Leading Process Improvements at Fresh Interactive
Fresh Interactive, LLC. – Santa Monica, CA
At Fresh Interactive, a small, agile creative agency, our team needed a flexible process to keep up with the demands of developing unique, boundary-pushing products for our clients. As the leader of a small creative team collaborating with the in-house engineering team, I was responsible for managing our design workflows and ensuring that our tools and processes were efficient, collaborative, and adaptable. One key challenge we faced was version control; the Sketch app, which we used for design, didn’t offer this feature, which caused inconsistencies and sometimes slowed down the collaborative process.
Feedback Loop
Process Mapping
Visual Workflow
Task:
My goal was to streamline our design and workflow processes so the team could work on the same files in real time, maintain version control, and access the latest versions without confusion. This required a complete analysis of our current processes, identification of redundancies, and an efficient system that would support real-time collaboration across all stages of the project lifecycle.
To tackle this, I implemented a multi-step approach:
Identifying Project Types:
I started by analyzing and categorizing the types of projects our team typically encountered. By bucketing these projects, I could identify overlaps and eliminate redundant steps, allowing for a more standardized approach.
Process Mapping and Stakeholder Analysis
With a clearer picture of project types, I mapped out the specific processes for each type. I created a reference chart with stakeholders listed in the left column and each row identifying the process steps, showing where each stakeholder was involved and at what level. This allowed us to visualize each stakeholder’s role and anticipate their involvement at each stage.
Implementing Version Control:
To solve our version control issue, I introduced the Abstract app, which was compatible with Sketch and provided robust versioning features that Sketch lacked at the time. Abstract allowed the team to work on the same files, access the most current creative, and track changes efficiently, which reduced errors and enhanced collaboration.
Creating a Visual Workflow and Feedback Loop:
Next, I developed a visual workflow to demonstrate the ideal process from ideation to production, incorporating a feedback loop that allowed us to continuously refine and improve our outputs. This visual guide helped the team understand how we could optimize our workflow to meet—and even exceed—our objectives and client expectations.
Training and Ongoing Refinement:
Finally, I conducted training sessions with the team to ensure everyone understood and could follow the new process. I encouraged open feedback and regularly refined our workflows based on team insights and evolving client needs. By prompting adjustments and listening to feedback, I made sure the new process remained adaptable and effective for our working model.
Before and After:
Before the process improvements - Development and Design didn’t communicate. The account executives would share the designs with development and work with them on QA. Implementing the updates on the process helped improved the products we created and reduced the amount of time spent by the account executives translating the design hand off. This also allowed the designers to learn and understand how their designs impacted the development. Leading to the building of a design system to improve efficiencies.
Before doing so, we would spend 80 hours on development without the design system in place. After the design system, we saved development time by 40%. They don’t have to hardcode each page anymore, and we can build from templates.
Result:
This revamped process and improved workflow allowed our team to produce higher-quality creative work and provided clarity and confidence in our project management. We captured vital information from ideation through production, which increased both client trust and internal efficiency. Clients appreciated the consistency and innovation we brought to each project, and our new collaborative process resulted in stronger products and happier clients.