Why do Design Teams have Trouble with Project Management and how to Solve those Issues?

From a distance, it seems like the designers of the IT industry have it all. The infinite learning curve, an outlet for innovation, socializing with copywriters, developers and marketers, and always being part of a creative team. It truly is a great time for all designers out there.

However, the work process can often become mundane and progress becomes hard to track over time. People from different job profiles seem to be speaking a different language than you and things seem harder than ever. Well in this article all your problems will be addressed and I will try to present to you the solutions that are suitable for your design team.

Why Are Design Teams Facing Problems With Project Management?

It has been seen that without the right project management tools there is a gaping hole in your work process. From scheduling meetings to allocating tasks, everything is a web that you can get tangled into if you do not focus on how exactly you can increase productivity by managing your creative team in the right way. Here are some issues that we need to find the solution for:

Task Distribution Is A Hassle

This is one thing that all kinds of teams struggle with. Task distribution works best when you can clearly define goals all the while giving each team member the information about their responsibilities. Task allocation is especially an excruciating task when you cannot provide your team with the adequate resources that they would need to go on with their tasks.

Language Barriers Pose A Challenge

The Language gap between the developers and the designers and no set place for communication where commands can be documented. A visible facet of this problem is that designers receive inadequate feedback. They are subjected to the feedback from the marketers as well as the developers and have to take care of the guidelines presented by the copywriters, this can be confusing and exhausting.

Lost Sight Of Goals

Since you work with digital marketers, SEO team and developers you get too many inputs for the same task and you lose sight of the main goals. Also, it is possible that at the end of the day your work goes through so many revisions and receives so many comments that you can forget what you were working towards in the first place.

Ineffective Communication

As mentioned before, sometimes it feels like the people from other teams are speaking in a different language. By conducting meetings, communication can be made easier but still can leave room for errors. Therefore, there needs to be a way to communicate readily and share ideas as they come.

Giving Access To Raw Materials

It can be hard to allocate tasks to your team and give them all the necessary resources that they would need to complete their task. There is a need for a project delivery system where you could provide your creative team the files and necessary notes they would need to accomplish their daily goals.

Keeping Track Of The Team’s Progress

Because of the extensive process of task management for design teams, it can be hard to track the progress of everyone’s tasks. The task of time tracking and time management is hard when you are unable to observe everyone’s workflow stages. Your team must practice the proper time management techniques that are useful and effectively pertain to your team.

Following Different Steps For The Same Task

There is a lack of standard guidelines and a defined set of rules to stick to, making the workflow uncluttered and the tasks process easy. This also means that there is no set workflow that your creative team can follow so that they know that they are going in the right direction with their project.

Making Project Management Easier For Design Teams Of 2020

With creative teams, you have a chance to work with incredible people who know how to handle their responsibilities. However, when task assignment is not easy, roles can not be defined. Round table meetings and brainstorming sessions can help a design team understand the demands of the people from other teams. In the below-mentioned points, we will discuss how to easily communicate about the shared goals and allocate responsibilities to a design team.

Feedback Sessions

Knowing your shortcomings and knowing where you are going wrong are crucial things for a designer. It is much better if the creative team schedules regular feedback meetings so that they can understand the viewpoints of their superiors. These give you a sense of direction and get your work back on track. Designers can work with good project management software which allows giving feedback using tools with which you can explain their point better and in a more visual way.

Back And Forth With Other Teams

Make certain efforts to increase the understanding between the people and improve communication in the process. You can do this by having regular meetings and arranging certain problem-solving activities so that everyone gets an understanding of the other person’s thought process. Taking time out for meetings to discuss ideas in a more comprehensiveLY is always better than just kicking off ideas at any time of the day.

Communicate The Changes

One on one meetings with the clients or the marketers can give you a better vision of their demands and help you understand their perspective of the project. You can also schedule kickoff meetings every morning with members of the other teams so that there is a better way to warn everyone of the necessary changes that have to be worked upon. Communicating changes is important to maintain accountability and a way of making the information flow between the teams seamlessly.

Brainstorming Sessions

Brainstorming can help your team put up their best, most creative ideas and discuss their implementations. This can also break the mundane cycle and give you an outlet to display your innovative side. These can prove to be rejuvenating for the creatives and can help you get a better understanding of the project and your responsibilities. When the goals are defined this is a great way to pave a way for good ideas.

Do not Overcomplicate

For the creative teams, there are a lot of things to deal with. I can’t stress this enough that designers always have too much on their plate. For this, you need to set a tried and tested workflow that can help you figure out which task should be done in which timeline. The best way to streamline your work progress is by using a project and task management software. This is because with these digital tools everyone can be notified about your work progress when your task stage changes.

Setting Achievable Milestones

Milestones are the best way to record your progress. These give you a sense of accomplishment and give you the inspiration to perform better. And, milestones indicate that you are working in the right direction. Setting milestones at the end of every stage in the project helps in effectively increasing productivity. Using tools for setting milestones can be a big help as you can get a visual representation of your goals.

Get With The Times And Invest In A Project Managing Software

Every team needs a little help with project management. A design team can accomplish a lot more with the help of a software where all the information can be stored for easy access. Here are some of the many ways in which a project management software can be a big help to design teams.

Assigning Tasks Effortlessly

There should be a clear allocation of tasks so that everyone’s responsibilities are clear. It makes your team more accountable for the task at hand. It is better to use a software that will help you assign tasks to your teammates. Also, mentioning and tagging people in a task can give them a good idea of their roles. And, the necessary files and documents can be provided for the same as resources for their task.

Feedback Through Proofing Tools

A good project management software can be a designer’s best friend. Feedback is something that a designer receives too many times in a day. A task management software that offers communication can be very helpful with this. In fact, some high-end management software has a feature known as the “proofing tool”. This will help you take feedback from your superiors easily through markup and annotation tools.

Keep Track Of The Team’s Process

Task management software can help you track the progress of tasks and projects. With these tools, you can set a functioning workflow that can be followed by your team and place your tasks and due dates in a more visual form. Kanban boards and calendar views for viewing your tasks can also be a great help to the designers. You can also track how much time is spent on one task and how much on another to determine priorities.

Communication Made Easier

A project management software that has good communication tools can be a game-changer for hardworking design teams. This will be a great way to document the suggestions and demands that you receive from your clients and your colleagues. Announcements can also be made in a project managing software to inform the team of necessary meetings and events. These tools can also be used to announce someone’s success and accomplishment without hassle.

All Your Work Under One Roof

All your documents, as well as files, can be stored in one place and accessed by the whole team. Chats and comments can be documented and files can be sent for feedback using a good project management software. This will help you keep up with your work and attach files wherever and whenever necessary. When everything is under one roof you can keep track of deadlines, events, and milestones with ease.

Conclusion
Designers are the backbone of the IT industry. They have to carry around the baggage of feedback and comments about their work and have to please everyone. Regularly coordinating with the development and the marketing teams cannot be an easy feat. This is why project management is very hard for creatives. I hope my article helped you understand all the challenges that a design team is faced with and how they can change their management style with just a little effort.