Why Momentum Is So Valuable in Creative Projects
Why is Momentum Necessary?
A favorite saying is, "Design projects with momentum are the best design projects." We find that the inefficiencies common in agencies lead to big bills, directionless projects, and unhappy clients, and we want to avoid it. We understand that when you engage an agency, you want the completed project – a new website, logo, or complete brand relaunch – as soon as possible. So do we. We work closely with our clients to keep up the pace and deliver your project as fast as possible – exactly how you want it.
Creative projects can lose direction when not completed in a timely fashion. It's easy to lose sight of the main vision and become distracted by new inspiration, direction, and plans when too much time goes by, ending in confusion among the client and be water, my friend.
How do we maintain this?
We start all our projects with clear goals and milestones, so be sure to come to us ready to get your project done. We've found that projects that drag on – usually because of indecision, poor communication, or undefined goals – always end up ugly. We try to avoid this by starting the project with a clear direction and keeping up the pace until we're both happy.
All be water, my friend projects are charged based on a set price both parties agree on at the beginning of the engagement. This means there's no incentive for us to keep the clock running and deliver your project as slowly as possible. Ironically, charging by the hour punishes efficient work, and that's why we never do it.
The Advantages for our Team
This model works to our advantage here at be water, my friend, too. Knowing what we need to deliver upfront and clearly defining a timeline means we can space out other projects and provide clear timelines to all our clients about when projects will be finished. Things happen, and sometimes it's inevitable for delivery to take a bit longer. Still, the more accurate we can be, the more precise our timeline can be to prospective and current customers.
What does the Client need to do?
We've found that if a project doesn't stick to our set timeline, it's typically because clients have been slow to provide feedback and other necessary pieces to keep the momentum. So it's essential that you come to us ready to go; we know you'll be amazed at what you can achieve in a short space of time.
Our biggest ask to our clients is that they come to us with the headspace and capacity to complete the project. Although your involvement won't be hands-on once the project begins, it's important that you're able to respond to emails or phone calls in a timely fashion to give us the answers we need. It's also essential that you are able to work with us to determine exactly what you want out of your creative project. We don't expect you to know all the ins and outs (that's why you've hired us, after all!), but we do expect you to have an idea of what the end goal is.
We also ask that you trust us. Without sounding arrogant, we know what we're doing and will never recommend anything that we don't wholeheartedly believe is in the best interest for your business. Having said that, no one knows your business like you do so we will always refer to you when we need your industry expertise and input. Projects in which we're micro-managed with endless changes, second-guessing, and revisions from clients generally end badly, as the relationship and the work suffers.
We already mentioned that we don't do pointless meetings, but we do use video calls. This allows us to check in when needed to keep things going, yet doesn't waste time (or emit unnecessary carbon dioxide emissions) like a meeting. We also establish clarity about the project from the get – go. There are no ambiguous items left to chance, allowing us to hit the ground running.
If you're ready to tackle your creative project, whether it be a new website, a logo refresh, or a brand video, we're ready to help you carry it through to the finish, with momentum.