Effective Design Management Effective design management should be one of the core values of your architecture and design practice. However, when Management for Design delves into this subject and asks business leaders to explain and articulate their processes, they tend to struggle with their response. Consistent and effective design management across the studio is not common in our profession. Why is that? Is it because, as architects and designers, we are inherently creatives—and creatives consider management as somewhat counter-intuitive to design innovation? Creativity and management don’t fit neatly together! Creatives don’t necessarily embrace management, even design management. But the key thing is, you need to find a balance between creative freedom, innovation, and business management. Innovation needs to flow throughout the business and be actively encouraged and resourced. But strong and consistent business performance also requires business management and systems. Typically, the larger your business is or becomes, the more you will rely on a way of working that is consistent, methodical, and aligned with your studio culture— that’s business. Effective design management finds a balance between creative freedom and management systems.
Why is Design Management Important? Clients don’t choose you for your design talent, they choose you for your ability to deliver high-quality design through an exceptional experience. Your design approach, outputs, and the ability to “capture” your intellectual property provides you with the opportunity to innovate and to truly differentiate your business from competitors. Effective design management should be one of the core values of a successful architectural and design practice—the controlling mechanisms that allow the creative process to be transformed into fee-generating activities. Management includes the management of people, technologies, information, and resources. The essence of design management is to maximise these resources and outputs, alongside promoting creativity and innovation within your business.
