𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

One of the major reasons for my day to day frustration is the fact that I design on a computer that is not well-equipped to handle the design programs I use as well as the elements I install in those programs.

Things like fonts and gradients and brushes and text styles...

Not to mention, I'm a writer so my writing programs also use up memory.

They all take up storage space and the programs themselves require adequate RAM (my laptop is 4GB) to be able to work simultaneously without freezing, slowing down or completely crashing.

Trust me, it happens.

It even happens if you're not using multiple programs at once.

Don't get me wrong. Even on 4GB, the design programs would work really nice when it wanted to.

To make that happen, however, you have to:

1. Uninstall programs/apps you don't need.

I use the free version of RevoUninstaller because it shows you all the remaining files left behind from an uninstalled program and lets you delete them.

2. Run an anti-virus scan (if you can't afford an anti-virus, Malwarebytes is the best free one I've liked so far and the trial is two weeks).

3. Clear your cache and delete all cookies.

4. Perform a disk cleanup (Please avoid deleting the system files. That just cleans out anything you would've installed in your design programs - brushes, fonts, etc. Huge booboo).

5. Defragmentation and optimization run.

Doing all these things can really make it work better because I've never had an issue before I started installing fonts and brushes and basically, expanding my design arsenal.

That requires a lot of space.

I'd say 4GB RAM is the minimum if you're a novice/beginner at design and want to do light experimentation because your skillset won't require too many design tools. A 4GB is typical for a laptop that everyone would use for everyday stuff.

For the rest of us amateurs/experienced non-professionals who are ready to take our skills to the next level, what should we be using then?

Well, if you're too uninspired to do the research, fear not! I've done it for you.

The following information consists of the suitable specifications a laptop should meet for an optimal designing experience.

LAPTOP SPECIFICATIONS FOR DESIGN

RAM

Average: 8GB

Amazing: 16 or 32GB

STORAGE

Average: 256GB

Amazing: 400GB

CORE PROCESSOR

Intel is recommended.

SCREEN SIZE & RESOLUTION

A screen size between 17" to 32" should do the trick. The bigger the better but stick to what you can budget for.

The resolution should be really high, like 4K quality, but if not then as long as it's higher than 1080p, that's great.

If I missed out other important details, let me know, but this is a short post to give you a quick idea and these are the most important considerations. Once I do some more research, I'll do an updated article.

Professionals go way beyond the above parameters. They get the best of the best.

But we're not professionals. Yet.

We won't need all the devices with the coolest bells and whistles but we do need something that CAN assist in taking us to the next level of design.

Upgrading from a low-quality monitor to something that can facilitate our passion for design is a huge financial decision.

After all, some of us sharpen our skills for fun and some of us prefer to showcase what we do so we can, at some point, start charging for our services.

Don't get me wrong. You'll still need a suitable device to comfortably design without the risk of crashes or system fails but...

Look for a device that suits your current needs rather than shelling out thousands on a super sexy device that you might or might not be able to recoup at some point in future.

If you have the money and can invest the time to better your design skills, then feel free to buy the best. But only if you plan on monetizing. You know for sure you can recoup your cost when you finally start offering your services.

But, if you're reading this, you're probably on a budget like myself, which is why it's okay to buy the average device. In fact, if you're a hobbyist, the average device is a best buy.

If you're a writer like me, you might want to keep your old laptop for writing purposes and use the new device simply for designing. It's what I plan to do when I finally purchase a suitable laptop for design.

Finally, if you already have a great laptop for designing, share the brand and specs on the comments!

Thanks for reading.

– HEAVEN