10 Tips for Working with Creatives

Dealing with creatives and their Cheshire Cat smiles can be frustrating. Stepping into the shoes of the creative, clients too are frustrating because many do not know how to talk or work with creatives. 

Keep in mind, professional creatives are connecting the dots in a mile-high view. Their ability to associate abstract and tangible concepts to produce results-driven outcomes makes them masters of their craft. In that, their output is a solution to a challenge based on the direction and detail provided by their client. 

Direction that is too vague can result in open-ended designs that miss the target and sends the creative back to the drawing board. Too much detail and demand sucks the soul out of a creative and most often results in a bland, paint by numbers, ineffectual outcome. 

Finding the balance is essential and it all starts with communication, understanding, and a little common sense. 

1- consider the medium

Let’s put the whole catalog on a postcard. We hear, “Oh add this...and this...oh and we have to put this on here as well.”

When working with a creative consider the outcome’s solution medium. Let’s say you are creating a postcard to invite people to an open house. So, what is the relevant information? Who, what, when, where, and...tada...a link to an online RSVP that contains all the details. Good enough right? Here’s what you need to immediately know and the rest is available if you choose. 

It appears the solution does its job and is an appropriate amount of information for that medium, a postcard. Now, too many times, clients get scope creep and start demanding more, more, more. At what point are clients defeating the medium?

Granted there are times when the volume of information necessitated by regulation does not fit the medium however there are solutions that can be implemented that keep you in compliance. 

Keep the volume of information appropriate for the medium. Too much information can cause a costly shift in mediums in both time and money. Too little information and your target audience might be left in the dark. Balance is key. 

Also, keep in mind, print is forever and websites can be updated. Cross medium promotions are now commonplace so think about solutions that are integrative. 

2- keep it booger free

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. So many times a client’s associates are invited in to review a design. Because of position, many feel obligated to change or add something so they feel empowered and noticed. 

With so many hands in the pot the creative becomes bogged down to adhere to every whim and the output becomes watered down and boring. Is that what you really needed? Boring? 

Best bet here is to compile all the feedback and the wishlist. Weigh what is important and feasible alongside the creative brief and discard the rest. Present the compiled information to the creative with constructive feedback and tweak the design as needed. 

Remember, it’s okay to say no. Is it that important to spend the extra time and money to replace “For more event details and RSVP go to xxxx.com” to “For more event details, menu, RSVP, parking, maps, and information go to ….?” No. You initially said it so wipe that booger somewhere else. 

3- personal bias is just that, personal

Years ago I presented a design to a Fortune 100 company to an audience of about 30 people. During the presentation, true story here, a woman in a red dress stood up and stated, “I do not like the color red.” Really? 

My immediate response, “Okay. Thank you for your input and I really like your dress. Also, the company logo is red, so you might want to take that up with the VP of Marketing since he is sitting in the back of the room.”

It happens all the time.

When considering creative work, keep your personal bias at bay. Professional creatives understand composition, color theory, style, messaging, and interaction. Unless there is a glaring reason that a proposed solution is not appropriate for the brand or adverse to the creative brief, consider the fact that others may not share your personal taste. 

Yellow makes people hungry, green illustrates freshness, pink represents good times and whimsy, and gray is for technology. Decisions to use color, form, line, or interactive behavior are put in place for a reason. Sticking to the creative brief, brand guidelines, and desired outcomes are what’s most important. 

4- allow free thinking time

You’ve heard the advice before, walk away and come back to it later. Well, say hello to the creative process. 

Creatives need time to wander. Some might observe a creative pounding away on a design, story, product detail, interaction or whatever the project or enjoying a coffee in the courtyard. Either way, we are working. We need the culmination of quiet, busy, solitude, and experience to generate several ideas, good or bad, that we can tie together and solve the challenge at hand. 

Creative people tend to absorb information that may or may not be pertinent. As a challenge is presented, ancillary information is digested. This information over time might actually impact the formulated solution if seen as relevant. Therefore, it takes iterations for a creative person to compile details to develop a proper solution scope. 

5- it’s not magic 

What creatives do is not magic and each individual has their own creative process. It takes time to connect all those dots to create an optimal solution for the problem at hand. Considering shape, form, messaging, color theory, line, balance, functionality, data, brand, medium, personality, and appeal is only part of the integrative, associate thought process. 

When a client or boss comes to a creative and demands a finalized designed solution in an unacceptable short timeframe, then the outcome will more than likely be sloppy and ineffective. Problem solving takes a considerable amount of brain power for everyone so why think creative people have immediate solutions? 

Yes, sometimes projects do require a quick turnaround. Think about using your current assets to create a solution. Presenting this to the creative for quick production turnaround is more feasible than stating you need an original idea for a brand new product at 8am for the 10am meeting. 

Creativity does not always happen on the clock. As with anyone, the idea lightbulb doesn’t just illuminate on demand. It takes time to generate an associative solution so prep your creatives with your forecast so they can envision your needs. This will at least semi-prepare them and keep frustration, grumbling, and freaking out at bay. 

6- provide constructive feedback

We’ve all heard it and we’ve all said it, “This sucks.” Well, what super sucks is the creatives generally put heart and soul into a project and have no idea what’s wrong. (That being said, yeah, sometimes it just sucks.)

Reactions are important, but has any time been devoted to digesting what’s been presented? Sometimes creative products take a little time to discern the message. Take some time to dig in and formulate questions aligned with the creative brief that guides the desired outcome. 

Presenting questions such as, “Do you think this should be bolder,” or “Do you think this should be more prominent,” or even “Do you think this particular style aligns to our brand?” goes a long way. Find those items you want tweaked, even if it is the whole project outcome, and provide direction with support. Your results will be more in line with your expectations.

7- strive for originality

It’s okay to show your creative team designs, photography, or branded works that you like. It’s not okay to duplicate it. Why have your business emulate another when you need to stand out in the crowd? 

Original work, liked or not, will take its rightful place in the market. Usually, original works, when consistently displayed as a family of work, helps mark your brand and provides a unique identity that is easily recognized. You want this to be the case all the time. 

Remember, you get what you pay for so if you are on the cheap, more often than not you’ll get just that. No time and no money means no time and low pay for the creative. There is no incentive to labor long hours and beat your head against a wall to create something original. Telling a creative that the exposure will compensate for underpayment is not the answer either. Most of us have already created work that’s seen around the nation, let alone worldwide (aka the web). 

8- keep the family out of it 

I’m sure your 14 year old niece is a talented artist and has many ideas for your logo. Unless the Whitney Museum is beating down your door to wrangle her for an upcoming show, I seriously doubt her design is feasible in the current market. 

Getting feedback from family and friends is encouraged. Keep in mind, they more than likely did not see the creative brief. Their expectations may wildly vary from that of the business needs and therein lies a void. Compiling responses and presenting them in a logical manner that fits the creative brief could prove beneficial however caution is advised. 

Allow the creative process, data, and desired outcomes to combine in a holistic manner. Doing so results in a well tailored product that will serve your business needs. 

9- maintain an open line of communication 

Be present and participate in the creative process. Without ongoing direction and buy-in, both parties can lose track and will tend to wander in different directions. 

Not every detail arises in the initial meetings between clients and creatives. Sometimes, the creative brief will need to be updated. Keeping in touch at various points throughout the process provides opportunities for more detailed information to come forth. The result then reflects accurate, timely information that is pertinent to the project.

10- keep an open mind and have fun 

Engaging with creatives can be a rewarding experience. Remember, they are visionaries and think associatively. Creatives seek experience and are passionate about what they do. Their work is subjective and they have feelings, just like everyone else. 

If you work with creatives, keep it educational, keep it light, and enjoy the ride. While most find creatives weird, unbalanced, or anti-social know that there is a lot going on in their heads. Their minds are a fascinating and beautiful place filled with their ideal world. So come along; I’m sure there’s room for one more. 

— Patrick (PJ) Baxter, Chief Creative at Baxter Christenson inc.