When you own a design business, you have to be efficient in order to successfully complete your projects on time. Of course, you don’t want to cut corners on your actual designs, but there are ways to save time on other aspects of running a business. If you’re interested in improving your workflow by adjusting the way you deal with everything from client communication to organization, here are some tips for you.

An effective visual identity that accurately reflects of the spirit of a brand is important for any firm, but it is particularly critical for designers. Your website, graphics and advertisements all form a backbone of your main feature -- the fashions. Just like your designs, your visual identity makes a statement about your style.

​The key to a team’s efficiency is seamless communication
When I first started working in advertising, I noticed just how busy everyone was. Someone would be rushing to get to a meeting, hurrying to a film shoot, or frantically finding props for a set. In an ad agency, there seems to be an endless amount of work and never enough people around to complete it. ​

Because of this lack of resources, I had to wear many hats as a junior. Often the Creative Director would give me a simple brief just  before putting me on projects that I was not qualified to do. I remember once I was tasked with directing  a commercial. The people on set were nervous and apprehensive about my inexperience, and rightly so.  At the end of the day, I had to give the Creative Director Polaroid photos of the shoot and he was not impressed or happy with the updates. A lot of things were missing or wrong due to the lack of communication. ​​

​A traditional whiteboard simply restricts ideas​

We were tasked with designing a brand campaign site, which quickly spiralled into an organizational nightmare. The site would have hundreds of pages, and multiple customer journeys. There was so much to keep track of such as videos, e-commerce, and a blog, which only added further layers of complication. Drawing out the structure and UI of such a mammoth site was a difficult task, and keeping everything organized was a difficult challenge and became less efficient over time. ​

Brainstorming is not a one-person show

​I faced a ton of challenges as a rookie creative director. Some were expected, others caught me completely by surprise, keeping my team motivated was a real challenge. I expected every person to bring a ton of ideas to the table and willingly discuss those ideas inside and out. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. No comments were given, my team was silent which led me to be the only one talking during a brainstorm session.

​Design process typically includes some revisions, since it’s hard to capture a client’s vision perfectly right away. But this doesn’t mean you should let the revision process take up all of your time. Instead, use these tips to reduce the amount of time you spend on revisions for your next project. This way, you can move on to other projects sooner while ensuring your last client is satisfied with the final results.

Jamboard helps CDs to conduct brainstorming here, there, and everywhere

​The holiday season is always one of our busiest times of the year. Office parties, travel, and last second RFPs are a fact of life. Shootings are in progress or wrapping up, new business is being pitched, talent is being scouted, while life during the holidays goes on. Two years ago, I was on a shoot during the holidays, and things got a little crazy.  ​