The Feel-Good Framework I Use in Design Projects
Inspired by Ali Abdaal’s Feel Good Productivity
In my experience - productivity advice isn’t usually written with designers in mind. It's often focused on to-do lists, calendar blocking, and squeezing out every last drop of efficiency. But that doesn’t always translate to creative, collaborative work, especially when you're dealing with ambiguity, research, or complex systems.
Recently, I read Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal, and it completely shifted how I think about motivation. His core message is simple: we do our best work when we feel good. Not when we push harder, but when we build momentum through joy, ease, and alignment.
It struck a chord with me, not just personally, but professionally. So I started experimenting with his ideas in my design projects. What would it look like to design in a way that feels good, not just looks good?
Here’s what I’ve come up with – my own feel-good framework, tailored for product design work.
1. Make it fun (or at least not boring)
Design should be engaging – not just for users, but for us too. I started finding small ways to inject a bit of play into my process:
Adding moodboards or visual warm-ups before jumping into a problem
Running design critiques with silly prompts to loosen up the room
Turning low-energy tasks (like documentation) into mini challenges with a timer and lo-fi playlist
When something feels fun or slightly silly, it’s easier to start. That’s often all we need.
2. Make it easy (or easier than it was)
Ease isn’t about taking shortcuts – it's about reducing friction. I noticed that procrastination often crept in when a task felt big, messy, or undefined.
Now I break work into the tiniest possible steps. Instead of “Design the dashboard,” I’ll write “Sketch 3 ideas for the table layout.” Instead of “Fix spacing issues,” I’ll write “Audit the padding on cards.”
This also applies to tools. I switched up my design rituals to make my workspace easier to get into – templates, grids, and reusable components mean I can start without that blank canvas dread.
3. Make it rewarding (immediately, not just at the end)
Big milestones are great, but they’re usually too far off to keep us motivated day to day. So I started finding micro-rewards that feel good in the moment:
A “done” folder for anything shipped or solved
Sharing little wins with devs or PMs for quick feedback
Saving kind words or comments into a “nice things” Notion doc
Even something as small as crossing off a task with a satisfying click helps me feel like I’m moving forward.
Why this matters
As a product designer, it’s easy to get caught up in the seriousness of strategy, systems, and outcomes. But how we feel while working affects our creativity, momentum, and ability to collaborate.
This feel-good framework isn’t about slacking off or only doing what’s fun – it’s about designing a process that supports the kind of energy we need to do thoughtful, consistent work.
And honestly, it’s made my projects better. Not just easier to finish, but easier to enjoy.
Have you read Feel Good Productivity? I’d love to hear how you’ve applied it (or want to). And if you’ve got any rituals, tools, or tips that help you stay in flow – please share them. Always curious to learn from other designers.