Why am I paying for Account Management? đź“©đź“ž
Ever seen and wondered why that estimate from your creative agency has a project or account management fee attached? Either calculated as a set amount of hours or added as a percentage of other overall fees, the truth is it’s often difficult to understand what an Account Manager does until you’ve had the perils of a bad one. And then all the pains show.
Frankly — good account management makes the job look quick and easy.
Here’s 3 reasons for what that charge covers and why it’s necessary to achieve good quality design.
1. It means your design team designs
Before talking specifics on what exactly an Account Manager does, most importantly it means that your design team isn’t spending time doing it — they’re concentrating on your design instead. Designers need headspace, so moving between a lot of tasks or projects at the same time instead of being able to focus can detract from creating a good output.
2. They keep a handle on your project scope
A good Account Manager ensures you feel clear on an agreed project plan up front, and they’ll continue to manage it with you for every twist and turn that may come. They’ll have experience in your project type so can advise the most effective way to do it — be it you have a bit of extra budget and may want to consider X, or you’re really tight on this one and need to find the interim solution to Y — they will challenge, advise and manage the best way forwards.
3. They keep things focused & objective
Design can be subjective but the end goal of what you’re trying to achieve isn’t. Account Managers will be involved in the creative process by challenging work for you before you see it; ensuring, with the designer, that it will meet what you need it to do. They also act and translate as a go between clients and designers. Talking both languages means feedback and/or pushback is communicated in the most effective way and your project doesn’t start going off-track from where you started.
HexStudio are a small creative studio who believe good design matters. We create and refresh brands and visual identities, and design them to work across websites, animations, UX/UI and graphic design.
Find out more at hexstud.io
