When managing creative projects, approvals and reviews are key to ensuring the quality of output. Taking too much time during the approvals process can cause delays, while not paying attention to reviewing assets adequately can lead to unexpected errors or omissions.
The secrets to effective project management for creative teams revolve around understanding approvals, reviews and feedback.
1. Client Expectations:
First, you must have a deep understanding of what the client is expecting from the project. Knowing their requirements will help ensure that everything you do aligns with their vision and expectations. This helps prevent any costly mistakes or miscommunications down the road.
2. Assign Work
Second, make sure you know who is actually going to be doing the work on any given task/project so you know when it needs to be completed. Without assigning tasks to specific team members, projects can quickly become overwhelming and disorganised.
3. Set Deadlines
Third, set achievable deadlines that everyone can stick to. This helps ensure that the project stays on track and is finished in time without sacrificing quality or taking too much time away from other important activities.
4. Clear Processes
Fourth, establish a clear approvals process that involves
both the client and the creative team. Feedback during this step should be kept open and honest so any potential changes can be made before it’s too late.
It can be tempting to just assign tasks and hope that everything moves along smoothly, but this isn’t the most efficient approach. Without approvals, misunderstandings can easily occur, leading to costly time wasted on corrections or reworks. The same applies when it comes to feedback and reviews. As the saying goes, “measure twice, cut once” – by having approvals and reviews as part of your project management process you can ensure that sign-offs are achieved before moving forward to reduce costly delays. This includes approvals on ideas, design concepts, mockups, data sources and scripts. Being clear about approvals, reviews and feedback from the outset sets a professional tone that will maintain order in the creative process.
It is essential to create an approvals process with clearly defined roles and responsibilities so everyone knows what is expected of them and how to provide feedback effectively. Furthermore, approvals should not just take place at the end of each project phase – regular approvals should be sought throughout the entire project to ensure it remains on track. By having approvals and reviews embedded into your project management process, you will not only save time but also guarantee a high-quality deliverable that is in line with expectations.
You can make approvals and reviews easier by making use of online tools such as
TaskReviewer for
Teamwork which allows you to track changes, assign reviewers and comment on media assets in real-time. Not only does this streamline approvals but also increases visibility of the project amongst stakeholders.
5. Constant Communication
Finally, make sure there is always an open line of communication between the client and the creative team throughout the entire process. Project management software like
Teamwork, and visual feedback tools such as
TaskReviewer allow for guest access to make comments and track progress on projects. Client input is invaluable when it comes to making sure that the final product meets their expectations.
By following these five secrets to effective project management for creative teams, you can make sure that your projects stay on track and the results exceed everyone’s expectations. With a little bit of planning and attention to detail, you can ensure that every project is a success!
