how to plan and manage the creative design process,
creative agencies and creative people
All organisations, businesses and individuals use
design in very many ways. For example, the design process features in corporate
identity, branding, image; design is central to advertising, marketing,
promotion, and in the development of new products, new services and technical
development of all sorts such as websites and other internet systems. Design
features in very many aspects of work and business.
The design management principles explained in this
section also apply to all sorts of other management processes involving the use
of external creative agencies or providers, for example architects, interior
designers, landscape gardeners, personal stylists, etc.
The principles of planning, communication, control
and working towards clear agreed aims and accountabilities apply to all
situations where we ask a creative provider - internal or external, in-house or
contracted - or to do something for us.
These simple principles will help in managing the
design process, and are relevant to a lesser or greater extent when working
with creative people and providers of all sorts, from design and advertising
agencies, product designers, branding and image consultants, to creative people
providing design services for building and renovation, and other creative
services relating to domestic, house and home, lifestyle and personal
image.
design process stages and
principles
These
process steps are certainly applicable and necessary for large complex
commercial or industrial design projects. For smaller routine design management
projects and tasks, or for managing creative providers in domestic or personal
style areas, many of these principles will be unnecessary, so use what is
helpful and appropriate.
If in
doubt ask team members and agency people and creative specialists what stages
are necessary and helpful for them. Err on the side of caution. Where any
simple routine design management project encounters problems or fails, it's
likely that the project manager will have decided that something in this
process could be ignored or taken for granted.
Even at
the most simple level of working with a creative provider - for example a hair
stylist or an interior decorator - if there is an unhappy result, it's rarely
the fault of the creative person - the problem and the ultimate responsibility
belongs to the customer or specifier. Problems are generally due to the fact
the customer or specifier has not explained and agreed 'the brief' properly, or
not managed the process adequately while it's
happening.
Managing
design and creative projects requires a clear methodology. For complex tasks
the project manager must be vigilant and detailed. This is not to say you need
to be 'hands-on' and constantly interfering - absolutely not - creative people
need to be given freedom to use their abilities or you might as well ask an
accountant to do the job (no offence to accountants), however, you as project
manager - or the customer - need to allow for and anticipate everything that
can arise. The key to this is establishing clear positive open communications
at the outset, and then maintaining full mutual understanding at all times,
irrespective of how much freedom is delegated.
This is
both a process and a checklist of management stages. Adapt and use it to suit
your purposes. Again, bear in mind that the full extent of the process here is
for complex design projects, but the essential principles are transferable
to any situation where a creative person or provider is required to design
something. Adapt the level of detail and use the aspects described here to
suit the purposes of your particular design project.
process
for managing design projects and creative services
First, establish and agree the aims of the project - large or
small - aims must be defined and agreed with the executive budget-holder
(that's you if this is a small project and you are the only person at the
'customer' side), and if appropriate with all other stakeholders (team-members,
focus group, departmental opposite numbers, legislative/approving bodies, etc).
See the more detailed notes about
establishing and agreeing design aims below.
Determine a budget, (or for simple projects decide simply what
you are prepared to spend) and decide timescales and chief outcomes/results
required - remember the principle of 'fitness for purpose' - there is no point
shooting for the stars if all you need is a quick basic refinement. Conversely
do not expect to create a new market with a 'me-too' basic
improvement.
Decide the level of innovation required - 'me-too' or high
innovation, or something in between - this depends on your aims and required
outcomes. Again consider 'fitness for purpose'. See the more
detailed notes about level of design
innovation below.
Write
an 'outline' brief or specification - a detailed brief comes later and should
be developed with or by the principle agency when appointed. Ensure interested
affected people are aware and are in agreement.
Define a team or supplier specification - what sort of team
agency will be best for this - have a clear idea of the qualities and scale and
style of the agency and/or creative people that will be appropriate for the
project.
Consider and (perhaps provisionally) decide what
project management tools and
information systems you will use. For small projects you will not need to
change your mind about this, but for large projects you'll need to ensure that
your chosen tools and systems interface with those of the selected creative
agency, so for larger projects keep your options open; the agency might have
better suggestions, and will certainly want to use their own systems for
managing the creative activities and progress at their
end.
Draw
up a short-list of external agencies or creative providers - for anything other
than small routine projects and on-going design work, use referrals to identify
candidates - do not use an existing agency out of pure habit unless there are
good reasons for doing so - ensure any large design project is won by going
through proper selection process.
Decide method of team or agency selection - make this
transparent and inform candidates of the process - for large projects invite
formal presentations in response to the outline
brief.
For
large projects particularly, ensure that proper legal documentation and
processes are used and in place, for example,
non-disclosure agreements
(where the development is commercially sensitive, or might be subject of a
patent application), clear agreement about the use of ideas, intellectual
property and copyright ownership - clarify any areas of doubt and potential
misunderstanding. Creative agencies commonly have a different view about these
things to commercial business managers - misunderstandings develop easily so
you must flush all of these issues out into the open and make sure they are
fully understood and agreed on all sides (and ensure this transparency of
agreement is maintained through the design management
project).
Select the internal team and agree clear responsibilities as
appropriate - often internal team members are on the fringe, notably for such
things as quality and safety, ITC, finance, etc., which means these people are
easy to forget, but it's important to involve and include them as appropriate
in your planning and ongoing communications so that they are able to provide
the assistance and input required. Consider the strengths and styles and
preferences of different team members. Look at the
personalties and
styles section to better understand that different people are naturally
better at doing different things. If in doubt, ask people what they are good
at and what they prefer to be doing within the project - don't just assume
that everyone can do anything. Some creative people are passive or introverts
and need to be given guidance and management; others are proactive and/or
extraverts, and will be happy to instigate and use their initiative. Be aware
of whom you expect to do what, and seek their commitment that your expectations
are appropriate and comfortable for them.
Select external team - external agency and or other creative
people as appropriate - be mindful of level of innovation required - assess
integrity and track-record as well as the quality of their 'pitch'
presentations (in trying to win the project contract) - clarify allocation of
work and responsibility within external agency - senior people are more
expensive than junior people, but senior people are bored by routine work - be
comfortable with the people appointed to the tasks within the agency.
Identify and agree clear project management accountability
among the internal and external team members - you certainly need a primary
project manager on the agency side to take responsibility for the project
(aside from the ultimate accountability which naturally defaults to you, being
the project manager for your own organisation). Again consider personalties,
styles, strengths and work preferences of all team members; do not assume that
the team leader at the agency end of things will be on top of this, although
usually they will be. Some won't be however, and as the customer and specifier
you are entitled to check that different types of work are being done by people
best suited to the responsibilities and expectations concerned. This is where a
good relationship with the agency team leader is very helpful. You need to be
confident that they can manage their team well, on your
behalf.
Develop and agree detailed brief with the appointed agency -
large projects will require 'sub-briefs' for each team or element of the
project. For large projects an agency is perfectly entitled to include the
development of the detailed brief within the overall project chargeable
services. It is not advisable to seek to avoid these costs by developing a
detailed brief in isolation and then presenting it to an agency as a 'fait
accomplis' (decided and issued as an edict). the detailed brief is part of the
project, and a good agency will help usually you develop one that is realistic
and deliverable. Conversely, no supplier is comfortable being given a complex
brief which excludes the supplier's input, expertise and interpretation. And
aside from all of this, people work best on projects when they have a sense of
involvement and ownership; inviting agency input to the detailed brief creates
involvement and a sense of ownership, which generally provides a platform for
commitment and reliable delivery.
Develop and agree a detailed project plan with the appointed
agency - the plan includes the tools you will use for managing and
communicating - especially for budgets and approvals. Again, for large complex
projects expect this to be chargeable agency time and part of the agency
service. Only for the smallest simplest projects will you get away with
creating a detailed project plan in isolation. the bigger the project, the more
input you should seek from the agency - they are the ones who'll have to make
it all happen. Edicts and X-Theory
management techniques are a recipe for disaster. You've gone to all the
effort to find a good agency, so let them contribute as fully as possible to
the project.
Be
guided by the agency about the different stages of the design process, and when
you can expect to see representations, ideas, models, art-work, etc., whatever
is appropriate for the project. For certain design projects, for example the
design of new products, the agency will suggest a staged process of producing
ideas, drawings, mock-ups, models and various stages of prototypes. Understand
and agree these stages and expectations, and build the stages and the approvals
into the project plan.
For design projects that involve a production
phase, as many will do (eg., new products, advertising campaigns, websites,
etc) again be guided by the agency about how the design process should
interface with aspects of production and implementation. In many circumstances
the agency will have more experience about this than you (for instance design
to print production), and in any event you must ensure connections and
understanding between design and implementation, whatever that entails. Your
job is to ensure that the connections between design and
production/implementation enable a seamless transition from one to the other,
ie., design to production/implementation. This transition varies greatly
depending on the type of design project and you must involve and integrate the
needs of all departments, divisions, organisations, whatever, that are
responsible for or have an interest in the implementation or production of the
design(s) concerned. The more the agency understands about the implementation
and production issues, the better able it is to incorporate those requirements
and factors into the design plans.
Communicate and explain the plans to all involved and seek
agreement - clarify expectations (and always keep doing so through the
project). At this stage, assuming appropriate sign-off of the plans, you are
ready for the project to start, and are now into the implementation stage.
Clarify and agree the preferred management style and management methods with
the agency, firstly with the agency's team manager or project manager, and then
with all other people on the project, so that everyone knows what's expected -
this should embrace communications, updates, approvals, break-points,
amendments - where possible anticipate anything that might arise to affect the
project - aim to prevent surprises on either side - transparency and clear open
positive communications on both sides are essential. Look at the levels of
delegation, and decide continuously how much freedom to extend to people within
the project. Your job is to manage the project - not to do all the work. The
aim is to manage the team so that they feel good about what they are doing,
they know clearly what the 'rules of engagement' are, and they get feedback and
regular updates about progress and expectations. Communication, measurement,
encouragement and maintaining some flexibility to accommodate slippage and new
opportunities along the way, are vital aspects of managing successful creative
projects.
Ensure plans and forecasts are kept up to date and
communicated. Provide information and progress reports to upline managers and
executives - do not wait to be asked. Updates and progress reports are vital
for staying on top of creative projects, and demonstrate that you are in
control, which keeps nervous up-line managers off your back, because they can
trust the project is in safe hands. Stay informed; measure and monitor; be
available when required, but try to let the team get on with their jobs.
Creative people need space and reassurance. You have the overview, not them, so
behave accordingly: manage and feedback and update in the big picture and
resist the temptation to 'micro-manage', if you have such
tendencies.
And
generally enjoy the creative process and encourage all involved to do the same
- it's a wonderful thing, in which the combination of solid project management
skills and creative specialisms can produce extremely significant and rewarding
outcomes, for the organisations and all the people involved.
Finally, always remember to give good positive feedback and
thanks to creative people and agency staff. Creative agencies and creative
people are like most other staff - they get blamed when things go wrong, but
get little credit when things succeed. Instead turn it around the other way:
make sure you take responsibility and accept the blame for any problems that
arise, and ensure the creative people get the thanks and the credit for all the
success. As with any management role, this provides the best platform for
success.
design process and principles
- important aspects in more detail
Be clear first what your aims
are - what is the purpose of the design project?
You need to agree and confirm
with all involved the actual purpose of the design project. What are the
outcomes required? Use the SMARTER
criteria to establish these essential starting parameters. Design and the
creative process will always tend to zoom off in weird and wonderful directions
- that's the nature of the creative process and of creative people - so you
need to establish clear guidelines or things can become very difficult to
control.
It's all too easy to lose
sight of the original purpose of any design project unless it is properly
established, quantified, agreed and recorded.
Specific (a clear
written description of what is intended or required, the outcome needed - the
basic aim of the exercise)
Measurable (quantify
every aspect that is fixed, especially budgets, scale of application,
Agreed (with all
stakeholders and interested/affected parties)
Realistic (even
highly conceptual projects need to have a realistic intention or the project is
inherently flawed)
Timebound (proper
start and finish timescales, ideally with milestones (check-points) and
measures along the way)
Ethical (if you
build ethics in from the start you provide a valuable reference point to
maintain integrity)
Recorded (write
everything down; it's essential for clarification, agreement, management and
control)
Using the
brainstorming process can be
very helpful in beginning to establish project aims.
This is a vital dimension of
the specification and is critically important for any creative people working
on the project.
Is your design project highly
conceptual and ground-breaking, or is it a revision or development or
improvement of an existing design or product or service? Or something in
between? The thought process and design process are entirely different for
something absolutely new compared to something that simply adapts or develops
an existing concept or idea. Creative people therefore need to know the level
of innovation required. Many of the best creative people will by their nature
tend to strive for optimum innovation. This is fine if the project requires it,
but if the design project is merely to design next season's range of tea-towel
patterns, there's no point in having a designer working on the next generation
of bactericidal super-absorbent textiles that change colour to indicate when
they're due for cleaning.
The level of innovation must
be 'fit for purpose' whatever that purpose is. Your reference point is the
outcome or result required by the business or organisation.
Deciding the level of
innovation is also crucial for selecting the right type of designer(s) to work
on the project. Some designers are highly innovative; others are more
comfortable with refinements and developments. Knowing the level of innovation
helps you to identify the right people for the job.
It is generally not possible to patent an idea or an
invention once it becomes public knowledge, or enters the 'public domain'.
If your design project involves a concept or plan or
details that might be subject of a future patent application, you can protect
the confidentiality of your ideas when discussing them with prospective
designers through the use of a non-disclosure agreement (commonly
abbreviated to NDA, also called a non-disclosure undertaking or a
confidentiality agreement).
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) simply states that
both sides (normally the specifying 'company' or customer, and the prospective
supplier or 'recipient' of the confidential information) will keep confidential
all sensitive information disclosed by either side relating to the (named or
described) project. A two-way undertaking is often more appropriate than merely
protecting the interests of the customer or specifier because the supplier will
commonly have their own needs for confidentiality too.
Having said this many NDA's ignore the interests of
the potential supplier and are worded as a simple one-way protection, basically
signed by the potential supplier or agency to guarantee that they will keep
information relating to the project confidential, and take reasonable measures
to ensure that all information is treated confidentially among their
people.
A simple NDA can be achieved also via a simple
exchange of letters. It's not a complex thing, unless the project is very
serious.
If you do not have a non-disclosure agreement
document or template, most good design agencies will often have their own NDA's
which can be adapted to suit the needs of both sides.
If not, a decent solicitor should be able to advise
on the creation of a simple non-disclosure agreement. Alternatively examples of
NDA's are freely available on the internet. Try to choose an NDA which uses
simple plain language, and avoid being persuaded by lawyers to spend a lot of
money creating a complex document, unless the project is very
serious.
The likelihood is that the creative agency will want
to amend your NDA anyway, so keeping things simple is your best way to complete
this formality quickly and easily, and then get on with awarding and managing
actual project.
Incidentally non-disclosure agreements can be used
for any discussions where you need to protect the confidentiality of
information - NDA's are not restricted to design projects and ideas that might
be patented.
See also the other materials relating to project
management, marketing and business development, for example:
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