Proven project management tools for every digital media

] Book-end [ your client project management with a Scope of Work and File Specs document

Design Management Insights: Scope of Work (SOW) & File Specifications (SPECS)

Expert management skills are a requisite for every media and design freelancer

But managing a freelance project AND making a client happy is a first-class high-wire act

As design freelancers, we are engaged in numerous projects riddled with unresolved issues. Unrealistic deadlines, undefined concepts, obscure branding approaches, a team leader on vacation, or simply a computer breakdown, all can cause relentless stress, aggravation, and even worse, strained client-freelancer relationships.

Therefore, we have to utilize tools that help us manage client and team communication, allow for discussions and reviews as necessary, and establish an overall design-flow gestalt to present to clients and stakeholders.

As freelancers, we need to establish a communication protocol from start to finish for the duration of the project

Managing contractual agreements, work flow, and team engagement are required of the freelancer at any point during the life of the project

Tools of engagement

The A B C of project management

An overview diagram of a client-to-design studio production flow integrating three phases, pre-production, production, post-production.

We identify three phases of a project:

A = Pre-Pro, such as intitial team touch points, contracts, timelines, methods of communication

B = Production, such as concepting, file creation, executions, brainstorming, reviews, iterations

C = Post-Pro, such as file transfers, sign offs, invoices, payment