10 Best Creative Agency Project Management Software In 2024
10 Best Creative Project Management Software List
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
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There are seemingly countless creative agency project management software solutions available, so figuring out which solution will be the best for you is tough. You want to plan, manage, and control your projects better, but need to figure out which tool is the best fit. I've got you! In this post I make things simple, leveraging my experience managing creative projects and using dozens of different PM tools to bring you this shortlist of the best creative agency project management software.
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The Best Creative Project Management Software Comparison Chart
Now that you’ve had a chance to read the overviews, use this table to compare the tools side by side.
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| monday.com | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| ClickUp | From $7/user/month | Website |
| Kantata | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Scoro | From $26/user/month (min 5 seats) | Website |
| Screendragon | From $20/user/month | Website |
| Productive | From $9/user/month | Website |
| Wrike | From $9.80/user/month (min of 2 seats) | Website |
| Resource Guru | From $4.16/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Bonsai Agency Software | From $10/user/month | Website |
| Quickbase | From $35/user/month (min of 20 users) | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareHow to Choose Creative Project Management Software
As you work through your own unique software selection process, keep the following points in mind:
- Ease of Use: Creative teams often thrive in environments that are intuitive and user-friendly, while a steep learning curve can hinder productivity and delay project timelines. Look for software with a simple, clean interface that can be easily navigated by all team members, regardless of their technical proficiency. For example, a drag-and-drop task manager can streamline workflow management, making it easier for teams to track progress and meet deadlines.
- Collaboration Features: Effective collaboration is crucial in creative projects where ideas and feedback need to be exchanged seamlessly. Choose software that offers real-time collaboration tools such as shared workspaces, comment sections, and integrated chat or video conferencing. For instance, a feature that allows team members to annotate design files directly within the platform can significantly enhance communication and ensure everyone is on the same page.
- Resource Management: Managing resources effectively is essential to keep projects on track and within budget. Look for software that provides comprehensive resource management capabilities, including workload balancing, resource allocation, and time tracking. This ensures that you can optimize the use of your team’s skills and avoid burnout. An example would be a tool that offers a visual resource planner to see who is available for new tasks and who is overbooked at-a-glance.
- Integration Capabilities: Creative projects often require the use of various tools and software. Ensure the project management software you choose can integrate with other essential tools like design software, file storage solutions, and communication platforms. This integration minimizes the need for constant switching between applications, saving time and reducing the risk of errors. For instance, software that integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud allows designers to sync their work directly with the project management platform.
- Customization Options: Every creative agency has unique processes and workflows. As such, it’s important to choose software that can be customized to fit your specific needs. Look for options that allow you to create custom workflows, templates, and dashboards. This flexibility ensures that the software can adapt to your way of working rather than forcing you to change your processes. For example, the ability to create custom project templates can help standardize best practices across your team, improving efficiency and consistency.
By considering these factors, you'll be better equipped to select creative project management software that meets the specific needs of your agency and enhances your team’s productivity and collaboration.
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ClickUp
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.7 -
Wrike
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2 -
Hub Planner
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2
10 Best Creative Project Management Software Overviews
Time to get to the juicy details! Read about each tool and relevant information regarding its use in creative projects. Feel free to check out how I picked the software on this list at any moment.
monday.com is a work management platform that has dozens of use cases, including creative and design work.
Why I picked monday.com: Easy, visual and intuitive, monday.com is an award-winning software used by over 70,000 teams. In our evaluation criteria, I specify that we are looking for customizable workload management and collaborative feedback, which is something that this platform handles particularly well.
monday.com lets you create shareable forms to customize creative and design approvals. It also has a repository where you can store all files related to your projects and easily collaborate on them. Once a file is uploaded, you can annotate and comment on an asset, and keep a record of the different versions of it. Finally, the boards have the capacity to handle custom workflows where you can keep your team up to date on expectations.
monday.com Standout Features & Integrations
Features include monthly and annual expense tracking, a recruitment tracker for HR, easy editorial and blogging planning, competitor analysis, the management of marketing projects, onboarding processes, and creative requests.
Integrations include DropBox, Excel, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Integromat, Slack, Trello, Pipedrive, Jira, Mailchimp, and even more through Zapier.
ClickUp is a creative project management tool software that offers built-in creative features for every step in the design process.
Why I picked ClickUp: Users can collaborate with their teams on any design project with features for proofing, threaded comments, chat, and easy file sharing. Share files and deliverables with clients and control what they can access with permissions. Collect approval, feedback, or customer information with custom-branded forms. ClickUp also offers multiple views and templates for building and managing your creative workflow or getting projects started.
Task management features include task checklists, subtasks, and task templates, as well as the ability to filter, sort, search for, easily reorder, and view tasks in the manner most convenient for the team. Users can also create Gantt charts, calendars, and timelines to visualize tasks.
ClickUp Standout Features & Integrations
Features include the creation, sharing, and editing of documents and files. Also, users can comment on documents and tasks, assign comments, and chat with other team members for increased communication and collaboration. Reporting features include the ability to create custom dashboards, as well as six built-in report types for team reporting.
Integrations include Slack, G Suite, Dropbox, and many more tools, as well as 1,000+ integrations through Zapier.
ClickUp's free plan is robust and includes all primary features so you can properly test it and discover if it suits your needs.
Kantata is a SaaS product that's been designed to make project management a whole lot easier for creative agencies. It's got a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy to get a handle on what's going on with your projects, and it's got plenty of features that are specifically designed for creative agencies.
Why I picked Kantata: First off, there's the project dashboard. It gives you a bird's eye view of all your projects, so you can see at a glance what's on track, what's behind schedule, and what needs your attention. Then there's the time tracking feature. This is a game-changer for creative agencies, where time really is money. Kantata makes it easy to track how much time you're spending on each project, so you can make sure you're billing accurately and staying profitable. And let's not forget about the resource management feature. This lets you see who's working on what, so you can make sure everyone's pulling their weight and no one's getting overloaded.
Kantata Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource management, workload and allocation views, skills database, skill gap, projected demand, and projected profitability.
Integrations. As part of their “API-first strategy”, they’ve built a solution that doesn’t require a third party in order to integrate with any apps. They provide an integration platform (called M-Bridge) that’s designed to simplify integration between Kantata and other business apps like CRM, HCM, and financial software. On top of the M-Bridge platform, Kantata provides several pre-built integrations with these tools: Expensify, G Suite, Xero, Salesforce, Netsuite, Jira, Hubspot, Slack, Concur, Dynamics 365, Qualtrics, Quickbooks, and Sage Intacct.
Scoro is a work management software that caters to professional service businesses, including creative agencies, by providing a unified platform for managing projects, finances, and resources.
Why I picked Scoro: The platform offers visibility into various agency operations with its robust reporting and analytics function. This feature provides insights into progress, results, and future outlook in areas like project progress, agency performance, financials, and team utilization. It includes customizable dashboards that can help in making informed decisions based on real-time data.
Another standout feature is Scoro's all-in-one work management capability, which integrates project delivery, sales and CRM, resource planning, time tracking, and financial management into a single system. This integration is particularly beneficial for creative projects where collaboration and real-time updates are crucial.
Scoro Standout Features & Integrations
Features include automated invoicing, workflow automation, capacity and utilization tools, KPI tracking, collaborative tools, controlled permissions, and forecasting capabilities.
Integrations include Google Calendar, Microsoft Exchange, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Expensify, Stripe, Jira, Slack, Asana, Dropbox, PayPal, and more.
Best creative operations project management solution designed for high-performing in-house & agency teams
Screendragon is a creative project management software designed to speed-up creative delivery and reduce project risks and costs. It is used and loved by in-house and agency teams at Kellogg’s, BP, The International Olympic Committee, TBWA, and McCann World Group.
Screendragon’s user interface is easy-to-use and allows users to custom-brand the interface. It covers all aspects of creative project management with features for SOW creation, creative briefs, project management, visual proofing, file sharing, review and approval workflows, resource management and forecasting, and financial tracking. Advanced customization is available in the form of granular user permissions, powerful custom forms, templates, personalized dashboards, workflow management rules, and more.
Creative teams can visualize and manage tasks through interactive Gantt charts, Kanban boards, or list views. Screendragon’s integrated budget module makes it super easy to create estimates and track expenses for the lifecycle of the creative project. Another great feature for creative leaders is the capacity view, which offers a 360-degree view of both current and upcoming resource capacity.
Screendragon also has powerful features to help streamline creative production workflows including version control, advanced routing capabilities, ability to automate approvals, and more. It is the creative project management platform of choice for many in-house agencies with additional functionality to cater to their growing needs around increasing productivity and reducing costs.
Screendragon has an open API, enabling custom integrations with any solution. It offers native integrations with leading ERP systems such as SAP and PeopleSoft and can integrate with thousands of apps through Zapier like Slack, Trello, Google Drive, Office 365, and Microsoft Dynamics.
Screendragon starts from $20/user/month with a one-off implementation fee, and a free demo is available.
Productive is an all-in-one agency management software with project management, resource planning, time tracking, budgeting, and collaboration features.
Why I picked Productive: Creative agencies can use this tool to not just plan their projects, but manage their resources, budgets, and time. The software offers a comprehensive task management system that allows users to assign tasks to individual team members, keep track of progress on each task, and set deadlines. Users can also set up recurring tasks so they don’t have to worry about manually creating them each time.
The software's time tracker tool allows users to log their hours for each task or client project, supporting accurate billing and budgeting down the line. Users can upload documents in the platform or link them from other cloud storage services, and connect them with specific projects or tasks. The resource management features allow teams to keep track of who is working on which tasks and assign tasks in the context of everyone's workload.
Productive Standout Features & Integrations
Features include list, table, calendar, timeline, and board views; recurring tasks; time estimations; time tracking; budgeting; document management; resource planning; upcoming work placeholders; and client billing.
Integrations include Dropbox, Exact, Google Workplace, Jira, Harvest Economic, Outlook, Microsoft Calendar, Slack, QuickBooks, and Xero. A Zapier integration is also available, which can unlock more integrations with a paid account.
Wrike is an award-winning creative project management software that allows creative teams to streamline their processes from start to finish.
Why I picked Wrike: It features customizable briefs and request forms, visual and customizable workload management, space for team members to provide feedback, and reporting and analytics. You can automate work intake and proofing, enable creative workflows, and improve delivery with a single collaborative platform.
Additionally, you can customize workflows, dashboards, reports, and request forms. Wrike has an easy-to-use interface with distinct Spaces, folders, and tasks. You can switch between Kanban boards, interactive drag-and-drop Gantt charts, and traditional workload views to visualize priorities. Or navigate between the home screen and timesheets, dashboards, calendars, reports, and a stream for notifications and messages. You also have access to a variety of pre-built templates for common organizational processes that allow teams to launch projects faster.
Wrike Standout Features & Integrations
Features include pre-built templates, custom request forms, interactive Gantt charts, visual proofing, workflow automations, time tracking, project portfolio management, and dashboards.
Integrations include 400+ pre-built native integrations, like the most popular file management software from Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox, along with sales and marketing software from Salesforce and Marketo.
Best for managing projects, people, and equipment in one place
Resource Guru is an employee management software for agencies that has time, project, and resource management in a single platform.
Why I picked Resource Guru: In addition to building project plans, the software also has resource management features like an employee directory with information like skill sets, location, and availability. Within the platform, you can set up custom schedules for each of your team members, assign projects and tasks, and track their progress. Schedules and capacity planning inform how projects are scheduled and managed.
Equipment can also be managed with the software, creating an overview of all resources needed for projects. Everything is managed in a single calendar, helping create a high-level picture of how work will get done, by who, when, and with what tools. The software can also produce forecasts for employee capacities and resource utilization.
Resource Guru Standout Features & Integrations
Features include employee scheduling, employee and resource calendar, billable and non-billable time tracking, reporting and analytics, project management, resource allocation, and a mobile app.
Integrations include Apple Calendar, Calendly, Google Calendar, and Outlook Calendar. A paid Zapier account can be used to configure additional integrations.
Best for all-in-one creative project management
Bonsai creative agency project management software is an all-in-one solution designed to streamline the operations of creative teams, offering a robust platform that simplifies project tracking, client management, and financial oversight. Aimed at agencies within the creative industry, Bonsai helps users maintain a clear focus on their creative work while efficiently managing the administrative aspects of their projects.
Why I Picked Bonsai: What sets Bonsai apart from its competitors is its deep customization specifically tailored for creative workflows. It provides an intuitive interface that supports not only project management but also aids in automating repetitive tasks such as invoicing and contract management. Unique features include a suite of templates specifically designed for creative proposals and contracts, integrated time tracking directly linked to specific tasks and projects, and a powerful budget planning and expense tracking system that caters to the nuanced needs of small and mid-size agencies.
Bonsai offers advanced insights and analytics on team profitability based on total logged time, billable hours, and cost rates per project or per client. This feature allows users to uncover hidden costs and opportunities and improve their business’s efficiency and profitability. Bonsai also allows users to assign projects and tasks to their team or contractors, prioritize their week, and see exactly how their projects progress for efficient work. The ability to analyze team effectiveness helps agencies refine their resource management and improve their success rates in completing projects on time and on budget.
Bonsai Standout Features and Integrations
Key features of Bonsai include project management tools, team time tracking, client CRM, budget and expense management, and financial reporting. Additionally, the software offers task automation, integrated invoicing, and a client portal, which allows clients to view project progress, approve deliverables, and communicate directly within the platform. These features are engineered to empower creative professionals to focus more on their craft and less on the logistics of business management.
Bonsai integrates with Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Slack, QuickBooks Online, Calendly, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Xero, HubSpot, and more.
QuickBase is a platform that allows users to create custom business applications without extensive coding knowledge. The platform aims to help businesses streamline their processes and improve productivity by providing a flexible and user-friendly interface for creating and managing applications.
Why I picked QuickBase: With QuickBase, creative agencies can easily build custom applications tailored to their specific project management needs, without the need for extensive coding knowledge or IT support. This enables agencies to quickly adapt and configure their apps to match their unique workflows, ensuring seamless integration with existing processes.
By leveraging QuickBase's customizable forms, automated workflows, and data tracking capabilities, creative agencies can streamline project management processes. They can centralize project information, track tasks, assign responsibilities, and monitor progress in real-time. This promotes efficient collaboration among team members, facilitates communication, and enables stakeholders to have a comprehensive view of project status and milestones, all within a single platform.
QuickBase Standout Features & Integrations
Features include enterprise-grade security and compliance tools, AI capabilities, reporting and analytics capabilities, mobile capabilities, end-to-end visibility, and resources such as eBooks, research reports, and webinars to help users learn and stay updated on the latest technology trends.
Integrations include Jira, Asana, Tableau, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Trello, DocuSign, Zendesk, OneDrive, and Quickbooks Online.
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Other Creative Project Management Software
Need more creative software app ideas? After all, creative projects, and design agency project management, sometimes require thinking outside the box. Here are a few more suggestions to get you going.
Related Project Management Software
If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these other related tools that we've tested and evaluated:
- Project Management Software
- Resource Management Software
- Workflow Automation Software
- Time Tracking Software
- Collaboration Tools
- Productivity Tools
Selection Criteria for Creative Project Management Software
When selecting creative agency management software, it's important to focus on functionality and how well each option meets your specific use cases. Each creative agency project management tool should help teams plan, organize, and execute creative projects more efficiently. I've personally tried and researched these tools to ensure they meet the needs of creative teams and have developed a series of selection criteria. Each criterion is weighted to reflect its importance to my overall evaluation.
Here are my criteria for evaluating creative workflow software:
Core Project Management Functionality (25% of final scoring): To be considered for inclusion on my list of the best project management software for creative teams, the solution had to support the ability to fulfill common use cases.
- Task management and assignment
- Time tracking and logging
- Resource allocation
- Project scheduling and timelines
- Collaboration and communication tools
Additional Standout Features (25% of final scoring): Evaluating additional standout features helps identify agency project management tools that offer unique functionalities that go beyond the basics and are not offered by the competition. Such functionalities can include:
- Creative briefs for clear project direction
- File sharing and version control to maintain document integrity
- Project templates for quick setup
- Gantt charts for visual project tracking
- Client review and approval processes
Usability (10% of final scoring): Usability focuses on how easy the design studio management software is to use and its interface design, which are essential for user adoption and efficiency. This evaluation looks for:
- Intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Drag-and-drop functionality for scheduling
- Customizable dashboards
- Simple navigation and layout
- Responsive design for mobile use
Onboarding (10% of final scoring): Effective onboarding ensures that teams can quickly and effectively adopt agency workflow software and realize its benefits. This criterion assesses:
- Comprehensive training videos and tutorials
- Interactive product tours
- Availability of templates to streamline setup
- Chatbots and customer support for immediate assistance
- Webinars and onboarding sessions
Customer Support (10% of final scoring): Reliable customer support is vital for addressing issues and ensuring smooth operation. I evaluate:
- 24/7 support availability
- Multiple support channels (email, chat, phone)
- Responsive and knowledgeable support team
- Comprehensive help center and documentation
- Proactive issue resolution and follow-up
Value For Money (10% of final scoring): Value for money evaluates whether the design agency software's features justify its cost. The best project management software for agencies should offer good value for its price compared to competitors. This can include:
- Competitive pricing plans
- Transparent pricing structure
- Free trial or demo availability
- Features included in basic plans
- Discounts for longer-term commitments
Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring): Customer reviews provide insights into the real-world performance and user satisfaction of ad agency project management software. I look for:
- High overall rating
- Positive feedback on ease of use and functionality
- Reviews highlighting standout features
- Consistent praise for customer support
- Users' reported impact on productivity and project management for agencies
By focusing on these criteria while you search, you can choose advertising agency project management software that meets your specific needs, helping your team achieve greater efficiency and success in their projects.
Trends in Creative Project Management Software for 2024
Project management for creatives is constantly evolving, driven by the need for enhanced efficiency, collaboration, and innovation. This evolution is complemented by trends in creative agency management software that are designed to help teams plan, organize, and execute creative projects with unprecedented effectiveness. Here, I highlight key trends in agency project management tools that I believe will be influential both now and in the future:
AI and Automation
- Enhanced AI-driven Task Management: AI-powered task management is becoming more popular as it automates routine tasks, prioritizes workloads, and suggests optimal workflows, significantly improving efficiency.
- Automated Creative Workflow Automation: The introduction of more sophisticated automation rules allows creative teams to automate repetitive processes and focus on higher-value tasks.
Data-Driven Insights
- Predictive Analytics: More and more, project management software for creative agencies is incorporating predictive analytics to forecast project outcomes and potential bottlenecks and aid in proactive decision-making.
Novel and Unusual Functionalities
- Creative Asset Management: The introduction of creative asset management features highlights the unique needs of creative teams, enabling better organization and accessibility of digital assets. This can also be achieved using digital asset management software.
- Immersive Collaboration Environments: Emerging technologies like virtual and augmented reality are also being increasingly integrated into creative agency project management tools, experimenting with immersive collaboration spaces for remote teams.
By embracing these advancements, teams can enhance their productivity, streamline their workflows, and foster greater innovation in their projects.
What is Creative Agency Project Management Software?
Creative agency project management software is a tool that helps creative agencies organize, plan, and execute their projects effectively. It combines tools for task management, scheduling, resource allocation, and collaboration, all tailored to the unique needs of creative workflows. The best project management software for creative agency typically includes features for file sharing, feedback collection, and project tracking, making it suitable for handling the dynamic and often non-linear processes of creative work.
Project management tools for agencies can also streamline project delivery by keeping all project-related information in one place. Moreover, the software can provide a clear overview of project timelines, budgets, and resource utilization, helping in making informed decisions.
Features of Creative Project Management Software
With so many creative project management tools available, it can be challenging to determine which features are the most important to look out for when selecting your software. While the features you want will depend heavily on your team's needs, this guide will highlight the general key features to look for in creative workflow management software to ensure your team stays productive and organized:
- Task Management: A solid task management feature helps teams assign, track, and prioritize tasks, ensuring everyone knows their responsibilities and deadlines, helping to manage dependencies and reduce bottlenecks.
- Collaboration Tools: Collaboration tools facilitate communication among team members, making it easy to share ideas, feedback, and updates in real-time.
- Time Tracking: Time tracking allows teams to monitor how much time is spent on each task, helping with project budgeting and identifying areas for improvement.
- Resource Management: Resource management helps allocate resources like team members, tools, and materials efficiently, preventing overallocation and ensuring optimal utilization.
- File Sharing: File sharing capabilities ensure that all team members have access to the latest versions of files and documents, reducing the risk of errors and miscommunication.
- Creative Briefs: Creative briefs help outline project objectives, target audience, and deliverables, providing clear direction and ensuring all stakeholders are aligned.
- Version Control: Version control keeps track of changes made to documents and files, allowing teams to revert to previous versions if needed and maintaining a clear history of revisions.
- Project Templates: Project templates save time by providing pre-defined structures for common project types, ensuring consistency and helping teams get started quickly.
- Gantt Charts: Gantt charts offer a visual representation of the project timeline, helping teams understand project progress and identify potential delays.
- Client Review and Approval: Client review and approval features streamline the process of getting feedback and sign-offs from clients, ensuring projects stay on track and meet client expectations.
Choosing design studio management software with these features will help your team stay organized, communicate effectively, and execute projects successfully. With the right tools, your team can focus on utilizing exceptional project management for creative agencies to deliver high-quality creative work.
Benefits of Creative Project Management Software
Project management software for creatives can be a powerful tool that can transform the way teams work and collaborate on creative projects. As such, understanding the primary benefits of creative management software is key to making an informed decision. Here are five key advantages of using creative workflow tools for both users and organizations:
- Enhanced Collaboration: Project management software for advertising agencies can improve collaboration by providing a centralized platform for communication, ensuring all team members are aligned and can easily share ideas and feedback.
- Improved Efficiency: By streamlining workflows and automating repetitive tasks, the software helps teams work more efficiently, saving time and allowing them to focus on high-impact creative work.
- Better Resource Management: Effective resource management features allow organizations to allocate team members and tools efficiently, preventing overwork and ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Increased Transparency: With real-time updates and clear visibility into project progress, project management tools for creative agencies can increase transparency, helping teams stay on track and enabling managers to make informed decisions quickly.
- Higher Quality Outputs: The structured approach and comprehensive tools provided by design agency management software lead to higher quality outputs, as teams can meticulously plan, execute, and review their work with greater precision.
Investing in the right project management software for agencies can lead to significant improvements in project outcomes and team satisfaction.
Costs & Pricing For Creative Project Management Software
Choosing the best project management software for design agencies requires you to understand the different plan and pricing options available first. Creative agency software typically offers various plans designed to fit different needs and budgets. However, most plans also fall into similar categories, with providers offering tiered plans that include comparable features and price points at each level.
Given the variety of options available, it is important to understand the different plan and pricing structures in order to make informed decisions. By staying aware of common pricing trends, you can ensure you're not overpaying for common features or features you won't use.
Here's a breakdown of the common plans, their average prices, and the features they typically include:
Plan Comparison Table for Creative Project Management Software
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic task management, file sharing, limited storage, and user access, basic collaboration tools |
| Basic | $10 - $20 per user/month | Task management, time tracking, resource allocation, basic reporting, integrations with essential apps |
| Standard | $25 - $40 per user/month | Enhanced collaboration tools, advanced reporting and analytics, project templates, version control, increased storage |
| Premium | $50 - $70 per user/month | All standard features, AI-powered resource management, workflow automation, advanced security features, priority support |
| Enterprise | Custom Pricing | All premium features, custom integrations, dedicated account manager, unlimited storage, enterprise-grade security |
Each plan offers a different level of functionality and support, from free basic versions to comprehensive packages for large teams, making it important for software buyers to match their specific needs and budget with the right plan. Consider the features and price point carefully to ensure the software will effectively support project management for creative agencies.
Creative Agency PM Software FAQs
Find answers to common questions about project management at creative agencies.
What is a creative project?
A creative project is, in most cases, an original imaginative or artistic solution to a client’s problem. These types of projects are commonly handled by digital marketing firms, advertising agencies, branding studios, and other creative business types.
What is creative project management?
Creative project management refers to the specialized processes and methodologies used to plan, organize, and execute creative projects and initiatives.
Unlike traditional project management, which focuses more on tangible deliverables and processes, creative project management deals with the unique challenges of managing creative work, such as iterative design processes, subjective feedback, and managing creative talent. It involves techniques like agile workflows, design sprints, and regular stakeholder collaboration to keep creative projects on track and deliver high-quality creative assets on time and within budget. It may also include being the “go-between” for technical, administrative, and creative teams to ensure everyone works seamlessly together.
Who uses creative project management software?
There are a number of ways to use project management software, and types of teams that use it. When it comes to creative PM software, some specific examples include creative agencies, marketing teams, design studios, and product development teams.
Creative work takes collaboration, feedback, and proofing, so an agency project management system that has communication and collaboration features is especially well-suited to this type of work. Creative teams may also have extra appreciation for a friendly drag-and-drop interface or interactive checklists.
As for agencies in particular, the ability to track progress — and to allow clients to track progress — is a big plus. Some software even has client portals to facilitate this.
How do you manage a creative project?
There is no single way to manage a creative project. Depending on how your team works you might take an agile or more waterfall approach. In the same sense, building a product might require a different approach from managing a marketing project.
Whatever your context, here are some steps that you can take to get started:
- Go through a careful requirements gathering process.
- Kick-off the project with solid project kickoff meeting.
- Make sure you know how to make and use a robust project plan and budget.
- Manage and control your projects through to delivery by monitoring progress and maintaining frequent communication (mitigate against scope creep!).
- Once you’ve delivered the final product, make sure you get useful feedback from your teams (for example, in a retrospective meeting).
Where to start? Follow blogs about creative workflow management. Our PM how-to guides are a good resource to get you oriented.
What does a project manager at a creative agency do?
So what does the day-to-day of project management look like at a creative agency? Here’s a typical to-do list for a PM working at an agency:
1. Review project timelines and adjust schedules as needed.
2. Conduct team meetings to track progress and address any issues.
3. Coordinate with clients to clarify requirements and provide updates.
4. Allocate resources and assign tasks to team members.
5. Monitor project budgets and ensure cost-effectiveness.
6. Oversee the quality of deliverables and ensure they meet client expectations.
7. Manage risks and implement mitigation strategies.
8. Update project documentation and maintain records.
9. Communicate with stakeholders to manage expectations and report on progress.
10. Facilitate problem-solving and decision-making processes.
What's Next?
As mentioned, creative projects need excellent communication. Therefore, I suggest you read about communication plans and how they work. You'll even have access to a template you can use.
Related tool lists:
- Project Management Software
- Project management tools
- Free project management software
- Advertising agency software for management
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