If you work in a corporate marketing function, you probably work (or will) with agency creatives on things like packaging design, advertising, etc. The tips for working with designers on Seth's Blog are very relevant, and apply across all creative disciplines. I especially like Item number 8.
- You don't know a lot about accounting so you don't backseat drive your accountant. You hired a great designer, please don't backseat drive here, either.
Too often, freshly minted MBAs (me included) come to a new marketing role thinking that the way they are going to make their mark is by questioning every little point, color selection, and design decision made by agency creatives. Unfortunately, things all go terribly wrong (for the person nit-picking) when a junior marketer starts picking work apart in meetings. I learned quickly that this was not the way to go, and learning to trust the creatives literally changed my relationships and credibility with our agency partners overnight.
The lesson here is that if you want great creative, trust the creatives to bring it. If you are frustrated with not being able to copywrite every line of that ad for your brand, or you want to change the color just because red is your favorite, quit your job and go become a copywriter or an art director. And if you do really feel the need to add value to the work, at least become conversant in the language (I agree with the post, Before and After Magazine is a great start).
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