You are reading this blog to find the best design agency project management software to manage your team and clients. So, I will satisfy you with the best design agency project management tools. All the tools mentioned here are worth trying for a creative designer.

Before choosing any random project management software, you need to consider your team's requirements and check for software with similar features. To make it easy, I suggest the best creative project management software with all the features mentioned.

I have researched and tried each and every creative agency project management tool. If you have a good design agency profile and looking to start your career as a design agency project manager, then you should use the best design agency project management tool from the list below.

Before knowing which project management software is ideal for you, let us have a glance at essential aspects of the life of a creative designer and design agency.

What does a typical day of a creative designer look like?

The following are some of a creative designer's most typical tasks and duties:

• Explain project objectives during meetings with clients and team members.
• Participate in team discussions and brainstorming sessions.
• Create content such as brochures, web pages, adverts, logos, and images.

Being a creative designer is an intriguing, motivating, and fulfilling job. Isn't that the pinnacle of your professional aspirations? After all, it is said that if you enjoy your job, you will never have to work a day.

One of the agency's most crucial and exciting positions is that of a creative designer. Their responsibility is to transform concept ideas and plans into fantastic digital products.

If you want to become a good design agency project manager, then you should have high skills and experience to work at design agency USA, design agency London, design agency NYC, and web design agency new jersey.

When it comes to design agencies, there will be different categories like web design agency, graphic design agency, UI UX design agency, and website design agency.

What are the day-to-day activities of a design agency?

If you want to know the answer to this question, then take out your mobile and search for any web design agency near me.

Choose the best design agency to visit and collaborate with different teams to get the answer. Or else check this article till the end to get the same answer. The below-given works mostly happen in any design agency or creative agency.

Project Planning: The process of outlining the procedures necessary to complete a task within a specific time range.

UX/UI Designing: To create the user interface for an app, website, or other interactive media. Uxcel is an online learning platform that offers courses on UX/UI design which can teach you how to create the user interface for an app or a website.

Managing Tasks: The process of keeping track of the tasks involved in your project at all times.

Client Meetings: The quickest and most straightforward way to fully comprehend the customer's needs and how you can best serve them is to plan and conduct an efficient client meeting.

Team Collaboration: It is a project management and communication strategy that places a vital role on team interaction, creative problem-solving, and equal involvement to meet goals.

Marketing: Exploring, generating, and providing value to satisfy a target market's wants for products and services is the process of marketing.

What are the top needs of design agencies?

Many teams are working together to accomplish projects in design agencies. We all know that a design or creative agency needs human resources and technology applications to work on various creative projects.

If you want to start your design agency, you need to have the following things that can form together as a company.

Creative Director: A creative director organizes and oversees marketing campaigns, establishes brand guidelines, and mentors and leads other creative team members.

Brand Strategist: Establishes brand guidelines and guarantees that the brand message is consistent across all channels based on the objectives, demands, industry, and target market of the client.

Content Strategist: A content strategist prepares, develops, edits, and publishes pertinent material on company objectives, market research, and user research.

Graphic Designer: Graphic designers create the visual elements that represent the brand and are required to support a website or blog.

Web Developer: A person who creates and maintains websites.

Content Writer: A content writer is a specialist who creates exciting and educational content to support brands in showcasing their products.

Applications/Tools: There are many tools used by design agencies for designing, developing, tracking, and marketing. Some of the primary tools used by the creative team include Photoshop, Visual Studio, Slack, SEO Tools, and CRM Tools.

Project Management Software: Software specifically designed for project management is used to plan, schedule, allocate resources, carry out, monitor, and deliver software and web projects.

Also Read: How to Get Graphic Design Clients: 7 Winning Ways

How to manage a Design Agency

Managing a design agency involves a blend of creativity, strategic planning, and effective communication.To thrive in this dynamic environment, it's essential to understand the key aspects that contribute to successful agency management.

This section will delve into the top 4 strategies for excelling in design agency management, offering practical advice and strategies to enhance your agency's performance and client satisfaction.

1. Building and Leading Your Agency Team

Recruitment is the foundation. When looking for team members, prioritize skills that align with your agency's culture and client needs. Don't just focus on technical prowess; consider soft skills like communication and adaptability.

Once you have your team, the next step is to nurture a collaborative environment. Encourage open communication and regular team meetings to share ideas and progress.

Implement project management tools to streamline workflow and keep everyone on the same page. Clear role definition is crucial. Define each team member's responsibilities, from project managers to designers. This clarity helps in managing expectations and accountability.

Project managers should have a clear understanding of their role in guiding the team and liaising with clients.

2. Client Management Strategies

Managing a design agency involves more than just creating visual masterpieces. A significant part of the equation is managing client relationships.

From the onset, outline what your agency can deliver, and the timeframes involved. Regular updates are essential, especially when dealing with long-term projects.

To keep both your clients and your agency aligned, establish regular checkpoints. Use tools like shared project management software where clients can see real-time progress.

3. Project Execution in a Design Agency

Every successful project starts with a clear scope. As a manager of a design agency, it's your responsibility to define what needs to be accomplished, within what timeframe, and with what resources.

Efficient task and time management are the backbones of project execution. Break down the project into smaller, manageable tasks. Assign them based on your team's strengths and deadlines.

4. Agency Project Management

How do you ensure each project gets the attention it deserves? It starts with effective planning. Use tools like Google Calendar or Trello to map out deadlines and allocate resources.

But how do you keep your team on track? Regular check-ins and progress reports are vital. They keep everyone aligned and accountable.

Technology is your ally in managing a design agency. From Google Docs for collaborative editing to Kanban boards for visualizing workflow, these tools are indispensable. But it's not just about the tools; it's how you use them.

Project Management Techniques

Managing a creative agency is like conducting a symphony; every element needs to harmonize perfectly. At the heart of this harmony are the project management techniques that ensure everything runs smoothly.

Whether you’re a seasoned manager or a novice in the field, understanding these techniques is key to your success.

Agile Project Management in Creative Agencies

Have you ever wondered how design agencies adapt quickly to client needs and evolving market trends?

The answer often lies in Agile project management. Agile is a flexible, team-based approach that encourages rapid and flexible response to change.

It's perfect for creative agencies where client demands can shift rapidly. By breaking projects into manageable units, the team can focus on high-quality development, testing, and collaboration.

The iterative nature of Agile allows for regular reassessment of a project's direction, making it an ideal fit for the dynamic environment of a design agency.

Balancing Time Tracking and Billable Hours

As a design agency manager, keeping an eye on time tracking and billable hours is crucial. It's a delicate balance - ensuring your team is efficient without overloading them with work.

Implementing effective time tracking tools can provide insights into how time is being spent, helping you make informed decisions about resource allocation and project pricing. Remember, an overworked team can hinder creativity, so balance is key.

The Waterfall Methodology in Design Processes

On the other side of the spectrum is the Waterfall methodology, a more traditional, sequential approach. This method is best suited for projects with a well-defined scope and end goal. Here, each phase of the project must be completed before moving on to the next.

This traditional approach also offers a structured framework, making it easier to manage budgets and timelines. However, it's less flexible compared to Agile and might not be ideal for projects where requirements are expected to change frequently.

Why project management tools fail to provide basic requirements?

Teams using project management software sometimes feel unproductive and irritated for various reasons. It might result from the tool or how the instrument's users use it. Let's examine multiple underlying issues:

1. Team Opinion

Before choosing any project management software, you should take your teammates' opinions and, if possible, allow them to try the trial version to experiment with the features.

With this experiment, you will know your team's requirements and make them comfortable with the management tool. If not possible, you can take their input points and compare them with the features offered by that particular management software.

2. Rollout Plan

The team needs to take time and start using the trial version of the software for at least a week. In this one week, you and your team will get to know all the tool's features, pros, and cons.

After completing the trial version, based on the user experience, you can purchase the subscription plan or choose another alternative. This is another reason why project management tools fail because of the user's lack of time.

3. Complications with Project Management Tool

Even though spending time to understand the tool, a few management tools have a clunky user interface where your team will feel uncomfortable understanding the features appropriately. For example, creating projects, assigning tasks, and managing clients.

4. Client Onboarding

You and your team can spend time understanding the tool and using all its features. But does your client have that much time to understand the same CRM Tool? Choosing a project management tool with an easy-to-use interface is always better.

When the project management software has a simple user interface, your client will feel comfortable using it. All you need to do is just onboard your clients, and they will understand everything.

5. Project Management Software Pricing

Everything goes well with features, user interface, client onboarding, team requirements, and understanding of the tool. But, when it comes to pricing, you need to consider whether it is worth purchasing all the features you don't use.

Some tools offer countless features and additional options, which results in high pricing. You don't have to pay for added features not used by you or your team. So, choosing management tools that cost a minimum amount for limited features is better.

List of Project Management Tools for Creative Projects

1. ClientVenue

ClientVenue is the best design agency project management software used by creative designers to make their work more accessible with a simple user interface and countless features.

Creative teams can store their data using the ClientVenue Storage feature, which gives easy access to digital project managers and other project managers.

You can display all the services developed in your company to the clients using the services dashboard. You can only pay for the services you use, and there is no need to pay an additional amount for creating new projects.

Features

• Client onboarding, managing tasks, and client requests.
• Store data in storage space, file sharing, and manage teams.
• Create projects, daily standups, performance reports, invoicing & billing.
• It performs app integrations like Zapier, Slack, and Stripe.
• Key features include Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and resource allocation.
• Dashboard for client projects, teams, invoice management, services, and resource management.
• It offers company branding, web page customizing, theme color customizing, and a dedicated client portal.

Pros

• Many companies like Social Beat, ReferralCandy, and Daily Digital, and hundreds of clients trust the services offered by ClientVenue.
• Key features in branding include Domain Whitelabel, Email Whitelabel, and Web Page Preview option.

Cons

• There is no such drawback or issues found with ClientVenue.

Pricing

• Professional Plan costs $15 per month.
• Enterprise Plan costs $25 per month.
• You can enjoy both plans for free as a Trial version for 14 days.

2. Monday.com

Monday.com is the best design agency project management tool for users to create tasks, creative projects, and resource management. This is highly recommended for agency project management.

You can manage projects, track progress, resource planning, and organize tasks within the in-house creative teams. This advanced project management tool helps in improving your business development.

Features

• Resource management, creative requests, automated workflows, and task templates.
• Key features include Kanban boards, Gantt charts, project progress, and time tracking.
• This project management software design agency allows you to share files with team members to complete projects quickly.

Pros

• Monday.com follows the traditional project management method in multiple projects.
• You can manage tasks and project planning with the help of task management features.
• Planning projects and assigning tasks is simple compared with other tools.

Cons

• This design agency project management software does not support adobe creative cloud options.
• It can be challenging to handle multiple client projects at the same time using this design agency project management tool.

Pricing

• The basic plan costs $8 per month
• The standard plan costs $10 per month
• Professional Plan costs $16 per month.

3. Screendragon

Screendragon is the best design agency project management software with key features like team collaboration, project timelines, budget management, etc.

The integrated budget feature of Screendragon makes it incredibly simple to generate estimations and keep track of expenses during a creative project.

Version control, sophisticated routing, the ability to automate approvals, and other robust features of Screendragon can also streamline creative production workflows.

Features

• Built-in creative features include Kanban boards, Gantt charts, file sharing, creative workflows, and task dependencies.
• Get your development guide in improving the creative process through automated workflows.
• Its paid plans offer management features like task management, project management solution, and resource management.

Pros

• This creative project management software helps creative teams to improve project templates and manage resources.
• A digital project manager can share files with team members within the project management tool.
• Creative teams can use task dependencies to assign tasks to individual person using this project management software design agency.

Cons

• Key features will be unlocked only with the paid plans in this design agency project management software.
• This project management software design agency requires more project management tips to improve design agency project management.

Pricing

• Screendragon has only a single plan, which costs $20 per month.
• You can try its Free Trial version before purchasing the subscription plan.

4. Wrike

Wrike is a simple project management platform that allows creative teams to track progress using a project tracking feature. Marketing agencies use this tool for developing team collaboration in each project.

You can automate the process of assigning project tasks to individual team members. This creative project management software supports app integrations.

This creative project management platform allows creative teams to customize workflows, reports, and task creation in the dashboard using a creative process.

Features

• Key features include Kanban boards, Gantt charts, team collaboration, project planning, time tracking, and management tasks.
• Time tracking, time sheets, shared files, and notification features are enabled in paid plans.
• Built-in project templates, especially for creative professionals.

Pros

• Marketing teams can assign tasks to creative teams to make product developments using this management software.
• You can keep the list of creative projects for approval in the loop from start to finish.

Cons

• This project management software design agency does not support additional app integrations in the software.
• This project management design agency has a clunky user interface that is difficult to understand.

Pricing

• Free Plan is available for everyone who is initially getting started.
• Team Plan costs $9.80 per month for a single user.
• The business plan costs $24.80 per month for a single user with a customized platform.

5. Teamwork

Teamwork is a creative project management software that aids businesses in increasing productivity and profitability. Creative agencies manage their work using client portals.

This project management system has various attributes that make project planning easier than other tools.

Features

• Audit trail, client portal, goal tracking, progress reports, and project workflows.
• Product road mapping, workflow configuration, Reports & Statistics.
• Task boards, reminders, notifications, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and access controls.

Pros

• Marketing agencies use budget, audit, portfolio, and resource management to develop a company's growth.
• Activity Dashboard assists creative teams in monitoring team performance and tracking progress.
• An agency project shows a list of people in the project, project progress, client details, and documents related to the same project.

Cons

• This design agency project management tool offers its key features only with paid plans.
• This project management design agency has a clunky user interface that is difficult to understand.
• Many people are confused with countless project management features in this project management design agency.

Pricing

• The free plan can be used for two projects and up to 5 users.
• The basic plan costs $10 per month for a single user with limited access.
• Grow plan costs $18 per month for a single user with all features enabled.
• You need to contact the sales team to avail of the enterprise plan.

6. Hive

Hive is a creative agency project management software that can streamline your work in one centralized platform with AI-based insights, thousands of connectors, adjustable project views, and more.

Using this project management tool, you can effortlessly switch between Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and a calendar to arrange your work.

Features

• Team collaboration, time tracking, file integrations, and group messaging.
• Time-tracking features assist creative teams in monitoring track progress of every project.
• Request forms, project templates, calendar view, and client portfolio.

Pros

• You can create a new creative project and assign tasks to the team with an easy-to-use interface.
• Every agency project can be linked with clients and get feedback from them on the same dashboard.
• This project management system allows creative agencies transparency among the team members and creative projects.

Cons

• The hive project management tool lacks reporting and accountability factors in the project management system.
• In this project management design agency, the logic behind assigning tasks should be changed for a better user interface.

Pricing

• This is the best design agency project management software that does not require any credit card to subscribe to the free plan.
• Team Plan costs $12 per month when paid annually or $16 monthly.

7. Walling

Walling is a flexible project management tool that provides a central location where all their project duties, ideas, and crucial information can be seen on the dashboard.

The ability to arrange tasks, ideas, inspirations, and files side by side to enable you to view the big picture of your work is what makes Walling unique.

Features

• Create tasks, ideas, projects, teams, and to-do-list on the display dashboard.
• Prioritize your goals by changing the order and position of the list.
• Key features include flexibility in the dashboard, tracking and assigning new tasks, and color coding the dashboard.

Pros

• This creative project management software improves productivity and efficiency in your creative projects.
• The time tracking feature allows you to calculate the time taken for each project with the creative teams.
• This creative agency project management software comes at a very affordable price.

Cons

• Very few features are available compared to other creative project management tools.
• This kind of agency project management needs to upgrade its task management feature.

Pricing

• You can sign up and use its Free Plan with limited features.
• Only one plan is available that costs $5 per month for a single user.

8. ClickUp

ClickUp is the best agency project management software that can hold a team of more than a hundred members and creates practical live-tracking projects within the project management.

The ability to filter, sort, search for, quickly reorder and view tasks in the most convenient way for the team are all task management features. Other features include task checklists, subtasks, and task templates.

Features

• Activity dashboard, budget management, collaboration tools, and document storage.
• Email alerts, file sharing, goal tracking, issue auditing, markup tools, and Kanban boards.
• Marketing calendar, offline time tracking, performance metrics, project planning, and customizable branding.

Pros

• The easy-to-use user interface, powerful features, color combinations, and design makes this creative project management unique.
• This can also be used as an agency project management software that helps in tracking projects, teams, tasks, and resource planning.

Cons

• This creative project management software is too heavy for an individual user.
• The hierarchy of folders, projects, tasks, sub-tasks, and project roles are very confusing.

Pricing

• The free plan has unlimited tasks and users but only has 100MB of storage space.
• An unlimited plan costs $9 per month for a single user.
• Business Plan prices at $19 per month for a single user when billed monthly.

9. Trello

Trello is a creative agency project management software that gives your team a shared understanding of any project in a rewarding, flexible, and enjoyable way.

No matter where your work needs to be done, Trello is a natural, breathing project hub of cross-team communication thanks to its more than 100 connections with other critical applications like Google Drive, Slack, Jira, and more.

Features

• Project tracking, team collaboration, resource allocation, and customized branding.
• Client management, data synchronization, email marketing, and status tracking.
• Issue tracking, process modeling, project planning, and resource scheduling.

Pros

• You can open a new creative project to assign and manage tasks within the project management solution.
• Time tracking feature improves project planning, process training, and workflows.

Cons

• Drag and drop feature is scary when assigning tasks to an individual team member.
• Archived tasks are not visible in the project planning calendar.

Pricing

• The standard plan costs $10 per month for a single user when billed monthly.
• Premium Plan costs $17.50 monthly for a single user with unlimited features.

10. Asana

Asana is a creative project management software that can organize anything from business goals to digital transformation to product launches and promotional campaigns.

Using Asana, you can track and discuss readings in real time while automating cooperation and communication chores.

Features

• Ad hoc reporting, backlog management, business process control, and bug tracking feature.
• Campaign scheduling, email marketing, KPI monitoring, and process designing.
• Key features include workflows, reports, project lifecycle, audit trail, messaging, notifications, and employee activity monitoring.

Pros

• Global brands like Zoom, ClassPass, and Reddit use this creative project management software for business growth.
• A digital project manager can use a task management feature to assign new tasks to individual team members.

Cons

• In this project management software design agency, key features are limited and can be unlocked using paid plans.
• In this project management design agency, the assigned tickets get lost when the team member does not set priority.

Pricing

• Premium Plan costs $13.5 per month for a single user.
• The business plan costs $30.5 per month when billed monthly.
• For the enterprise plan, you need to contact the asana team.

Check this: Top 5 CRM For Web Designers to Manage Your Work More Efficiently

Why ClientVenue is the Best Design Agency Project Management Software

Finding the ideal project management solution for your design studio might be challenging because there are so many available on the market.

However, I have the best design agency project management tool that I heartily recommend for your business to boost production and efficiency. Let me show you how exactly ClientVenue is best suitable for your agency.

1. Company Branding

You can alter the portal to make it fit the design and color palette of your business. To enhance user experience, onboarding templates should be created.

2. Webpage Customizing

After selecting the design of the signup page and the appropriate brand theme colors, the ClientVenue Preview tool can assess the alterations. You can even customize the company’s logo by creating the best design agency logo to attract your clients.

3. Domain Whitelabel Setup

As an alternative to all other project management systems for creative agencies, you may utilize a white labelling option to replace the branding of the portal with that of your business.

4. Email Whitelabel Setup

The only email white labeling function available in any project management system for creative agencies enables marketing teams to run email campaigns for clients and customers.

5. Personalize Theme Colors

ClientVenue lets users choose the colors that best reflect their business after the website is up. The page can be changed at any moment, and you can save your modifications to stop them from being posted online.

6. Storage Space

Customers can create access passcodes for important information at this storage facility, which places a premium on data protection.

You will get 100GB of storage space for free with your membership package, and no other external clients may access your files or data with this ClientVenue software.

7. Client Portal

This capability enables businesses to provide a self-service gateway to their customers. ClientVenue makes it easy to view account information, send support requests, and monitor their status.

8. Services

You can give your clients access to the client portal with this project management and marketing tool. For customers to contact your marketing team about any specific service, you may list the services your business offers.

9. App Integrations

Any project management system for marketing and creative projects should have custom integration capabilities. You may connect a number of programs to your account using ClientVenue, including Custom Webhooks, Slack, Zapier, and many others.

10. Pricing

You can enjoy both ClientVenue plans as a Free Trial for 14 days without paying anything.

The following are the two most Subscription Plans offered by ClientVenue. This is the best design agency project management tool that provides you with two months of free access to unlimited features if you choose the annual subscription plan.

• Professional Plan: $15/month
• Enterprise plan: $25/month.

Conclusion

You should understand how crucial it is to maintain organization for your projects, teams, and clients if you supervise a creative agency.

However, from the qualities listed above, I recommend you choose ClientVenue, which is the best design agency project management software for your business.

Start your Free Trial with ClientVenue today!