What would you do with an extra month in your year? Travel? Spend more time with your family? Take on more projects?
Project management software for creatives means more time to do the things you love (or need to do for the business) vs. your to-do list.
Did you know project management software frees up, on average, 498 hours per employee annually? And, with the advent of AI, you could increase your creative productivity by 137%.
In this article, we’ll walk you through:
- The key project management fundamentals every creative needs to know
- What project management software can do to increase productivity, leaving more room for creativity
- How to get the most out of AI-driven project management software whether you own a creative agency, manage a creative team, or are a creative freelancer yourself
- The key features you should be looking for in advanced AI-driven project management software
What are the key project management fundamentals for creatives?
When it comes to managing creative projects, there's a whole host of tools and techniques that you can steal from "traditional" project management methodologies like Agile and Waterfall. Here are just a few:
Scrum (Agile)
Scrum is an Agile framework that’s best known for its iterative approach to development. With iterative development, you break your creative projects into small tasks, working in short sprints. These short sprints are ideal for frequent changes, whether market, customer, or internal.
In a web design company, this might look like designers creating wireframes in one sprint, getting feedback from the client, and then moving on to branding and design schemes in the next sprint. The building begins in the final sprint, and these short sprints continue until the final website is ready for delivery.
Kanban (Agile)
Kanban is also an Agile framework, but unlike Scrum, Kanban is less focused on iterations and more concerned with the flow of work (or throughput). It's also one of the best ways to visualize your workflows.
Use Kanban boards to track your tasks. Limit how much work is in progress so you don't overschedule yourself or your team. And it's super easy for anyone to understand project progress with a Kanban board (like your entire team, stakeholders, and clients).
In an advertising agency, this might look like columns for 'to do,' 'in progress,' 'review,'' and 'complete' with swimlanes to separate the agency's functions for a client's marketing campaign.
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Their board reflects the status of all tasks in one place, and it's easy to understand the status of each task in progress.
Waterfall
While Scrum is all about short work sprints and Kanban is about workflow, Waterfall is a methodology that focuses on thorough planning with a set project management lifecycle outlined in the PMBOK guide.
With Waterfall, the aim of the game is to define your project scope and requirements upfront for a more structured approach for creative teams.
This could look like producing a detailed storyboard for an animation design project with clearly defined phases, where the phases happen one after the other sequentially.
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But don't feel you must stick to only one of these. Try one at a time or blend these methodologies (appropriately called hybrid project management). You and your creative team can adapt these approaches to the unique needs of your projects, combining agility with structure and detailed planning.
Benefits of creative project management software
There are a lot of benefits to using project management software, especially for creative projects. They all can make your life easier.
First and foremost, project management software can keep you organized and on point. It can schedule your day so you know exactly what you need to work on. All the more important with the many bite-sized tasks you might have with multiple creative projects you might have running at any given point.
But it's not just about individual tasks. Collaborative project boards give you oversight to understand where your tasks fit into the bigger (project) picture and can help you anticipate roadblocks ahead of time.
For example, if you're the graphic designer on a big marketing campaign, you just want to be able to see how far along the copy is (and if there is anything you can get started on while you wait for the copy) without having to sit through a 1-hour status meeting.
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Because project management software can be integrated with tools like Google Drive and Slack, you know that you can access the briefs and files you need when you need them. Automated workflows can then tick off your checklist (and fire off the asset file to the creative director for review) automatically while you keep chugging along on your work.
Project management software is really about taking the heavy lifting out of project admin and making it easier to do your creative thing.
Key features to look for in project management software for creatives
Not all software is created equal. Here are some of the features you need to look for in your creative project management software:
Scalable
Make sure the software can accommodate unlimited users, allowing for future growth without the need for expensive add-ons (or, worse, the need to change to new software).
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Also, look for software that supports unlimited projects, so if you grow your client base, the app can grow with you.
Budget-friendly
The software you choose should allow you to get the most out of it, even on a limited budget, so opt for tools that include task management, project boards, and integrations with other tools like Slack and Google Drive on their basic plan. Also, look for a 7 or 14-day free trial to give it a test drive.
Task management
At its core, your project management software should let you create and manage task lists to keep your creative processes on track. In-app collaboration on tasks and a visual overview of the work are table stakes.
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Even better, AI-driven auto-assignment and scheduling can take the manual load off your shoulders.
Customizable
Customizable workflows are a must-have for any creative looking for a streamlined way to work.
For example, if you're a copywriter who needs to receive a brief, create an outline, and then fire off your copy to an editor, you want this workflow to be as painless as possible. All are do-able with automated checklists and actions built into each step.
Integrability
Your project management software should seamlessly integrate with other common creative tools and technology, like Google Drive, Slack, Google Calendar, and Zapier. This is especially important for remote and hybrid teams where your writers, designers, and developers all might be working with those tools already.
5 best project management software for creatives
Given those key features, here are the five best project management software for creatives:
Motion
Motion is a cutting-edge AI-driven project tool designed to empower creatives and streamline the creative process. Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Motion brings a new dimension to project management by assisting with everything from ideation to execution.
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Standout features:
- AI-driven task scheduling: Motion's AI takes the guesswork out of task assignment and scheduling, optimizing your project's workflow based on team availability and task priority.
- Resource allocation: Effortlessly manage your team, equipment, and materials, ensuring optimal resource utilization.
- Task automation: Say goodbye to repetitive tasks as Motion automates mundane processes.
Motion is the only tool on the market that can help you build your and your team's schedules for you.
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Who it’s best for:
Small businesses and creative teams, like a 6-person digital marketing agency, looking for an intelligent and efficient resource allocation and project management solution with advanced features.
Pricing:
- Motion offers a free seven-day trial.
- It’s then $19 per month, billed annually, or $34 monthly for an individual.
- Or $12 per user/month, billed annually, or $20 per user billed monthly for a team
- Both levels come with all the features.
Trello
Trello is a flexible project management app that allows creatives to organize digital board tasks. It’s highly visual and intuitive, making it easy for creative teams to plan and execute their projects.
Standout features:
- Visual boards: Organize tasks with drag-and-drop cards on customizable boards
- Collaboration: Easily share and collaborate on projects with team members
- Integration: Connect with popular apps for seamless workflow management
Who it’s best for:
Trello suits small teams, like a group of graphic designers in a branding agency, or individual entrepreneurs who are seeking a user-friendly visual task management tool without all the bells and whistles.
Pricing:
- Individual: Free
- Standard: $5 per month if billed annually or $6 billed monthly
- Premium/Professional Plan: $10 per month if billed annually or $12.50 billed monthly
- Enterprise: Use the calculator on the website to customize to your needs
Asana
Asana offers a versatile platform that's particularly effective for managing creative projects. It enables creative professionals to set project goals, assign tasks, and track progress.
Standout features:
- Customizable Workflows: Tailor your project setup to your creative process
- Task Dependencies: Visualize task sequences for better project planning
- Collaborative Workspaces: Foster team creativity with easy sharing and communication
Who it’s best for:
Asana is best for complex projects and larger teams (to justify the investment). If you’re a web agency with full-service marketing, social media, and SEO services, Asana could be a good fit.
Pricing:
- Basic: $0 (free for life)
- Premium Plan:$10.99 per user/month. Or $13.49 per month billed monthly
- Business: $24.99 per user/month. Or $30.49 per month billed monthly
- Enterprise: You’ll need to contact Asana sales for more information
Monday.com
Monday.com provides creative teams with customizable project management solutions with a visual project tracking dashboard, allowing creatives to track project progress and collaborate effectively.
Standout features:
- Customizable workflows: Tailor your workflow to match your unique processes and needs
- Visual project tracking: Gain clarity on project status and progress through visual boards
- Collaboration hub: Foster teamwork and communication with real-time collaboration features
Who it’s best for:
Larger enterprises looking for comprehensive software with the resources to set it up. This isn’t your typical set-and-forget tool. Marketing agencies, web design agencies, and PR firms with 6+ employees will get a lot out of Monday.com
Pricing:
- Plans start at $0 and range to $16/seat/month.
- Enterprise users need to call for pricing.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a versatile project management tool that empowers creative teams to take control of their projects. With its robust feature set, including customizable workflows, time tracking, and goal setting, ClickUp is designed to support collaborative creativity.
Standout features:
- Customizable dashboards: Tailor your workspace to suit your unique needs and preferences
- Resource flexibility: Effortlessly manage and reassign resources as your projects evolve
- Calendars and reporting features: Stay organized and informed with integrated calendars and reporting tools
Who it’s best for:
Teams and individuals seeking a highly adaptable solution that caters to diverse project requirements with the time and skills to set it up for your needs. A software team with developers on tap will find the customization they are looking for to build automated workflows that suit their style of work. Smaller teams might get lost in the complexity.
Pricing:
Small Team: $7/user/month
Medium-Sized Team: $12/user/month
Large team: Contact for pricing
Three pro tips to make the most of your creative project management software
Ready to get started? Here are three pro tips to get you on your way:
Learn some project management fundamentals
- Rather than creating your own workflows and structures, make the most of Agile frameworks like Scrum or Kanban to give you a starting point.
- When you have a chosen project management framework, you can build your software workflows around it.
- Then, review regularly to ensure it’s doing exactly what you need.
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Take advantage of in-app collaboration
- Don’t let your creativity be disengaged from the hive. Take advantage of in-app team collaboration so you can access the hive mind whenever needed.
- Collaborate on documents in-app to avoid the time and energy suck of email threads.
- Prioritize features as a team to ensure everyone is on the same page (and bring the fun back into your job).
Invest in AI solutions
- Prioritize smart features like workflow automation and AI-driven scheduling that can adjust to your unique creative processes.
- Pick tools that can connect with other software and 3rd-party connecting tools like Zapier to create a fully integrated creative system to manage your work.
Motion: plan, track, and deliver all your projects in one place
Motion is so much more than just a creative project management tool. Think of it as your AI assistant, keeping you and your team on track, 24/7.
With Motion, you can say goodbye to repetitive tasks. This dynamic tool streamlines your creative process, automating the mundane administrivia so you can focus on what you do best – creating.
Let your team do what they do best, and let Motion take care of the rest.
Stop planning and start doing. Try Motion FREE today!
