Workflow

Project Setup

Before setting up the project, please make sure the client team has signed the Statement of Work and all expectations are set accordingly. If you are taking the project over from a different Creative Director, please ask them to fill out this checklist and pass it on to you.

Follow this guide to continue setting up the project:

Project Setup

Project Support

The goal is always to overdeliver on the client's expectations while helping the team to be the best version of themselves.

When it seems like the client does not receive enough value, you may need to make a choice between offering additional work or reducing the scope and hence refunding part of the payment.

When a team member is emotionally in a good place, try to elevate them even further by pointing out on the things they do well.

When the work of a team member or the team doesn't seem sufficient, it's your responsibility to help the team achieve a high-quality result by supporting them in any way possible. If they seem unable to do so, you need to be able to intervene. This could mean asking other experts or doing the work yourself.

When working on a project, be aware of your position of authority. It's your responsibility to translate what the client means to the designer, so they can enjoy their creative freedom.

Make sure that you follow all handover videos and have a continuous sense of the team's output matching (or ideally exceeding) the client's expectations.

As the Creative Director you need to be aware of all calls, meetings and handovers within the team. You need to be immediately (within 1 hour) available if someone has a question. This doesn't happen often, but is crucial as the team operates under time pressure with strict deadlines.

Please especially watch your tone of voice with clients. Always assume the best intention and when resolving a conflict, never blame the client for any mistakes or changes. Instead, describe the reason for conflict in a neutral way and suggest a positive resolution.

During the Project

Client Updates

Send daily updates to the client to inform them about our internal process. Brief messages supported by screenshots that show the progression of their project will greatly increase trust.

Conflict resolution

In case an internal conflict arises or a team member seems to be treated unfairly, it's your responsibility to surface the conflict and bring in the rest of the team to resolve it. To avoid hubristic or egocentric project leadership, always seek opportunities to improve yourself in order to progress the rest of the team.

Retrospective workshop

A retrospective workshop is always scheduled after the final presentation. You are free to take part or skip it if you don't have time. We encourage people to participate though, as this is one of the key reasons for Deep Work's fast adaptation and constant innovation. The results (implementations of changes) can be delegated to Experts or the Creative Director.

Retrospective Workshop

Project Completion

Please follow the process below to complete the project:

Project Completion