Originally published in the ‘THOUGHT OVER DESIGN JOURNAL’ on Apr 20, 2023

Reflections and learnings while managing projects at the studio

Words by Nishita Mohta & Aditi Rao
Illustrated by Tabitha D’Souza

When clients imagine a creative agency, they’ve come to expect chaos, scattered ideas, and the lack of any visible structure. 
So, when we introduce ourselves as the project managers at Thought Over Design, the reaction is a mix of (mostly) curiosity 
and (a bit of) delight. 

We are both designers who evolved 
into design managers. And through our 
own experience, we’ve found that a people-centric approach can make the agency-client relationship much smoother and the project experience more gratifying. 

Here are some of our recent reflections:

On ‘designing’ the 
management process
Good design comes from clarity of thought. We approach the client-collaborator-designer interactions with the same problem-solving mindset that we use to design.

Confidence is good
, rigidity isn’t
It’s important to stay confident 
of the fundamental processes we’ve developed over years, 
while also adjusting the nuances  for each client’s unique mindset 
and objectives.

 Having a point of view 
is essential to what we do
We are experts with a point of view, not just yes-sayers and messengers. 
Sometimes a counter perspective 
is just the right value-add to a project’s success.

Making space for ownership 
and accountability
Every person on every team – design, strategy, operations, management – has a role to play 
and responsibilities to take ownership of. It’s important 
to trust others, and live up to 
the trust of others.

Go beyond the transactional
With long-ish timelines on most projects, we’ve grown comfortable seeing ourselves as extended 
parts of client teams. 
It’s essential to keep their best interests in mind while also ensuring that the internal team has the fuel to create their best work.

Keeping it realistic
We don’t make promises we can’t keep. Being honest about why certain processes take time 
helps with avoiding unrealistic expectations. People may not like 
it right away, but they appreciate 
it in the long run!

Get comfortable acknowledging “It’s not clear”
Whether we’re discussing new briefs or feedback, clarity isn’t always instant. Remember that it’s okay to ask for clarifications. Open communication can help resolve confusion early and help everyone work together more effectively.

We couldn’t agree more!