Wait, so what is a producer?
At webuild, a producer can wear a lot of hats! So we find it’s best to describe the role by the different parts which make up the role. What makes a producer?
Project Manager
Our producers own the role of a project manager on every design project. They organize, plan, and help our designers execute on all deliverables. That means keeping tasks on track, (We love to use ClickUp for this - and not just because they’re also a client of ours!), ensuring that responsibilities are tasked to the perfect designer for the job, documented appropriately (because who likes crossed wires in their communication?), and most crucially for our startup clients - kept on time. Basically, producers get it done.
Product Manager & Strategist
While a project manager is typically more of a tactical role, it lacks an element critical to project success - strategy. At some agencies this role is fulfilled by a dedicated strategist or product manager. This role focuses on turning your idea into a design plan, which identifies priorities, potential pitfalls, and continuously monitors design execution for quality. A strategist typically has a depth of understanding around business objectives and a keen eye towards what the customer really needs.
Relationship Guru
If there’s anyone on our team you should trust to write your dating app profile (and hey, we love a fresh design challenge!), it’s probably a producer. That’s because our producers own a crucial role within any agency - understanding you and what you need. A producer’s role as a relationship manager can include:
Matching your Style Does your team love a workshop? Hate a long message in Slack? Love using videos to communicate? Our producers are responsible for noticing those subtleties, and ensuring we’re matching your workflows
Navigating team transitions Hired someone new? We’ll make sure they get up to speed on all things design!
Having the Difficult Conversations Is your team about to seriously pivot? Is something just not meeting the mark? Are you dealing with a sensitive issue that will impact design? Our producers become the place where you can say anything - and trust that we have your back.
So why don’t you have three separate people?
With this many jobs under one role, it’s natural to wonder why we don’t hire different team members.
After all, the more the merrier! Here at webuild, we love design based on data. That’s why we conduct extensive user research - and why we take any opportunity we can get to a/b test our work. Just like we a/b test our designs, we a/b test our workflows.
We’ve organized projects with any number of combinations of teams over our 8+ years in the agency business. This has ranged from projects exclusively staffed by designers, to a robust suite of admin and strategic support on larger, enterprise-level accounts. It’s taken a lot of work for us to come to this model of the producer.
We have found that when strategy and tactic are housed under the same roof, a project comes together more seamlessly. A producer can recognize a design pivot, and simultaneously update and iterate on our project plan to match this change. By staying in the weeds, they can catch issues earlier than an executive who is only taking a bird’s-eye view - and respond quickly. Plus, just like the startups we work with, webuild runs a lean model. We want to ensure the time that you’re paying for is maximized towards designing, not a ton of people just talking about design.
For running a lean, mean, design machine - we love a producer.
Who else does a producer work with?
Internally, producers work most closely with our product designers & senior product designers. They also work with our head strategist. Often, they become the bridge between managing designers and executives, and the implementing team of designers. Our producers become one small, but critical, part of a broad network of design superheroes who have come together (Avengers Assemble, anyone?) to make your product design dreams a reality.
Externally, producers can work with the head of your project, whoever that might be for the structure of your organization. Whether that’s your CEO, project manager, product manager, head of brand, or someone else entirely - the producer is your main point of communication, and the person who will always have your - and your team’s - back.
That’s important. As an agency, being the guys who have your back is a core value for us. From the top to the bottom, our team is committed to delivering on being your support through the tumultuous and exciting years of growing a business.
We’re so excited to welcome you on that journey with us.
Want to work with our team (producer included)? Get in touch!
