Digital projects like branding and web design involve a number of moving parts. From engaging board members to reviewing design work to relaying website needs, the process can be winding, mystifying, and overwhelming to manage across teams and disciplines. With collaboration growing increasingly online, figuring out how to communicate effectively and who to build relationships with to undertake this work can be just as important, if not more important than the work itself.
When organizations consider acquiring an agency partner–whether that’s through direct solicitation or an RFP–these considerations invariably become top of mind, especially when projects veer into expertise that your organization may know less about, i.e. coding or developing messaging. Ideally, your partner would meet these needs and gaps with transparency and openness to guide internal and external teams to the finish line, establish check-ins and checkpoints, and illuminate not only what you need to know to feel secure in this collaboration but also how to bring you into the project without trapping you in the weeds.
That transparency, centering of relationships, and accountability are core tenets of how we approach every project with our clients here at Constructive. Without that open communication and collaboration, it’s impossible to maintain a partnership where we both learn, grow, and deliver the best possible product and experience.
As you continue to think about the type of agency partner that you need for your own projects or consider managing your own projects internally, we’ve gathered a list of resources below of best practices to facilitate these processes. We hope you find them helpful no matter where you are in your process!
Project Management for Humans [Book]
Inherently collaborative and unique, the execution of digital projects relies on sincere relationships and discovering the best possible way to work together. In Project Management for Humans, Brett Harned outlines how anyone–-from designer to managers–can understand how digital projects are run and how to collaborate effectively beyond tools and templates.
A Project Management Triple Constraint Example and Guide
Projects are a juggling act between time, scope, and budget. If a feature needs to be added, that calls for more time and more budget. If time needs to be reduced, then so does the scope. As projects inevitably change over the course of their process, DPM explores the relationships between these areas and how other parameters like benefit and risk can impact the evolution of a project.
The Critical Role of Communication in Project Management
Though scheduling, time management, and leadership are key skills to delivering projects from start to finish, the most important is communication. This article from Northeastern University discusses how communication can be leveraged during projects, why inclusive language matters, and how the effective transference of information can create a smooth experience for organizations and agencies alike.
Accountability: What It Is and Why It Matters For a Project Manager
With large cross-team collaboration, a culture of accountability sets both an organization and agency partner up for success. Twproject highlights the core components of accountability and how they can be translated to action items teams can use to prevent problems before they start and effectively solve them should any arise.
5 Tips for Giving Great Design Feedback
The difference between good and bad feedback from clients to agencies can directly impact the overall success of a project. Our project managers examine how asking questions, communicating problems, consolidating feedback, and other practices can foster collaboration and keep teams strategically aligned.
More Constructively Curated
• 6 Resources to Turn Your Strategic Plan into Design
• Adopting Digital Design Systems to Strengthen Your Nonprofit’s Brand: 8 Resources
• 7 Resources to Help You Understand and Reduce Your Nonprofit’s Technical Debt
