If you told me 7 years ago I’d be designing Instagram memes and editing TikTok videos for a living... I probably would’ve told you that you were absolutely delulu.
Not because I didn’t love design, but because I used to design for permanence. My background is in product design. Physical products. Stationery. Packaging. Labels. Things that once printed, once shipped, could not be undone. Every pixel mattered. Every colour had to be exact. Every file was meticulously prepared like it was going to live forever.
Fast forward to today... I’m a graphic designer working in social media, aka the complete opposite. Now I create content designed to last 24 hours, maybe 48 if I’m lucky. The pace is faster. The volume is higher. And honestly? It completely changed the way I think about design.
The Biggest Lesson I Had to Learn?
Done is sometimes better than perfect.
And as a recovering perfectionist, that was a hard one to swallow. But social media moves fast. Design for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or LinkedIn isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about communication. It’s about clarity, speed, and relevance.
People are scrolling. Algorithms are ruthless. And sometimes the post that gets the most engagement... isn’t the most beautifully designed one. It’s the one that showed up at the right time with the right message.
How I Balance Good Design with Efficiency Now
Here’s what’s helped me find that middle ground between craft and content machine:
1. Build systems, not just posts: I create a mini design system for every client that includes: Colours, fonts, layout rules, icon styles and content pillars. This way I’m not reinventing the wheel every time. Creativity lives within the structure!
2. Templates are your friend (but customise them!): Templates aren’t lazy, they’re smart. I create templates that I can tweak easily but still feel branded and fresh.
3. Design for the platform, not your portfolio: This one was big for me! Not every social post needs to be an award-winning masterpiece. It needs to communicate clearly first. Bold text. Big contrast. Fast reads.
Social design isn’t worse than “traditional” design, it’s just a different skill set.
4. Batch the boring, save energy for the special I batch design things like quote graphics, carousels, or promo posts, AKA things that can follow a formula. But when it comes to a campaign launch, a new product drop, or a big storytelling moment? That’s where I pour in the extra hours and detail.
Not everything needs to be a 10/10. Sometimes an efficient 7 is exactly what the strategy needs.
Consistency Beats Perfection
Coming from a product design world, I had to unlearn the idea that “perfect” was the goal.
In social media, consistency beats perfection. Speed matters. Showing up matters. Clarity matters. Good design still matters, but it’s most powerful when it’s paired with smart strategy, flexibility, and a little bit of letting go.
Your best design work might not be the prettiest thing you’ve ever made, but it might be the thing that connected with people, sparked conversation, or made someone stop mid-scroll.
And isn’t that kind of the whole point?