Project Management and a Bit of Venting!!

[Color420]

Hi there. This might be long so thank you for reading this. I am not only venting but I'd love some advice as well. I started a new job in May as an in-house designer, previously I was working at Starbucks Coffee and doing Freelance work for the company I work for now, as well as a few other clients. Well, in this position, it's just me. I am basically running the company's marketing department. I'm considered the Director of Art and Marketing. I'm finding it very difficult to manage my time and projects properly. I do keep files of all my projects and am extremely organized on my computer. But I'd like to be better at what I do. Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed and frustrated in this position. Also, to help you understand me better, I've also been diagnosed with having ADHD(Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). This is actually something I have been struggling w/ for quite a long time, now. As long as I can remember. And I can't tell you how many times I've felt this chaos in my head, that makes it very hard for me to juggle my time with the projects. A designer in HOW mag. gave me hope when I read her article about her ADHD...BUT she isn't me and I'm trying my best here! I'd really like to learn how to work properly as an art director/creative director. I take on many titles here at this company, and hold many different trades which I love doing due to creative freedom, interesting projects and the people are great too. Here are most of the main projects I have done since I've began working here, most are on-going:



1. Advertising. Designed ads for each month in 2 magazines related to our industry

2. Designed and implemented a CD-ROM presentation out of FLASH which outlines our top products, a bit about our company and contact information. This project which took 2 months, goes along with my next completed project.

3. CD-ROM PDF application of our product specifications-about 500 pages long....took about 2 weeks.

4. Coordinated our Trade show. I put everything together for this show, including the look/feel of our booth, the collateral we passed out, the cd-rom application, the installing of our booth elements and dealing w/ the freight service.

5. Just finished up on a new product flyer which will go out to approx. 500 customers. To save on costs, I had to print from my ink jet printer, tri-fold each one by hand and mail seal them, not to mention print and stick mailing labels on there.

6. Coordinating another trade show. Will need to process 200 CD-Roms for it.

7. All CD-ROMS were done by hand. CD's burned at the office, printed and stuck on, as well as I designed a jewel case insert to go along w/ it....now I need to create 400 or so more to send out to prospective clients.

8. Design and implement 5 sale sheets/flyers to pass out at the next trade show. Already got my quotes on these and am ready to design them.

10. Small print and digital projects



This is just a few of my projects. I still have to design 2 catalog/brochures, 2 websites and keep up w/ our advertising. Sometimes I really feel overwhelmed by everything I am doing for this company. I was wondering what I could do to feel better and also stay productive.

This is very difficult due to the fact that I've not been given a budget, I have no assistant, nor will i be able to get one until I've "proven" myself effective.



I don't have a marketing degree, just a degree in Painting and Graphic Design. I've been in the industry for quite sometime, first became interested in design my soph. year of High School, which was in 1992 or 1993-something like that! Started professionally in about 1998.



I'd love some advice as to how to go about making my career at this company work better for me and my company. I really am writing this for feedback, but also to vent a few frustrations I am having, while trying to be big about it and not complain. I do feel I deserve a larger salary for everything I'm doing for the company-I'm currently under $50,000 and there are people on our sales team that make over $75,000! I feel I do a hell of a lot more work than they do. I'm the one staying late almost every single night! I really appreciate all responses to this, it will really help me out in my career.



Thanks so very much for your time!!!!

[psychlonex]

Hey -
That sounds alot like my last job, which drove me quickly to quit and just go back to freelancing.

Put your foot down! Either ask for a raise or an assistant. Whichever is cheaper for the company is what you'll get, or they'll just flat out say no. At that point, explain your work duties and ask them to honestly tell you what all that is worth to them.

I loved the people I worked with previously, but they were completely taking advantage of me. I won't go into details, but it's very similar to what is happening to you.

Hope that helps a bit! Good luck with it all!

Psx

[RazoRmedia]

OK, a few opinions:

In the web industry, we are not generally looked upon as fantastically talented. Upper management may know we can create whole sites in days that look and function superbly but they do not understand what goes into the design and implementation of a project.

One thing you should never fall into the trap of doing is being a drone and letting your superiors know exactly your thoughts and feelings. If they ask you to do something which you think would be wrong, advise against it, stress that it should not be done, at the end of the day, you are the authority on the web and without you, these projects would not be completed. When working on the web, its far too easy to fall into the routine of creating designs and content for every manager / marketeer / muppet in a suit and giving in to their every whim, DON'T. You are the person with the graphic design degree, you are the person with the experience and therefore you are in a position to state your opinion and give the cold hard facts to these people, you're more educated in some ways, teach them.

It can be very difficult sometimes when lots of different people from different departments, some much higher up the greasy ladder of promotion than yourself give you lots of task simultaneously. Although the advice here is to organise yourself properly, this can be near impossible, especially with the difficulties you face on top of this. What needs to be done here is more communication with the people requesting work. Organise work request forms so that anyone wishing you to undertake work for them has to fill out a form. You can then estimate the time this will take and use your current workload as a judgement too, if the MD wants a web log carrying out, tell him you'll have it a week on Wednesday, don't stay late every night trying to finish tasks as soon as they arrive or you'll work yourself into the ground. Explain politely that the work will be done but because of your current schedule and workload, it may be put off for a few days.

Not only will this show management how organised you are, it'll also inform them of your ever increasing workload and therefore should decrease it (some managers won't bothered to fill in work requests therefore the work will never be carried out, others may take pity and try to help or get you help and assistance).

Why not ask for a small budget to take on a part timer or a work experience person, most uni's are crying out for placements and you don't need to pay them that much as long as they get relevant experience.

Basically, to sum up, don't compare yourself, your job, your workload or your salary to others in a different department or field, marketing monkeys get paid too much anyway, theres nothing you or I can do about that, what you need to do is stay organised but speak your mind, if you can't keep deadlines, explain why, show people your workload, the pressure you're under.

In the long run, it will be worth it, the company will see what value you hold but only as long as you help yourself. In a way, you are a Manager, you manage the graphic design and web stuff for the company, therefore act as if you are a manager, don't be afraid to stand up and have your say, debate with higher management over issues concerning yourself.

stand up, show them who you are, have your say in your career!


oh and this article is good about managing your time

[hurricaneone]

Well, I was just about to post some meaningful, insightful words of encouragement - but Razor stole my script - what a b%^#&@d.



You stick to what he says (see post above) and you won't go wrong. If they don't agree that you are a. more valuable than your current remuneration or b. won't hire you an assistant (so you can go home once in a while - maybe even on time, wayhey!), perhaps it's time to check out the want ads.

No reason why they should take advantage - I'm assuming you weren't born with the specific goal of helping these people look good, right?
I thought not.

Good luck for when you decide to introduce your new, improved 'you'd better respect me or else' business plan. Let us know how it goes.

[Color420]

Thank you for your response. I will definitally take your advice. I do however already use a job request form. The main problem is me. I can never tell how long a project will take when it is received!
Then I don't give myself enough time, and I rush through it. As for my manager, your correct on that one, he never fills out a form. Just brings me in to discuss, which is fine, because then I'll fill out one, create a new project folder and tell him when I can get it done. Problem is that higher priority things come up and other projects need pushing back. I also seem to have a rough time simultaneosly working on different tasks throughout the day. I am going to get myself a white board for projects to go on so i'll have it in front of me. That will help.

Thanks for the link to that article. Very insightful.

Thanks again!

Valerie