Alex Eiman is a freelance designer and illustrator based out of Colorado Springs, CO. While he freelances full-time, Alex also makes time for personal projects and even runs his own online shop, nationalparkbadges.com. Check out his cozy home office and designated work spaces below.
Where do you work? Tell us about your space.
Primarily, I work out of my home office in Colorado Springs. My apartment is in a Victorian-style house that’s over 120 years old, and even though it was converted into units, much of the original character remains. I love the reclaimed aesthetic and much of my apartment is furnished with older wooden and industrial pieces that have been repurposed. The apartment is close to downtown with great coffee shops and restaurants nearby. There’s also easy access to the mountains which are only a few miles away.
I believe that behind every good designer is a good couch—so sometimes I work from the living room with music or a TV show on in the background. Both my office and living room are full of natural light which makes for a more creative space to work in. When I’m not at home, I work out of coffee shops and spend part of my time at a local co-working space, Welcome Fellow.
What hardware and software do you use to create your designs?
I use a 15” MacBook Pro for all of my design work. If I’m in my office, I plug into a 4k monitor and keep my laptop off to the side which frees up the desk surface. In addition to my main desk, I have a secondary setup off to one side for my sticker business, nationalparkbadges.com. On that desk, I keep my sticker inventory, envelopes, and stamps in shelves for quick access while fulfilling orders.
In terms of software, I use Adobe Illustrator for all of my branding and illustration work. I also use Photoshop and Lightroom to edit photos. For all of my UX/UI work, I use Sketch and Invision.
Tell us about your routine (or lack of one.) How do you structure your days to get things done?
One benefit to freelancing is having a flexible schedule. I typically start my mornings slowly with a book or design blog over breakfast and coffee, then I usually fulfil any sticker orders from the previous day. Once I get to work, I typically spend a few hours in one place but often change up my location in the afternoon. Evenings are generally reserved for personal projects. I spent several years building up my portfolio this way.
How do your space, tools, and habits benefit you? What about those things do you think needs improvement?
Being able to set my own hours and location is huge for me which is why I love the flexibility of freelancing. My home office is very comfortable to work in, and it’s important that I have a clear, designated space where I feel unhindered to create.
Design software like Sketch, Slack, and Invision were created with teams in mind, so sharing work with other designers and developers is extremely easy. You can collaborate with anyone from anywhere which makes remote freelancing jobs run incredibly smoothly.
If I could improve one thing, it would probably be the overall prioritization of my work. I don’t always keep a strict routine and procrastinate on some projects. While pressure sometimes produces better work, it’s something I could definitely improve on.
Want to keep up with Alex? Find him on Dribbble, Instagram, and at eimandesign.co
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