We've all been there. Stumbling into the studio with yesterday's coffee breath and a head full of cotton wool, wondering how on earth we're supposed to conjure up something brilliant before lunch.
We might have the best graphic design software on our laptop, but that's a fat lot of use if we're lacking inspiration, staring into space, and just want to go back to bed. Yet what if we could change all that, simply by starting our mornings in a different way?
To give you some ideas, we spoke to designers across different disciplines to uncover the morning rituals that set them up for their best work. From transcendental meditation to muting social media, their approaches are as varied as their creative outputs; but each one has found their own path to morning magic.
01. The mindful start
For Wen-Chi Huang, senior motion designer at Sullivan, mornings begin with intention rather than urgency. "I love starting the day with matcha [a distinctly bitter type of green tea] before eating anything else," she explains. "It's gentler than coffee but still gives me a nice boost of energy. The process of making it is almost meditative and gives me space to mentally run through my to-do list."
Rather than diving into emails or admin, she focuses on what matters most. "I usually dive straight into the most important task of the day, which is the one thing I need to finish no matter what," she explains. "I save less urgent tasks for breaks in between."
Even productivity-focused mornings, though, need a creative warm-up. "I like to spend about 10 minutes scrolling through platforms like Motionographer to get inspired and warm up creatively before getting into deep work," Wen-Chi adds.
02. Morning meditation
Scott Madill, senior designer at Design by Structure, takes the mindful morning to another level entirely. His 6am start involves feeding his cat Rocky: "a bit of affection in exchange for food – fair deal". Then it's "brewing fresh coffee, channelling Michael Caine in The Ipcress File; this adds a certain Cold War drama to the proceeding. A pastry. Then 20 minutes of Transcendental Meditation."
This combination of ritual and reflection clearly works for Scott. "That quiet time helps me process thoughts, find clarity, and sometimes even spark new ideas," he explains. His 90-minute London commute, whether cycling or reading on the train, then becomes an extension of this contemplative start, helping him arrive "feeling grounded and creatively open".
03. Caffeine and creative blogs
Not everyone's morning zen involves meditation and matcha. Elliott Scott, creative director at Applied Design, has a more straightforward approach that many designers will recognise. "I'm a big fan of a double espresso," he explains. "No sugar, no milk, no distractions, just a deep, strong, crema-laced jolt of perfection."
That said, even Elliott's coffee ritual comes with its own creative twist. "While it's being made you start making the rounds of the design blogs—something interesting catches your eye, and you remember to take a sip—but somehow the cup is now empty. I guess it's time for another coffee."
04. Waking at dawn
Ever thought of getting up earlier than you need to… on purpose? Blanca Sanchez, director at Halo Design Interiors, takes exactly that approach. "I get up at 5am every weekday," she explains, "because I love the mornings and the calm it gives me to get my thoughts together."
Blanca's routine is carefully choreographed to maintain serenity before the storm. "While I wash and get dressed I'll often play something like [Italian pianist and composer] Ludovico Einaudi in the background. Again, this helps my mind to start to wake up in a positive and harmonious way, rather than being bombarded with the reality of the news."
Her connection to the natural world forms a crucial part of this ritual. "Before leaving the house," she says, "I'll stand outside on my terrace and take in my surroundings and hear the sounds of the fields and the wood opposite my house waking up, for a few minutes. In the winter the rain and wind can often make this shorter!" This grounding practice proves essential for tackling what she describes as days that "will inevitably be multifaceted, fast-paced and involve multitasking on an Olympian level".
05. The physical workout – then dog walk
Tom Pelling, associate experience design director at DixonBaxi, also champions an early start, but his approach is more physical than philosophical. "I wake at 5am and walk to the gym," he explains. "The city is just starting to wake up, and there's a quiet clarity in those early hours that helps me reset."
Tom's routine includes an hour-long workout, staying off his phone other than to queue up music, followed by a crucial transition: "After the gym, I head home to pick up my sausage dog, Jarvis, and we walk to the park. I usually run into the same group of dog walkers, and we chat about everything except work."
This deliberate shift from solitude to community, from focus to flow, helps Tom arrive at the studio ready to contribute. "It sounds like a lot, but I've found that giving this time to myself allows me to fully show up for others."
06. The flexible approach
Not everyone has the luxury of consistent routines, and Becca Jones, designer at ilk Agency, has mastered the art of adapting her mornings to her hybrid working schedule. On commute days, she says, "One of my favourite morning rituals is completing a sudoku on my journey into the office. It's only a short train ride, so this is the perfect express wakeup for my brain before jumping into work."
Her work-from-home mornings, in contrast, allow for more elaborate rituals. "On those days, I'll head out for a run and grab a pastry based pick-me-up," she explains. "I find that running is a great way to wake myself up and get the blood pumping before settling down at my desk.
"Morning stretches are also pretty important," she adds. "It's no secret us designers are plagued with bad backs from our shrimp posture."
The chaotic alternative
Whether it's Wen-Chi's matcha meditation, Scott's transcendental moments, or Tom's gym sessions, all these routines create space for intention before reaction. They prioritise inputs that serve creativity. And they recognise that how you start your day directly impacts the quality of your creative work.
In a profession where you're expected to conjure inspiration on demand, such morning rituals become the secret weapon for staying creatively sharp, mentally clear, and ready to tackle whatever brief comes your way.
The alternative? Zoe Chung, 3D retail designer at Seen Studios, highlights what can happen if you don't think these things through, when she shares her own 'routine' with us… tongue firmly in cheek.
"Jot down every creative, half-baked concept you 'designed' in REM sleep," she begins. "Verify that today’s trainers coordinate flawlessly with your water bottle and your nail polish: priorities, people! Execute a 10-minute doom-joy scroll for 'inspiration'.
"Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. 'Accidentally' forget running shoes so you can skip studio run club. Arrive 15 minutes early solely to claim the sacred studio coffee mug. Writing today’s to-dos with THAT favourite pen; yes, the one no one else is allowed to touch.
"Ask the entire office if they’ve seen my tape measure, again, like it isn’t basically a shared custody situation at this point. Heroically start renaming all the FINAL_final_V5 folders, post-project. Boldly declare: 'Today’s the day I finish my portfolio.' Spoiler: it’s not. But the declaration feels productive enough."
