Jacob Cass of Just Creative Design shared some interesting productivity tips for designers in a very popular article about a designer’s ideal daily schedule. Although I find Jacob’s article very interesting, I can’t help thinking what my daily schedule is and how far I am from this ideal setting. And I’m not being ironic here, I really think my schedule is out of whack.

I really have to put things in order, I know. But until then, here’s a sneak preview at how my daily schedule looks like, with a twist:

8 AM - Somebody kill that rooster!

This is no joke! My neighbor really has a rooster and a bunch of hens (Don’t ask!). The rooster begins his recital well before 8 AM, but fortunately, I’m way too tired to hear anything. At 8 AM I’m still trying to get some sleep, but it’s also the time when I start hearing the damn bird.

9 AM - Still early according to London local time

I work on a lot of projects with the Net Communities team, so 9 AM here means 7 AM in London. I’m pretty sure none of the guys is at the office that early, so I can usually enjoy one more hour of sleep. That is if it’s not Tuesday. Tuesday is the day I have to take out the garbage, so I have to get up earlier. Although I sometimes get about 30 more minutes of sleep on my trusty couch (I’m so glad I “upgraded” my home office).

10 AM - I need some hot stuff

I’m not a huge fan of coffee. I mean I’ll take a cup, if it’s standing there, but preparing it just takes too long. I usually have one of those instant cappuccino’s or a tea. This is the time when I fill my “cow shaped mug” and power up my laptop.

11 AM / 2 PM - Work, work, work

Between 11 AM and 2 PM it’s all work and no play. For me this is the best period to deal with all kinds of small tweaks and updates to the various ongoing projects I’m working on. It’s also a good time to search the web for a fix to that pesky IE bug or for some nice icons to go with that new design.

2 PM - Lunch time for everyone

My wife comes from the dental practice (it’s actually next door to my office) and we both have lunch. After that, one of us has to feed our dog. If it’s lunch time, this means Tony gets his favorite dish: chicken wings. Then I take a 30 min break.

3 PM / 5 PM - More work

Besides the actual work, I also have to sort or answer emails, check the online job boards, etc. Between 3 and 5 PM is probably the time when I do most of that stuff. I also check some of my RSS feeds and maybe take a quick look at some CSS galleries.

5 PM / 8 PM - The force is strong with this one!

This is the time when the creative juices start to flow. If there is a good time to start up Fireworks and open an empty canvas, then by God, this is it! Color swatches, images, textures… are all coming to life in this visual masterpiece called “the mockup”. Ok, I’m kidding! I’m just saying this is the best time to do more creative work, especially in those hot summer days.

What about when the juices don’t start to flow? This means it’s time to close everything and get out of the house early.

8 PM / 11 PM - Go out, play games, have fun

There are some times when the creative juices keep on flowing till late at night. When this happens, I skip this step and do some more work, then go straight to bed. Most of the times though, my wife and I go out to see a movie or meet some friends. Sometimes she watches one of her favorite TV shows, while I play my favorite game: FIFA 08 Online.

11 PM - Midnight browsing

Browsing some of my favorite blogs, browsing YouTube or simply clicking that Stumble! button. It’s either that or browsing TV stations looking for something worth watching (it’s about the only time I watch TV). Sometimes I like to bring the laptop upstairs and write some interesting blog posts, like this one. ;)

1 AM / 2 PM - Lights out!

Time to go to sleep. Tomorrow’s a new day and lucky for me… it’s not Tuesday! :D

How’s your daily routine like?

Here’s an interesting exercise, that I’m sure a lot of people will appreciate: in order to keep comments short, go write a post on your own blog and link to this post. I will be sure to return the favor and add a link to your post at the end of this article.

If you’re working from home, I would love to hear your say.