The Full Circle of Creativity: Resource Management
The Full Circle of Creativity continues, and this month we’re exploring the careful choreography that keeps projects flowing. Welcome to the world of resource management.
We sat down with Creative Studio Director, Jonathan Williams, to find out how he – and his counterparts in the US and Canada – balance capacity across global teams while forecasting workflow and making sure every project gets the expertise it deserves.
So, Jonathan, when do you first get involved in a project?
I get involved right after that initial client conversation. The account management team scopes out a brief and sends it to me. I then read through each element of it to make sure we’ve covered everything. If there’s any ambiguity, I’ll go back with questions because we need to be completely aligned in our understanding of what the client is expecting in terms of deliverables.
Once you’re satisfied with the brief, what’s your next step?
My next step is to check how much time the project is likely to need and then identify the correct resource. Different projects require completely different skill sets, and every person in our creative and photography teams has their own unique strengths. It’s about making sure the right people are paired with the right project.
How do you know who’s the right fit for each project?
Over the past five years of working with our creative team, I’ve gotten to know everyone both personally and professionally. By listening to constant feedback and spending time in the studio with them, I’ve developed a strong understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. I know what their individual skills are and what they enjoy working on, which makes it much easier to find the right fit for each project.
What happens if the right people aren’t available?
I’ll work with our account managers to assess project timelines and see where we can move people around to accommodate client requirements. The key is balance and making sure no client ever gets fewer resources than another.
How do you work with account management to keep projects on track?
I have weekly meetings with the account management teams to run through upcoming projects. We review all critical paths and timelines, which our account managers map out by working backwards from the delivery dates – whether that’s the design handover or file-to-printer deadlines. I’ll review these plans to make sure they’re realistic and costed correctly. On live projects, I also have daily check-ins with both the client service team and the designers to understand how each project is progressing. This allows me to make quick decisions if extra resource is needed, or to plan ahead if designers are freed up earlier, ensuring their next briefs are ready. We work as one collective team, so communication is constant.
How does this planning approach affect the way you work with the creative team?
We align with the timelines provided, starting from the final deadline and working backwards to map out each stage. While certain dates, such as client presentations, are fixed, this approach also highlights where additional time can be allocated for designers to explore creative routes and develop their ideas further. We want to ensure they have the space to showcase their creativity and push their concepts to the next level.
What are the most common challenges you face in managing projects?
There are always going to be situations where clients aren’t completely happy with what we’ve delivered first time around. But we try to prevent that from happening. One of the ways we do that is by thoroughly assessing concepts internally before sharing them with a client. So, we often grab someone unfamiliar with the project to give it fresh eyes, someone coming at it from a completely different viewpoint. That’s one of the huge benefits of offering an end-to-end, strategy-to-shelf service – you have different experts in house to check things with.
Can you give us a specific example?
We never want to present a client with something that can’t be produced, so we work closely with our print specialists and colour team throughout the life of the project – from the initial ideas through to final concepts. This ensures that anything shown to the client not only looks impressive on screen but can also be accurately replicated in the final packaging.
What happens when challenges do arise?
We pull together as a collective unit and reassess. What do we need to do? Do we need additional support? A completely new creative route? The account team or creative directors will scope it out with the client, and we make sure they stay involved because, ultimately, it’s their project and we want to bring them along with us.
With Equator having offices across the UK, US, and Canada, how do you stay coordinated?
We have an internal management system that works across all our sites. Every Equator location works within the same system, so whether I’m looking at a project in Manchester, Chicago, or Toronto, I can see exactly what’s happening. The workflows might be different based on what each client requires, but the fundamentals of our internal management system are the same for all departments. Our account managers are also trained to brief the same way, so we’re all aligned to one way of working, regardless of location.
What do you need to do your job well?
Patience. Definitely patience, and a calm and collected approach. The teams I work with are incredibly busy and often working under tight deadlines, so they need to feel confident that I understand what they need and that I’ve got their backs. I try to be that person in between it all who makes sure everyone has everything they need to do their best work.
Next month, we’ll sit down with our creative concept team to hear how they bring strategic planning and insights seamlessly to life in their work.
Interested in working with a design agency that does it all? We’d love to hear from you – get in touch.
