Agency Process...
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- Point50
reading this thread pisses me off. we have the shittiest process at my job:
• job gets emailed sometimes. other times it gets a posted in Basecamp via the acct. rep or the owner.
• 95% of the time, there is no discussion involved and we just churn out comps.
• these comps get emailed or posted in Basecamp
• acct rep show client
• client gives feedback
• acct rep and/or client stand over designer's shoulder and direct revisions in "real time"
• we're told it's good to go and send or deploy job. No signatures or anything to go with that.it sucks
- man, been there for sure. that is rough. :(madirish
- wow...that's hitting close to home!jevad
- jevad, sounds like your in the same boat I used to be. It sounds like your a good designer and being taken advantage of. stay strong.robotron3k
- do we all work together?grunttt
- sounds like my current job...tkmeister
- robotron3k0
You forgot 5.0.1. Then Client's head boss (which happens to also be the CFO-who signs the check to the agency) gives his feedback and says the strategy is off-target and the agency needs to redo the brief. See step 2.
- jevad0
I don't think AM's or PM's should be let anywhere near a creative brief. It should come from the AD or CD.
- ideally that would be true, but the account team also had info that would affect the brief.robotron3k
- for sure, jevad.madirish
- I'm not saying the account team shouldn't be involved - just that the brief shouldn't come from themjevad
- Leigh0
Account Manager - Responsible for inspiring and delighting clients with innovative work. Review all creative work and materials before client presentation. Develop well-written, accurate and inspirational project/creative briefs.
- jevad0
What information do you get from the client, before you submit a proposal and write the creative brief? Anybody have a decent client questionnaire that they give to clients?
- olli1010
It's not perfect, but here's a good place to start:
- you LOVE that bookalicetheblue
- guilty as charged. its been a bible for 6 years now! :-)olli101
- k0na_an0k0
kind of what was said before.
1) Kickoff with client (CD, PM)
2) 2nd brief from client (CD, PM)
3) Creative brief written by PM
4) Approved by client
5) Money talks back and forth (usually by PM)
6) Client signs off on budget
7) Brain dump from CD to AD
7a) Any UX, testing, usability studies etc done here
8) Comps designed by AD /
8a) Wireframes could also be done by UX department. In this case no comps are done yet by AD
9) If wireframes were involved, now comps by AD
10) First round internal review
11) Edits
12) Second round internal review
13) Edits if needed
14) Review with PM just to bring them up to speed
15) Client review
16) Edits if needed
17) Second round review with client
18) Client signs off on creative direction
19) AD designs pages for dev team
20) Internal review of pages with CD, PM
21) Edits if needed
22) If approved send psd files to dev team
23) First round dev approval. Which is laying our psds over their completed code. When it matches up, complete
24) Client approval of development
25) If approved drink
26) Edits if needed. Smash something
27) If approved drinkAs I'm writing it there is a shit ton more stuff that is in there. Boards, sketches, proposals from PM to CD to make sure nothing is fubar. For the most part, it's really learn as you go, revise when needed.
2) Brief from client director (who managed the client's brief and expanded it)3) IA layout (kind of hdesign done with grey boxes but trying to choose the right imagery and at least decent headlines)
4) Client approval of IA
5) Design of the main pages
6) Blasphemies, insults and freakout because client choices
7) Round of amends
8) Client is satisfied
9) HTML/CSS production
10) Whipping the devs to implement the css
11) Client's happy, but some amends are due
12) Amends done.
13) Beer
- k0na_an0k0
Oh, and we have specific hours (for the most part) for each job. Like Doug: 20 hours week 1. 30 hours week 2-3. 40 hours week 4. CD: 4 hours week 1-4 for reviewing project. Shit like that.
- I love the "hours" allotment. "It will take you 12.5 hours to come up with one comp and 25 hours for 2 comps." regardless of project scope... pfft!robotron3k
- i know doug :)studderine
- Not like that at all robotron. Read below...k0na_an0k
- grunttt0
is there a fucking book on this? it would make a GREAT christmas present.
seriously.
- dauntilus0
I have worked in places where the account service team has so much control in an agency. It's a bad thing too. Half of the people have no real agency experience. They figure if they were an account or project manager for company A, doing it at an agency cant be that much different. Then of course because they manage the account they assume them have such a vested interest in the success of the account that they want to sit in on creative reviews and give thier own feedback which is usually subjective but wont proceed to the next step in the process until thier own feedback is addressed. Granted, them catching something we might have missed in a breif or brand guidelines, etc is one thing. But account manger Joe or Lisa saying "hmmm, I think that image should be bigger" carries no weight as far as Im concerned. You ever notice how everyone in an agency thats not a creative thinks they can do a creatives job, but at the same time no one but themselves could do theirs. I have developed a simple rule now. If you want to art direct the art directer, show me your book. Dont have one? Then sit back and manage client expectations, make sure we get paid, take them to dinner and kiss thier ass and shut the hell up about the creative.
Its a catch 22 for creatives in some agency environments. Account people and non-creatives push their weight around to get you to do things you know are downright awful for the concept and the creative. You are then forced to do it, client shits all over it at the meeting and then afterwards these same non-creatives are looking at you like "wtf did you do?"
- Also wanted to ad, if your creative breifs are coming to you from anyone other than someone that has a book or a reel, something is wrong with your company.dauntilus
- k0na_an0k0
It's more like I have 180 hours total, and it's broken down weekly. Clients like to see that shit broken down for them so they know what they're paying for. You try to present a 70k or 400k contract to them and they get sticker shock. Break it down for them and they know how their money is spent.
- k0na_an0k0
studderine. what day do you start your new job?
- 28th, jan.studderine
- Right on.k0na_an0k
- just got my winter coat getting ready for the coold
studderine
- PonyBoy0
//i'm interested in killerqueen's take on this.
- i just looked, wikipedia does not have an entry for "creative agency process procedure"...madirish
- PonyBoy. How is your new job going?! Like the weather so far. :)k0na_an0k
- Ice belongs in a tasty slushy drink... not in a 1/4" sheet on my windshield. :)PonyBoy
- job is fine... i think it's going to work out nicely... thanks for asking... and when do we go drink?PonyBoy
- looks like its the place to be.studderine
- anytime PonyBoy. Maybe we could all get together on a Friday after work. :)k0na_an0k
- I get paid every other friday... let's make it one of those fridays. :)PonyBoy
- Done.k0na_an0k
- tkmeister0
for the most recent project i worked, i've done 8 mood boards alone, then have done about 20 different homepage designs. the client couldn't articulate the direction, not to mention he's an complete idiot, and the CD didn't help the matter any better. it's probably the worst project i've worked on.
there was absolutely no process and nobody knew what they are doing. after repeated suggestions nobody listened to what i had to say. at the end, i asked to get me off the project. i'll probably never work with this particular client or the team.
- my rant.tkmeister
- I feel for you tk, that's why I put the fear of god into the Account and PMs.robotron3k
- ranting is good for the souls. also good to other sides of the story.studderine
- doesnotexist0
if only i worked at an agency, then i would answer this.
- Llyod0
discover, design, and develop
- doesnotexist0
research, idea, refine, refine, refine
- Llyod0
one fish, two fish, blue fish
- thenuge0
concept, pitch, freak out, execute