CLIENT RELATION DEEP DIVE
Managing projects & the client
While holding client meetings, managing emotions, and keeping track of SOPs and agendas all fall within a project/account manager’s tasks, the organizational background is key as well.
Job management
Subfolders and task lists within larger folders will be your best friend when it comes to project organization. You can manage this on your desktop, but online project management systems such as Monday.com or HoneyBook provide much greater structure. These platforms allow you to keep client updates in one place, set the status of milestones, assign deadlines to small tasks, and visualize and sort all of your projects in a single location.
Within these folders, keep records of the following
live project updates and progress
client name
project details and notes
client communication
contracts
schedules and deadlines
sketches and visual direction
expense reports
lead source information
hours spent on a job (kept personal to you)
scanned documents
Millman, Debbie. Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, 17th Edition: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. Graphic Artists Guild, 2025.
Beyond organization
Beyond organization, project management also involves strategy. You will communicate with the client and decide which action items will serve their goals best.
SCRUM
SCRUM methodology focuses on iterative improvement. The idea is that a large task is broken down into smaller tasks called sprints. As these sprints are completed, the process relies on development, regrouping, and adaptation as you move into the next steps.
You should create a product road map to ensure everything stays organized and that all parties remain on the same page. You can read more about this at the Monday.com link provided.
The three pillars of SCRUM are transparency, inspection, and adaptation. These pillars are supported by five core values that guide the process: commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect.
A SCRUM backlog keeps track of the value each sprint creates. If smaller components do not succeed, the designer gains insight that can inform future decisions, whether in the current project or with future clients. The backlog helps you identify what should be reworked or approached differently moving forward.
Monday.com. “What Is the Scrum Methodology? A Practical Guide.” Monday.com Blog, 20 Oct. 2025, monday.com/blog/rnd/scrum/.