I like to make a lot of things. I am a multipotentialite, maker and certified Hobby Hoarder. I have at least a couple of projects on the go while the glue is drying and the computer is melting the GPU rendering.

Even at work I wear many hats.

Now I do enjoy diving headfirst into a project, it may result in a few flaws and potentially extend the duration of the project. Your first is never your best, however I get asked alot how do I manage to get so many projects completed and don’t look like a hot mess. What is the secret?

Designing toolkits is my little secret strategy for managing multiple projects and responsibilities, as it allows you to streamline your workflow and achieve better results in a shorter amount of time. This is more important than the actual doing.

By carefully selecting and organising the tools and resources you need for each task, you can save yourself time and effort. So you can focus on what you set out to achieve.

Whether it’s a single project, pipeline or a long term goal, you need to define what it is and why you want to do it. 

In the toolkit design process, identify the specific goals and objectives you are trying to achieve and outlining the boundaries of your work. This helps to ensure that you stay focused and on track, and that you use your resources effectively.

On boundaries, Defining what you are not going to do can be just as important as defining what you are going to do. I may look like I have multiple projects at once, however I am always focused on the task at hand, Like right now I have a desk drying while writing this article. Multitasking spreads you too thin and it is difficult to prioritise what is important to achieve what you’re doing.

Next journaling exercise is to define your why. It is the reason you are doing what you are doing and your guide when challenges arise. Being able to articulate this will help you maintain focus on what you are trying to do. Here are some good starting points

1. How does it align to your values and beliefs? Why is it important to you
2. What will doing this achieve in the future? How does it fit into your life’s plan
3. What will having this do now? What is the impact it will make for yourself and others
4. Have you done something similar in the past? What was the motivation that got you through that?

So my scope is to be good enough at building things with wood to substitute the things I can’t get. As I can be more efficient with my resources and protect my equipment.

Now before we move on to breaking this scope into tasks. We need to determine the resources you have available, such as time, budget, and or people to help you. I always focus on the Triangle “Quick, Cheap, Good” as it summarises the trade offs you make with a project as you only get two. For example if you want something quick and cheap, its not going to be good. 

Now there is an amplifier to all of this and that is the scale of the scope. A small simple scope is exponentially easier than a large complex one, Always look for the minimal viable product that you can get away with to achieve what you need to.

Now we have what we are trying to achieve, we need to know the stepping stones to get there. Breaking down the scope into smaller, manageable tasks is the next step in the toolkit design process. It helps to make the process easier to complete, and it allows you to focus on one task at a time rather than being overwhelmed.

Now get out your pen and start writing down all the things that need to happen to achieve what you set out to do. These are critical for the success of the scope. I like to write this as a story, for example with my desk project “I want a variety of storage options so my tools have their homes”. Next I list all the tasks that need to happen to complete that story, continuing from before “dimension drawer stock, cut rabbets and dados, glue and nail, add hardware”

You might find this gets long and a mind map might be better to organise it. However this gives you a visual on what you set out to do. And when you have written everything out, you might find that you don’t need curtain stories or tasks. It’s easier to cut the fat now and add it later than trying to do it mid project.

Another tool that helps is creating a process flowchart. This takes your tasks and organises to show the flow of the story. It is a useful tool for visualising and understanding the steps involved and it can be helpful for identifying potential bottlenecks or areas for improvement. Also you might notice there are overlaps of similar skills.

Using this method, mind maps and flowcharts help define your pipeline of what you are setting out to do. This keeps you focused on tasks however it also helps identify the tools you need to complete the process. Because the right tools on hand are what gets the tasks done.

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Having the right tools is essential for anyone who wants to be successful in their work or personal endeavours. The right tool can make a big difference in your ability to get things done. While it is important to have a good selection of tools on hand, it is also important to choose the right tools for the job, as this can save you time and effort and help you to achieve better results.

When designing a toolkit, it is important to carefully research and evaluate the different tools that can help you complete each task. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right tools, including cost, ease of use, and compatibility with your existing workflow.

To research and evaluate different tools, you can follow these steps:

1. Define your needs: Identify the specific tasks you need to complete and the tools that will be required.
2. Research options: Look for tools that meet your needs and compare their features and benefits. Consider factors such as cost, ease of use, and compatibility with your existing workflow.
3. Read reviews: Look for reviews and ratings from other users to get an idea of the pros and cons of each tool.
4. Test and evaluate: If possible, try out the tools yourself or ask for a demonstration to get a feel for how they perform.

By following these steps, you can make informed decisions about which tools are best suited for your needs and budget. As you research and evaluate different tools, you may find that you have a list of multiple options that can help you complete the same task. No single tool is going to be the perfect solution for every situation, and it is important to consider the trade-offs and choose the tool that best fits your needs.

One important decision you will need to make is whether to include highly specialised tools or more general, “jack of all trades” tools. Each option has its own benefits and drawbacks, and the right choice will depend on your specific needs and goals.

Specialised tools are designed to perform a specific task or function, and they are often highly precise and efficient at what they do. These tools can be a valuable addition to your toolkit if you have specific tasks or projects that require a high level of precision or specialised equipment. However, specialised tools can also be expensive, and they may not be as versatile as more general tools.

On the other hand, general or “jack of all trades” tools are designed to be versatile and perform a wide range of tasks. These tools may not be as precise or specialised as highly specialised tools, but they can be more convenient and cost-effective if you have a variety of tasks and projects that need to be completed.

Ultimately, the choice between specialised and general tools will depend on your specific needs and budget. It is important to carefully consider your priorities and choose the tools that will best support your work and goals. Remember the old saying, “when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” It is important to have a diverse toolkit and to choose the right tool for the job, however you need to learn how to use it.

When I discuss toolkits, tools are important as it’s in the name, however your skills and expertise are your tools as well. 

Now I am big on learning the fundamentals and practice daily. Often you find that you can just “google it”, as there is an abundance of bite-sized videos and tutorials focused on advanced concepts you need to complete the task. These can be helpful in the short term, but they can also lead to a lack of understanding of the underlying themes and principles. This can make it difficult to apply those skills in different contexts or to learn more advanced concepts in the future. 

Learning fundamental skills is important for several reasons. First and foremost, fundamental skills provide a strong foundation for learning more advanced skills and concepts. By mastering the basics, you can more easily build upon your knowledge and skills over time. You build on your knowledge base and create the framework understanding further improving your google fu. That’s why I believe it’s important to take the time to learn and master the fundamental skills that form the foundation of a robust skill set. These skills can be applied across a wide range of situations and can provide a strong foundation for future learning and growth.

Learning is one part, practising fundamental skills on a daily basis can be a powerful way to cement the core concepts and make them easier to apply later on.

Ok, I sound old for saying “learn cursive, insert golden age of penmanship will set you up in your career” quote. However, this is my proactive approach to maintaining and improving my fundamental skills. I know by learning and practising fundamental skills, I can ensure that I am well-prepared to tackle new challenges and continue to be a life-long learner. Which has been invaluable with working with the cutting edge technology for extended reality and immersive technologies. By regularly practising and refining these skills, I know I can achieve what I set out to do.

Modularising a toolkit is a useful strategy for being able to apply your skills and knowledge to a variety of problems or projects. By breaking your toolkit down into smaller, specialised modules suited to specific pipelines, you can more easily switch between different roles and can apply your skills to different tasks.

I use this a lot in my 3D modelling pipelines as they are complex and involve a variety of pipelines and tools. By grouping these tools into specific pipelines, it becomes easier to add or remove modules as needed, depending on the scope of the project.

This is how I wear many hats, in the moment you can more quickly and efficiently transition between different projects or problems. However, it is important to be mindful of the fact that switching between tasks or roles can often involve some downtime or adjustment period. Too many switches can lead to a lot of time loss, this is where batching is important

Batching tasks with similar pipelines is a useful strategy for increasing efficiency and achieving flow in your work. By grouping related tasks together, you can minimise the time and effort involved in switching between different types of work, and you can more easily achieve a state of flow in which you are fully immersed in the task at hand.

In addition to increasing efficiency, batching tasks with similar pipelines can also help you to stay organised and avoid the clutter and confusion that can come with working on too many unrelated tasks at once. By grouping tasks together, you can more easily keep track of your progress and stay focused on your goals.

Refining your toolkit is an ongoing process that involves regularly testing and adjusting your tools and processes to ensure that they are effective and efficient. One way to do this is to put your toolkit to the test by using it to complete a small project or task, and then collecting feedback from team members or others who have used it. This can help you to identify any areas for improvement or areas where you might need to make adjustments.

It is important to keep in mind that refining your toolkit is not a one-time process, but rather an ongoing effort that requires regular review and evaluation. It is likely that you will need to make adjustments to your toolkit over time, as you gain new skills and experiences, or as clients needs and technology change.

By regularly testing and refining your toolkit, you can ensure that it is well-suited to your needs and that it is helping you to work more efficiently and effectively. This can be especially important if you are working on a team, as a well-designed toolkit can help to streamline communication and collaboration and improve overall productivity.

Teaching your toolkit can be a valuable way to cement the principles and practices that form the foundation of your work, and it can help you to become more skilled and proficient in your pipeline. By sharing your knowledge and experience with others through methods such as videos, books, or articles, you can help others to improve their own pipelines and work more efficiently and effectively.

Teaching your toolkit can also be a great way to promote your process to potential clients and demonstrate your expertise and professionalism. By sharing your knowledge and experience with others, you can help to establish yourself as a respected and credible resource in your field.

In addition to the benefits of teaching others, the act of teaching your toolkit can also be a useful way to identify issues or areas for improvement in your own pipeline. By explaining your process to others and walking them through each step, you may find that you are able to identify areas where you can refine your own workflow or optimise your tools and practices. This is known as the “rubber ducky principle”, which refers to the idea that explaining a problem to someone else can help you to better understand it and find a solution.

Designing and refining a toolkit is an important process for anyone who wants to work efficiently and effectively on a variety of projects. I kept this article process agnostic as a blueprint for you to apply to your skills. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a customised toolkit that is tailored to your specific needs and goals, and that can be applied to a wide range of projects and pipelines.

Here is a quick recap/ you scrolled to the end of the article cause tldr;

1. Identifying the specific goals and objectives of your project or what you are trying to achieve
2. Break down this scope into achievable stories the visualise the steps involved in completing each task using a flowchart or process map
3. Researching and evaluate different tools that can help you complete each task
4. Modularizing your toolkit to allow for flexibility and adaptability
5. Batching tasks with similar pipelines to increase efficiency and achieve flow
6. Refining your toolkit by testing it and collecting feedback from others
7. Teaching your toolkit to cement the principles and practices that form the foundation of your work, and to help others improve their own pipelines.

By following these steps and applying them to your own projects and pipelines, you can create a toolkit that is efficient, effective, and adaptable, and that can help you to achieve what you set out to do.

Thank you for reading, and if you found a part of this useful. Share so it can help others.

Also go come check out my channel on YouTube