Let’s face it, there are only so many ways to design an animated display ad, and only so many options when it comes to conveying a client’s message via social media. The odds are someone, maybe even you, has already used the concept you are attempting to convey. Don’t try to invent the wheel when it is already rolling around you. Do research and brainstorm ways to build upon existing elements and combine them with original ideas to develop a masterpiece. Use Behance to research design trends. Use Shutterstock or other stock image websites to compile elements. Use the resources available to you and save time.

Sometimes the perfect picture to use in your ad isn’t convenient to take yourself. Often it is quicker, cheaper, and more efficient to buy the photo or vector resource you need rather than generate that content yourself. There are a ton of resources you can use to do this. Websites like Envato are an enormous time saver in a world where deadlines exist. Taking a template and making it your own will often be more efficient than arriving at the same design after spending hours coding or designing it from scratch. All it takes to create great original content from these resources is some ingenuity.

In the end creativity reigns supreme. Combining what you know, what you have, and what you want will result in the best end product. Be efficient, organized, and put in the time. Know what you want to do before you ever open an editing program. Once you’ve done your research, found past examples to work from, and gathered all the resources for the project, put your mind and the skills you have to work. Once you’re finished, you and your client will be satisfied with your design.

You don’t have to work harder to come up with an engaging piece of creative for your client. Look for inspiration and premade elements you can use to connect your ideas. Turn an eight hour project into one hour by living by the cliché: work smarter, not harder.