Multitask While Staying Focused
NET|July 2018

Matt Obee provides tips for staying productive when context switching

Matt Obee
Multitask While Staying Focused

I split my time between UX/UI design and software testing, which means that I’m constantly switching my focus between different projects, teams, tools and skills. Context switching like this can be a real problem because it takes time to stop thinking about the previous task and get fully engaged in the next. Research shows that we lose up to 40 percent of our productivity if we multitask because we make more mistakes and take longer to get things done. Fortunately, there are some simple techniques that we can use to manage our time and attention more efficiently, which we will share with you here.

SET A SCHEDULE 

Instead of always trying to relentlessly multitask, reserve blocks of time to concentrate on specific tasks – an hour to write that blog, four to finish those wire frames and so on. I’m a fan of the Pomodoro Technique, which breaks the day into 25-minute chunks, each followed by a five-minute break. After completing four of these ‘pomodoros’, you take a longer 15-20 minute break. Twenty-five minutes is generally enough time for me to make progress on a task and the five minute break is just short enough not to interrupt my flow. You might prefer longer blocks of working time and fewer breaks, so experiment with the possibilities and find a rhythm that works for you.

BATCH YOUR TASKS

Denne historien er fra July 2018-utgaven av NET.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra July 2018-utgaven av NET.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA NETSe alt
Camille Gribbons
NET

Camille Gribbons

UX designer at Booking.com, Camille Gribbons reveals how she first got into the industry

time-read
7 mins  |
June 2020
THE 5G UI REVOLUTION
NET

THE 5G UI REVOLUTION

Tris Tolliday describes his vision of a web UI catapulted forwards by 5G

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2020
HOW TO SHOWCASE YOUR DEV SKILLS
NET

HOW TO SHOWCASE YOUR DEV SKILLS

Aude Barral shares 5 top tips for landing your dream developer job

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2020
KNIVES OUT
NET

KNIVES OUT

Murder mystery film, Knives Out, grabbed everyone’s attention, and so did the fun website that promoted it. Oblio tells Tom May how it created its innovative 3D navigation

time-read
6 mins  |
June 2020
HOW EMOTIONAL LABOUR HINDERS WOMEN IN TECH
NET

HOW EMOTIONAL LABOUR HINDERS WOMEN IN TECH

Christine Brewis, head of digital marketing at Studio Graphene, discusses how gender parity in tech has changed over the last ten years, and what more can be done

time-read
5 mins  |
June 2020
EDAN KWAN
NET

EDAN KWAN

He swapped life as a singer for a career making eye-popping digital visuals. The Lusion founder chats to Tom May about battling demons, winning awards and where digital advertising is heading

time-read
8 mins  |
June 2020
ANDREW COULDWELL
NET

ANDREW COULDWELL

The Brit in LA discusses his new book on design systems, Laying the Foundations

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2020
Top 5 Tips For Ensuring Web Content Is Accessible For All
NET

Top 5 Tips For Ensuring Web Content Is Accessible For All

Merlyn Meredith outlines five top tips for ensuring web content is accessible for all

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2020
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR BROWSERS?
NET

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR BROWSERS?

Nico Turco examines the state of play with browsers, whether developers should encourage diversity or monopoly and how Google fits into it all

time-read
6 mins  |
May 2020
YEARS IN THE MAKING
NET

YEARS IN THE MAKING

Exclusively for net: The latest in a series of anonymous accounts of nightmare clients

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2020