don’t over sell yourself – For instance, I dont do HTML, so I am not going to tell a client I’ll do it.