How to manage design projects: Part 2

Read part 1 here.

Outsourcing

Select your external team by making sure you understand the level of innovation required for your project.  Check the history of the company and the quality of their work in their track record.  Developing a brief for your project is vital and larger projects will need smaller sub-briefs for different sections of the project.  For bigger projects the external agency can bill the costs of this brief as part of the project.   Include your supplier in this process as they will provide valuable insight with their expertise and point of view and also give them a sense of ownership of a part of the project.

Develop your project plan

The key to this plan is being detailed and making sure everyone is on the same track.

This will include tools that can be used internally and externally to manage aspects of the project like budgets and gaining acceptance of project milestones.  For larger projects you will need more input from all members involved and the time spent on this will also need to be incorporated into costs accordingly. 

Keep up to date
Make sure all your product management practices are current and can be translated well across many different channels. Keeping progress reports are also an excellent way to help you stay in control and stay informed.  Monitor the project and provide feedback and updates as necessary for the big picture but try to resist the urge to micro-manage.

Enjoy the process
The creative process can be a very rewarding experience and everyone involved should be encourage to feel the same.  For the organisation and the people involved using a solid set of project management skills will ensure a successful project.

However there is still more that needs to be done and these fields will be covered in later posts.

For more information please contact ALNO Product Services

How to manage design projects: Part 1

Establish a list of aims

Whether your end goal is huge is small what you want to achieve needs to be decided fairly early so you can budget and also confirm with other stakeholders (e.g. your team, client, approving bodies, etc.)

Budget

If this is fairly small scale perhaps deciding a limit to your spend will suffice.  However, as the project size increases you will need to budget by milestones and decide how much time and money will be required to fulfil the required outcomes. 

Consider an outline

Writing an outline or project abstract is key in the early stages to make sure that all affected stakeholders can come to a consensus on where the project should go.  Reading a simple outline make people (stakeholders, clients, etc.) aware of the key points which they can then agree upon.

Decide on your team

Who is your team?  Know exactly what sort of internal and external (outsourced) team members you need.  Understand that scale of your project and choose the right people creative or technical for your project.  If you make this process transparent and notify all associated members early on there will be better communication within your team.

What management tools will you use?

What sort of tools will you use for project management in particular? Again for small projects this may not be that much of a concern but or larger scale projects you need to know your chosen tools as well as who you will consult for creative solutions and manufacturing advice.  You also need to understand the interface of your selected manufacturer and client so that across all platforms there will be one system throughout.  

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