Project Structure

The majority of my project work fits within the standard design thinking process.  As a lead, I spend a lot of my time helping the team understand and gather requirements.  When we begin a project, we aim to include research, either through user testing or competitive market analysis to understand the current landscape.  During the ideation phase, I help guide the team and hone in on ideas.  When designing new features for our clients, we often recommend performing A/B testing initially to gain an understanding of how the new functionality is performing compared to the current experience.

Special projects include pitch work, strategy work and research specific projects. 

TEAM ORGANIZATION

In my current role, we have >60 creatives on our account with ~10 people resourced to each project. Projects can vary in size from small maintenance updates spanning a few days to large redesigns taking 4-6 months.  

A project team typically consists of: Project Manager, Creative Lead (me), 2 User Experience Designers, Visual Designer, Copy Writer, Content Strategist, and a Digital Product Manager.  

My role in a given project begins by helping the Digital Product Manager (also a Business Analyst on some accounts) work with the client to define and gather requirements and kick start the project team.  We typically arrange a team kick off and I’ll schedule a working session cadence with the team depending on the project needs.  I help the team to finalize their strategy, recommend which types of deliverables best meet the needs of the project, and review work before handing to the client.

Project deliverables typically include but are not limited to:

• Competitive Research

• User Research

• Strategy Decks

• User Flows

• Prototypes/Proof of Concepts

• Full Specification Decks (wireframes & user flows with in-depth annotations)

• Creative Specification Decks (creative comps primed for coding)

• Copy Decks (All written content for the experience)

While we encourage all members of the team to interface and present to clients, the Creative Lead is ultimately responsible for the creative direction of the project, ensuring client satisfaction and quality of work.

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT & STRATEGY

In addition to leading project teams, I also manage 2-3 User Experience designers.  I like to set up a meeting cadence with each UX designer to meet once every 2 weeks, and more often as needed. 

I believe that even the newest and most junior members of our team bring an important and fresh perspective to anything we do and should be given an equal chance to voice their ideas.  I encourage my direct reports to pitch new ideas and concepts to our leadership team and help build their presentation skills and experience with our clients.

Each year I work with my direct reports to set goals they want to achieve and establish check-points along the way.  

Some goal examples include: 

• Gain experience in certain types of project work (i.e. Research and strategy vs. concepting heavy projects)

• Build presentation skills

• Take learning courses

• Participate in company programs

• Start a new process for the team 

• Build team culture 

• Work towards a promotion by building certain skills and experience

DESIGN OPS 

As an Experience Lead, I help with certain account oversight/operational tasks.  

Examples of my current duties include: 

• Act as an escalation point for team members

• Assist with project scoping and sizing

• Resource for projects and PTO 

• Candidate screening, interviewing, hiring and training