The Beauty of Time Pressure

Tinker Hatfield feels like he designs his best Nike kicks when he’s under pressure. It’s an interesting juxtaposition, because most creative folks are looking to gain more time, more opportunities, more white space. He’s looking for less. He’s trying to design in a constrained box of time.

“I am most driven when the chips are down and the timelines are short. I thrive in chaos, when problems seem insurmountable.” – Tinker Hatfield

That’s a bold statement. But for a creative professional, it makes sense. Short timelines give a goal. You can see the finish line and know what you need to accomplish before time runs out. The time constraint limits your team from over thinking the problem (or their solutions). It allows you to settle in on the good ideas in their pure form … not kill them with a thousand little changes.

Of course, even when you are faced with immense time pressure, to be truly successful you have to do one of the hardest things: remain calm. You have to approach the problem solving with a calm mind that can think clearly. And then you buckle down and get it done. The time pressure allows you to cut all of the fat from the creative process and streamline everything to exactly what you need.

And the real beauty of a quick deadline is that once it passes, it’s over. You’re done. If it doesn’t sell, you can always release another product, another design or another film next week.

- Christian