creative management
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- ********
ok, so i have been thinking lately.
most designers that i meet usually tell me i have these good qualities to handle clients and win jobs.
i also know an extensive amount of designers in many fields; broadcast, architecture, product design, graphic design, new media design etc.
A lot of them I know personally and an even bigger amount i know via the internet; NT and other sites.
i am pretty good (if i may say so myself) in setting up proposals, handling contracts and handling, but mostly educating clients on what is quality work and why nit needs to be valued accordingly. You can ask enobrev as a reference on this.
Lately I am getting so many contacts (both client-side as designer-side) that I have a hard time managing all these contacts, and what's worse: I have hardly any time left to sit behind the 'puter and do all the design work as well.
So, recently I changed my company name to cy media design & consultancy, but i want to take it even further and move it to consultancy and creative management.
In fact I am going to the Chamber of Commerce now and change it again, I also have a nice company name in mind already.
I am thinking how many of you, and also the award-winning designer amongst you would like to be in my database whenever the occasion is there for high profile gigs?
To what extend are you 'down with it'?
Ofcourse I'll have to say that communication is utter priority, so before anything gets signed both client and designer will get an exact briefing on the job, deadline, requirements and the amount of cash involved. And as enobrev also knows, I always fight hard to get what the designer want$ for the job, especially if the designer has superb qualities.
I'll be going now and hope to continue a fruitful debate/conversation on this when i return.
post your thoughts here.
i thank you.
- ********0
i am really sorry if this post was a bit long.
I would however really appreciate your thoughts on this.
Especially those with experience in this field.
Thanks a lot for any help or reference.
- versa0
i say more power to ya; especially if you are a good new accounts / creative manager -
as they say, "never turn down a job", and in this case, never turn down a job, indeed; just contact a talented friend, or affiliate, contract the job using your expertise in management, and take 10% for the life of the client
win,win,win ( until the client gets weird, or doesn't pay, etc., but if you're good at developing repoire and managing relationships, then this prolly can be avoided )
good luck with it!
- ********0
thanks versa!
as a matter of fact i have been toying with the idea for quite a while and i really can get more gigs if i wouldn't be spending so much time designing behind the computer.
Also my discipline in the field of client management is more solid then my working schedule related to the designing itself.
I am planning to be a mixture of consultancy/creative management; i will basically grab opportunities where I can and then form a solid group of freelancers to work on it, or in another case just find one guy/girl for the job.
So, if people want to share the pro's and cons, please post!
- monkeyshine0
I know exactly what you mean, J. Working for myself, I've found that when I spend quality time with a client, helping them define their needs, that generally generates more work...problem is, it's so hard to balance that with doing the work.
I like being in the role of consultant and sometimes art director, and handing off the project, or parts to someone else. The more you do it, the better you'll get at matching up subs with particular clients.
- withnail0
I think it's a fantastic idea.
- versa0
and janne, i guess i am intrigued by the idea more so, as like monkeyshine touched on, after having worn every hat imaginable as a freelancer, one starts to enjoy the "passing off" of certain facets of the process...
i find that when i spend the time to really sit down with clients, and really establish their market goals, and communication needs, thats enough work in and of itself - sometimes it starts to feel a bit schizophrenic to then be the same person going back and writing the form work, to then just be the person to dive right into to doing every bit of the creative design....its alot to do, and sometimes spreads one too thin ... ( i sometimes find myself struggling to spark the functional ideas for site architecture, layout, etc, just because i have been living previously in such an administrative role with a client )
representation can be good be if even just from an allocation standpoint, so that designers don't burn out
i think i need to work with some creatives again - sometimes, i start to feel like i might be at the end of my freelancing rope
- rabattski&rabattski0
hey 4cy. well you know my thoughts about this already. you know in the other thread. the also too long one :) anyways, i'm always interested. but a small advice, don't work with too many creatives, you won't be able to use them all (which isn't nice for the creative you represent) and make sure you have a really high standard. makes clients come back. either way: good luck man!
- ok_static0
nice idea janne, i'm down with it.
it's definitely a trend to the creative field in the future.
especially with the benefit of fast access of internet communication (portals, file transfer, emails) which is much more easy to gather a bunch of talented freelancers around the world.
however besides referring jobs/work, i would say the scheme should be added a sort of agent or artist representative as a bridge for the designer and the client.
another possibilities is to expanding the scheme by different regional representative.
- ********0
"i find that when i spend the time to really sit down with clients, and really establish their market goals, and communication needs, thats enough work in and of itself - sometimes it starts to feel a bit schizophrenic to then be the same person going back and writing the form work, to then just be the person to dive right into to doing every bit of the creative design....its alot to do, and sometimes spreads one too thin ... ( i sometimes find myself struggling to spark the functional ideas for site architecture, layout, etc, just because i have been living previously in such an administrative role with a client)"
exactly, versa.
I have grown so much into setting up a detailed pitch, analysis, strategy, planning, fincancial overview etc. that it became a design process on itself. And usually after all this work (which can easily take up a full week) I feel empty to sit behind the computer and start creating as well.
on top of that, some designers/creatives i worked with call or email me if i have work for them, telling me they often loathe the process of setting up a solid pitch and driving everywhere for meetings.. but I love being on the road! ...and meeting people of different breed!
one of them is quite talented, and also a friend, http://www.ultrastatic.nl (see Impulz QT) , who really isn't much into organizing things, going out and talk to people and clients.. and also strengthened my belief that for this matter I differ from a lot of fellow creatives.
- ********0
"especially with the benefit of fast access of internet communication (portals, file transfer, emails) which is much more easy to gather a bunch of talented freelancers around the world."
word, ok_!
rabattski, ask anyone that knows me up close, i am a complete quality and control freak, that is why the design process often gets too hard for me, especially combined with educating the client. But hey, on my last gig I convinced the client to pay twice as much as they planned for the project as they had a lot of demands for representation of their (to be renewed) identity over different media. They informed regular 'webdesign shops who also do logos blah blah loathe loathe) and i told them this wouldn't in the end deliver the satisfation they imagined in the process.
i seem to get better at it!
there is a point about working with a lot of creatives since I found out that some people (in one project broadcast specialists) who didn't have the right feeling for one project but who where the right people for the other.
And I have a hard time saying no to a challenging project that demands high quality of any sort.
And you can clearly see with illustration creatives; they are often very tied to styles, for one job i could ask Brooke for instance, while for the other Crap would be the ideal illustrator.
keep it coming.. and thanks a lot for your constructive and encouraging comments!!
- ********0
The Valuable Thread Oblivion Prevention Organization says:
BUMP!
- ********0
any agents or creative managers on this baby?
come on.. there's gotta be a few!
- Aliyah0
I have been running pretty much the same business model for years. I call the process, "distributed" Design/ Development.
Belive me it is much more work than you would imagine.
- ********0
hmm.. plz elaborate.
- idsgn0
this is one my pet peeves, i would much rather be sitting behind the computer doing the design / programming work. i find it much more rewarding.
but for me its a neccessary evil so i have to put the time and effort into doing it.
this sounds like a nice idea you have coming along.
- Aliyah0
"Much more work than you would expect" Elaboration....
Well First there is your design /developer network (All those talented designers etc.. you know) In order to effectively source work out to these people you need to know who they are, their availability, and their costing, you need to know how they work, their style, and their timing. This means contracts, and more contracts. It means references, and checking references thoroughly. But even with contracts, and a reference you cannot really guarantee the quality of a freelancers work, or their professionalism. Do you trust them to deal with your clients directly? Are you confident of their ability to handle a client, your clients. There are some very talented designers and developers out there, extreme talent, it is unfortunate, but talented does not always mean professional, or diplomatic when it comes to dealing with clients. On a whole I would say many designers see clients as a major hindrance to the creative process, and are generally annoyed at having to deal with them at all.
Keep in mind, with the rare exception of course, you will almost always be acting as the main liaison between clients, and your network of designers, and developers. This alone adds up to many many hours of work every day. Translating a clients vision to a designer, especially across distances, while certainly not impossible can often be a trying, and time consuming process.Not to mention #2 Seeking new clients, writing proposals, costing projects, selling concepts, sourcing out work to available talent. Scheduling, and ensuring projects are moving along to clients and designers mutual satisfaction. Documentation Smaller clients are often harder to manage time wise, they usually want alot more hand holding, discussion and participation in their projects, where as larger clients, while easier to manage on a time level, usually expects a lot more in the way of paperwork; project outlines, intensive proposals, and detailed documentation.. etc.. etc...
The entire process of distributed development is a hard one to effectively manage on your own. Much easier would be to just act as a referral network. Sourcing out projects taking a percentage and leaving it at that. However if looking for that repeat business is your goal, having clients that use you and your network for all of their design, and development needs. Find a partner or two, who are equally as good at handling clients and winning jobs, and have them work with you on the administration end. You will do very well indeed :)
- shellie0
i would love to work with you cy.
i will email you.
- shellie0
most freelancers sort of do the same thing. they take big jobs that may require more than themselves and farm out the rest. as long as you can manage different projects you may not be working on along with ones you may be working on.. you definately should go for it.
why hand off or turn something down all together when you could do less work and pass it off to someone who really wants to do the work, and you still get some money in the end. everyone's happy.
- shellie0
would you rathre have him named jesus? thats so lame.. picking a name that "matches" the color of someone's skin.
anyway.. the name devon reminds me of a few perky gymnists and cheerleaders.. all female.. that ive known.. all of which also happen to be white.
wtf would make you say "_____" is a black name. get real.
i suppose then i have a "white name" . my name is michelle and boyd is a common white person last name. when i get married my last name will be yeager, and then everyone will assume im german then.. huh.
what bullshit. if they like it. thats a rad name.. kinda uncommon. be glad its not "chris, matt or justin".
- shellie0
oops.. wrong thread.