Project management as an attitude: 6 tips on managing creative teams

Running internal and client budgets, educating teams on the nuances of collaboration spanning from idea to production in only a week, fielding dozens of calls and still finding time to mull the work processes over, and taking the blame for misunderstandings—all of these things are part of a project manager’s work. But the fact is that freelance designers also do project management on their own, and designers working in a team benefit from knowing how to facilitate team and project processes.

This article’s speaker, Colet Castaño, is eager to share her firsthand tips and tricks for running successful projects that both you and your clients will be proud of. She’s developed a fruitful career managing both large and compact creative teams for more than 10 years, and she now manages client projects in the global branding PocketRocket Agency.

Manage your resources

Your role as a Project manager is about maximizing and optimizing creativity to solve problems with a creative mindset, and it isn’t something you can simply learn from an online course: it’s an attitude. The great news is that you can develop it by being open-minded. Things are always changing—tools, people, businesses, creative processes, and you should be ready to say, “Okay, this is happening. Let’s deal with it.”

A project manager’s main job is balancing three things: time, talent, and budget. Time is limited, so you have to use it wisely. Even if it might seem that time is just time, it’s still an investment. Don’t waste people’s time, but instead invest it effectively to keep things moving as smoothly as possible.

Then there’s the budget. It includes not only internal costs, but also the client’s budget for the project. Here, you have to make sure the time and money they’re pouring into it will pay off.

Finally, you have to manage talent. This means not only your team’s creativity, but also the client’s talent—their business knowledge and ambition. If managers understand creativity and creatives learn a bit about project management, the process becomes much easier.

Instead of creating divides between managers, creatives, and clients, it’s better to share as much as possible.

By collaborating, we can make the most of the time, talent, and budget we have—and build something we’re all proud of. For business owners, it’s also not just about returns on investments. Most businesspeople don’t want to compromise creativity—they want to both make money and feel good about the work they’ve done.

Gain new skills by trying things

Previously, I worked at Hey in Barcelona for five years. There, we did projects for big clients, such as Huawei, Google, and Apple, and those projects were the most challenging for me in a good way.  Companies like these already have highly creative and insightful teams brimming with ideas and talent, so, when they approach a smaller studio or agency, they’re not looking to fill a gap, but to bring in fresh energy and extra perspectives.

We had to quickly understand the culture of these companies and learn their way of working—fast-paced, highly collaborative, and intensely creative. They put together “super teams” for each project, and we typically joined one of those teams alongside creative writers, filmmakers, or other specialists. The process was rapid—sometimes we had a briefing on Monday, then daily check-ins for a week, then the release. Adapting quickly to their feedback styles and workflows was tough, but it was also magical to see the final results.

At Hey, we also had internal projects, which brought their own challenges. Hey is a small agency, and it doesn’t have the budget of a big tech company, so we had to approach things carefully. Its signature Women at Work podcast was also born out of the blue. Four years ago, during the COVID pandemic, we couldn’t host in-person conversations with amazing professional women, but we wanted to, so we went digital. None of us had produced a podcast before, so we had to learn from scratch: figure out the concept, create the visual identity, and carefully curate a diverse lineup of speakers while also securing sponsors to fund it.

Now, four years later, the podcast has grown beyond anything we could have imagined and expanded into physical events. This year alone, Women at Work hosted events in New York and Barcelona.

As a project manager, I’m thrilled to learn completely new processes and watch them evolve into something impactful.

Tackle crises through cooperation

In any creative project, you might think you’re aligned with the client, but then realize that what you delivered isn’t what they expected. In these moments, the most important thing is trust and transparency. The worst scenario here isn’t the mismatch itself—it’s the client doubting your ability to turn things around.

When something falls short of expectations, my approach is simple: I take responsibility and ask for really honest feedback. The reasons for misunderstanding might be different: for example, maybe the client wanted “modern design”, but our interpretations of “modern” didn’t match. In this kind of case, I’d ask them for their exact meaning, visual references, and detailed explanations, or even sit down with them to realign. And if more time or resources are needed, I’d tell them upfront: “The changes might delay the timeline a bit, but it’s worth it to get things right.”

Such situations aren’t about blame, but about figuring out where the communication broke down and fixing it together.

There’s another scenario where the client doesn’t like what’s been presented, but the creative team firmly believes it’s the right solution. That’s when trust and expertise come into play. Sometimes, clients don’t need to love the work personally—they just need to see how it serves the bigger objective. If you’ve built a strong relationship, they’ll trust you.

Get the tools that work for everyone

When I first started in the agency world, we had lots of big, clunky systems that were built to manage timelines, budgets, and processes. They weren’t creative or flexible. Now, there’s a wide choice—from Asana to Monday.

However, I don’t stick to the same tools for every client or project because each one has different needs.

During the discovery phase with the client and creative team, I ask what tools work for them, and together, we agree on what’s the best for that specific project.

I use my calendar a lot, not only for scheduling meetings, but for blocking out time for focused work. For example, if I need to brainstorm or solve a problem, I’ll carve out 30 minutes to an hour just for that. Also, my calendar is packed with calls, so I also make sure to schedule time to process the outcomes of those meetings. 

I schedule 25-minute meetings instead of 30-minute ones. This gives me a 5-minute buffer to jot down notes, send follow-ups, or organize tasks before the next meeting. For hour-long meetings, I save 10 minutes for the same thing. These short breaks help me stay on top of things and prevent me from being overwhelmed.

Whenever possible, I integrate AI into my workflow. I think of it as a supportive colleague. If I stumble when I’m working on something, I ask AI for a possible solution. With tools like LLMs that understand my preferences and work style, it’s like having an informed second opinion to optimize results and make smarter decisions.

Ignite passion in others with a shared vision

It all starts with a passion for seeing creatives bring their best to the table. Every person and every project is different, but the key is asking the right questions at the start. Instead of jumping straight in, I encourage everyone to take some time and formulate their dream for the project.

For example, if a team member wants to explore a new tool, I give them the budget for licenses and training and time to get comfortable with the new flow.

When people feel motivated by their own dreams, they’ll go the extra mile, but when the interest fades, so does the energy. It works for clients, too.

On a collective level, it’s about finding a shared vision. What does success look like for all of us? It might be about growing sales, winning awards, or getting paid fairly. But a shared vision can also be simpler, like with the Women at Work podcast, where our goal is just to have more creative conversations with women and make people feel connected. When we have our individual dreams and a shared vision, during moments of stress, doubt, or conflict, we know exactly where to go to reignite energy and keep pushing forward.

Admit that life happens

At the start of every project, we align on the framework, the deliverables, and the plan. But the reality is that life happens. Someone might need to step away, there could be a family emergency, or something unexpected could come up. That’s why we also agree to stay flexible and open. If issues arise, the first step is to talk about them.

If you present yourself as approachable, then people, whether they’re clients or team members, will feel comfortable coming to you.

That openness creates trust. When creatives know they can come to me and say that they need more time, more support, or more tools, they feel more relaxed and excited about the process. It stops being about them versus me and becomes about us finding solutions together.

Sometimes, people get so caught up in work that they don’t even realize they’re struggling. That’s where I step in. If someone goes quiet for a couple of days or doesn’t respond as usual, I’ll check in with them. A simple “Are you okay?” can make a huge difference.

Bonus list of things to read and listen to by Colet Castaño

Books:

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

Factfulness by Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Hans Rosling, and Ola Rosling

New Power by Jeremy Heimans

Podcasts:

A bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek

Financial Feminist with Tori Dunlap

Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett