Just gave my team full autonomy on a project and it completely backfired

I let a senior designer run a whole campaign for a $5k client solo, no check-ins, and they delivered something that looked like a 90s geocities site. How do you balance trusting your people without losing control on the work going out?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_fisher55h ago

Heard a podcast with a creative director who said they do a "guardrails" meeting at the start of any big project. Basically you lay out the hard no's up front, like no Comic Sans or neon green backgrounds, so people can run free inside those boundaries. Sounds simple but most folks skip that step. Then they schedule one mid-project check in, not to micromanage but to catch total derails before they waste too much time. Worked for them and might save you another geocities moment.

lily_sullivan8214h ago

Had the exact same thing happen last year with a landing page redesign. I handed it off to someone I'd worked with for years, no oversight, and they came back with bright purple gradients and Comic Sans headings. I was too embarrassed to show the client. Now I do a quick checkpoint at the wireframe stage, just a 10 minute call to make sure we're on the same page before they go wild with the design. It saves everyone time and keeps the peace.