Pilates, matcha and checklists keep Bed Threads' designer Diandra Malivindi on track.
Bed Threads' Graphic Designer On How She Stays Productive Without Coffee
Pilates, matcha and checklists keep Bed Threads' designer Diandra Malivindi on track.
If you’ve ever admired one of our beautifully designed Instagram posts or sale banners and thought “Gee I wonder who made that?” Well, you’re about to meet her. Her name’s Diandra Malivindi and she’s one of the masterminds behind our impeccably designed Instagram assets, website banners, weekly newsletters, and pretty much anything that involves graphic design on our site.
Being a designer at Bed Threads is a busy job, entailing deadlines, last-minute changes, and a whole lot of ideation to ensure we’re delivering the best possible content to our beloved followers – that's right, we're talking about you!
With so much on her plate constantly, we wanted to find out how Diandra stays level-headed, and continues to produce such amazing work. A lover of matcha, skincare, and pilates, she makes sure to weave her favourite things into her morning routine; doing this implements the structure she needs to set her up for a day of success.
Below, we chat to Diandra about her morning essentials, and how she tackles the inevitable midday slump.
Hi Diandra! Welcome to the Bed Threads Team Morning Routine Series! Can you tell us a little bit about what you do at Bed Threads?
Hi, thanks for having me! I’m the Junior Designer here at Bed Threads. Basically, I play a part in designing the creative visuals attached to the brand, including the lead image for this very Journal article!
What time do you typically wake up? Can you walk us through your morning routine?
When I’m working from home, I tend to wake up around 6:30 am. I’ll immediately wash my face, grab a quick bite to eat and head to pilates at 7 am. When I’m back, I’ll shower, put on my skincare, and get ready for the day. When I’m going into the office, I’m up at 6 am, I do the same routine (minus pilates) and I’m out the door by 7:30 am.
What are some essentials that you can’t start your day without?
Skincare is a must for me, I’m guilt-ridden if I miss a day! I’m all about nourishing and protecting my skin, so I can feel confident wearing minimal makeup. Iced matcha is also a must-have for my mornings. I’ve never been a big coffee drinker, I always end up feeling anxious if I have it more than once a week. With matcha, the caffeine is released and absorbed slower than coffee, so I rarely feel the dreaded energy drop in the afternoon!
What do you typically eat for breakfast to kickstart your day?
I’m not much of a breakfast person. When I find something that I enjoy, I stick to it until I’m sick of it. Lately, I’ve loved starting the day with a bowl of overnight oats, topped with almond butter and blueberries. It keeps me going until lunchtime, it’s quick to whip up, and can be customised easily depending on what I’m craving that morning.
Is there anything that helps when you feel too tired to function?
Heading to a pilates class usually does the trick, just to get my body moving. But if I’m having a particularly sleepy start, changing my environment can work wonders too. It could be as easy as working in a different room of the house or heading to a café for a couple of hours.
How do you prioritise your tasks and organise your morning to ensure a productive start?
Checklists! Particularly, digital ones with a checkbox next to each task, so I can relish in the satisfaction of crossing things off.
Deadlines are abundant in design, which means my tasks are already prioritised for me depending on when they’re due – the sooner the deadline, the higher up the list! If I know I have a particularly meeting-heavy week ahead, I’ll also try to tick off some tasks early to make future-me happy.
Do you have any specific strategies to help you stay focused and motivated throughout the workday?
Staring at my computer screen for so many hours a day means frequent breaks are a must for the sake of my eyesight. I love the Pomodoro Technique for this. Essentially, I set myself a task to complete in 25 minutes. Once the time is up, I take a break for 5 minutes or so to walk around the house or have a silly, little stretch. After a few of these, I take a slightly longer break and then start the process again. Weirdly, it works!
Which Bed Threads colourways do you currently have on your bed?
At the moment, I’ve opted for Lilac and White, but I have my eye on Cacao and Oatmeal for winter!
