Welcome to the first episode of Creator's Block of 2017! To kick off the new year, we brought Shelby Clarke (our amazing graphic designer) back to the recording studio to discuss a blog post she wrote some time ago: "7 Things a Graphic Designer Isn't." 

Not only does she make a lot of great points in the original article - seriously, go read it, if you haven't already - this post opens up a much larger discussion around the unspoken friction that often exists between marketers and the creatives that work with them. 

On the one hand, marketers have a clear vision or idea that they want to execute - but then a project they thought would be "simple" turns into something needlessly complex. Or the final product delivered is nowhere near what they wanted, and they don't know why or where things went wrong.

On the other hand, designers and content creators want to deliver the best product possible for those marketers - whether that be a logo or a blog post - but sometimes feel willfully misunderstood or treated like order takers, instead of the creative problem solvers they are.

So this week, we made it our mission to answer three questions: Why does this happen? What can you do to fix it? And finally, what big changes lay on the horizon for Creator's Block? Enjoy!

SO, WHAT DID WE TALK ABOUT?

 

• The most common misconceptions marketers have about designers
• How much effort actually goes into creative projects
• How the agile points system helped our team get on the same page
• The worst things you can do or say to a designer or content creator
• Communication tips to have better relationships with creatives (and see better results)
• Why designers and content creators ask a lot of questions
• What creatives can do differently to improve their relationship with marketers
• The mortal sin of using the word "pop" with a designer
• Why giving creatives a "blank check" with a project is a terrible idea
• Changes coming to Creator's Block in 2017...

 

RESOURCES WE MENTIONED:

 

• Episode 5: Why You Need Brand Style Guides (and How to Make Them)
• Minisode 2: How to Choose Great Stock Photos
• What's the Point of Agile Points?
• Planning Poker: An Agile Estimating and Planning Technique
• Episode 13: How to Give Better Feedback
• Literal photoshop
• DiSC "C" profile overview (Shelby!)
• "Guinea Pigs Jumping the Lava"

 

GET IN TOUCH AND SPREAD THE CREATOR’S BLOCK LOVE

What did you think of this episode? Is there another topic or question you want us to take on? Or do you just want to say hi? Reach out to us on Twitter at @CreatorsBlockHQ or using the hashtag #creatorsblockparty. You can also say hi to me at @naptownpint, Jessie-Lee at @jhyphenl and Shelby at @shelbstheging. You can also join us in the Creator's Block Podcast group on Facebook, where you can ask questions and get inspired.

And don’t forget - whether you love us or hate us - we would really appreciate you reviewing our podcast on iTunes! 

…until next week!