Key takeaways
- Anyone delivering work to a business needs PM skills: a plan with dates and constant communication, because silence breeds bad assumptions.
- Design is a job to deliver against business and user needs, not the next magnum opus; that mindset makes it easier to start.
- A PM helps the designer frame a critique around the problem and the feedback wanted, not a tour of the page.
- Be a coach, not a time tracker; run a short exercise on what makes the project fly and what would blow it up, then agree a RACI.
- With many projects, give designers a regular open-mic session and teach them the soft skills PMs take for granted.
About this episode
“Be more of the coach and less of the time-tracker.”
Creative project management isn’t always easy—especially if there’s friction between project managers and design teams. So how do you give creativity room to thrive while ensuring design projects deliver on time and budget?
In this episode of Time Limit, Brett talks with Greg Storey about how project managers and designers can leverage their unique skills to build strong partnerships with each other. Prior to his role as COO at LexBlog, Greg worked in design leadership at IBM and InVision and ran his own design agency.
Whether you’re a project manager leading a design team or a designer managing creative projects on your own, listen to their conversation to learn:
- How the design role fits into the creative project management process
- PM skills that can help designers manage their projects better
- Why communication is such a critical part of creative project management
- How to work together to ensure design reviews go smoothly
- Tactics you can use to build buy-in and understanding with your design team
- Simple questions that will help you provide the right kind of support to designers