Ok, so there are literary tons of applications and tools that you can get to help, some free and others not. But which ones are actually worth using? Which ones are actually going to save you time and  a whole lot of frustration? And which ones are just distractions and are only going to waste your time! Being a good web developer isn't always all about a kick-butt design, usability, etc. It is also about being efficient at all of the above.

Track tasks, deliverables, and stay organized

Flyspray is an uncomplicated, web-based bug tracking system written in PHP for assisting with software development.

Ok so it's not made for web design and development. BUT  it is very very easy to just add categories for your needs.

Flyspray helps out in many ways. We (Oncall) use it to keep track of tasks,  deliverables, communication, files from a customer (like logos, .psd's, etc.), etc. You can set tasks to specific people, they will receive email notifications on any updates to the task. Things like comments, and files, and it will tell you and other employees when the task has been completed.

Have a good skeleton

Having a good "skeleton" can really speed things up. If you find yourself using a certain CMS all the time.

Qualities of a good clean skeleton are quite simple. Make sure it's up to date (The CMS version), have all your pre-made/normal typography already installed and setup, and have all your modules/components installed and ready yo go.This will give a you clean start every time in just a few clicks!

Break it down, the easy way!

Doomi was designed from the ground up to stay out of your way and out of your browser. It has all the features you use, and none of the ones you don't. Create, edit, set reminders, and keep archives of your old tasks. 

I keep posting about this app don't I...

Sometimes the "Flyspray" tasks can become very daunting to look at, when there is a ton of them. But I find a really good solution to this is using Doomi. Just break down what tasks you plan on finishing for the day and check them off as you go. Checking them off is a good feeling, trust me.

Doomi will also help you to avoid multi tasking.

Keep a tidy workspace

This one is very important. If you have a cell phone and like texting, don't. Either turn off your phone or do not keep it on your desk(I was bad for this). Distractions can and will extend beyond your PC.

If you keep your desk/workspace clean and un-cluttered you will be much more efficient, and it will put you in a totally differnt mind frame. No clutter = not spending time or paying attention to something other than what you should be doing.

Distractions = FAIL

Distractions come in many different shapes and forms. Twitter, Google Reader, Windows Live Messenger, etc.

A good/simple way to beat some of these is to work offline. Only allow yourself to take a look at these after you have completed something, or just need a break.

Keep email organized

Keep email very organized. Assign each client a sub folder and keep all the emails you receive from them in it.

Being able to find a email with new changes or to-do's without having to dig around for an hour is a huge plus. Like be crazy about this, I learned the hard way. Life is so much easier when you do this.

Communication

And last but totally not least, communication.

Use mood boards, wire frames, and sketches to ensure everybody has the same understanding and is working towards the same goal.

By effectively communicating with clients and co-workers, you can potentially save days on each project that would have been wasted on design changes, layout/coding changes, etc. 

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What people don't realize is that speculative design is both bad for the design firm, and yes the person looking for the best design for their website. But why? Why are so many design firms, including the two I work for refusing to do any work without getting sign-off and a down payment first? Is it because they are worried about loosing money and design time?

It's all about the sale and the money

Speculative design is like a fight, a fight that no one is going to win. When you get 4-5 different design companies fighting the outcome isn't going to be what it should be. The outcome is going to be what the client thinks looks best.

But why is that a bad thing, it's a good thing isn't it?

Well it really should not matter if the client likes the design or look of his website or not. It should come down to whether or not his customers like the design/usability, and if it fits and displays the product the best way possible.

Being a good designer is all about using your skills and years of experience. You should be able to teach the client what you know about designing and building sucesfull websites, and pushing the client to make better well educated decisions. Not what he thinks looks best.

Sadly none of these things will happen with speculative design. The design firm will just show you what you want to see, and not help you show your product in a way that makes sence. They will see and hear what they want to, but not would they should, and in the end they will have a website that fails to meet their businesses needs.

It's rushed and uninformed[/span]

Speculative design from what I have experienced is always rushed. Rushing a design is never a good thing. When you rush you get sloppy, and you're in a totally different mind set, you're not focusing on what you should be.

When rushing and being totally uninformed about the websites products, goals, objectives, brand personality, etc. you cannot and will not be able to create a successful website, and this will snowball and the websites products/services will not do well as a result. And This will make the client less money.

It wastes time and money

Lets face it, this one is self explanatory and obvious but it's important.

In order for any business, to remain in business they will have to somehow recover the cost of making the sale. This is even more true with speculative design. When and if you get the job you will have to parlay the costs so far into the project.

But if you don't win you will have to make up the costs elsewhere. Got any ideas? The word S.O.L comes to mind...

Holding a "design" contest[/span]

This is just totally wrong. And it's funny how many big companies and blogs go down this path. It seems like it would be a good idea though right? Have a contest and let you're readers and followers make a ton of different designs for you to pick from.

Why this is really a bad idea is because like I said before, the majority of major design companies will not do work without a signed contract. Instead of having professionals designing your logo or website you will have less exerpienced "noobs" (for lack of a better word) designing for you. The outcome will not be pretty.

Want an exmaple of a failed design contest? Click here.

How can I get the sale without it?[/span]

Well I think the answer is obvious. Put together a really good portfolio showing many different design examples of what you have done in the past. Having a good variety of topics and categories will really help.

Also when giving examples show what you did with the project. What of your services were used, etc. Give good examples of what you can do for the client and their design.

Conclusion

Speculative design will fail every time. There is no communication with the designer and the client.

How is the designer going to make something that is truly going to work if he knows very little about the product and it's target audience/users.