<!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT -->
<!-- SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025-2026 Marcus Quinn -->

# CHAPTER 8: Creative Operations and Team Management

## Creative Production Pipeline

```
STRATEGY (Week 1)     CREATION (Week 2-3)    LAUNCH (Week 4)
1. Brief              4. Ideate              9.  Approve
2. Plan               5. Produce            10.  Deliver
3. Assign             6. Edit               11.  Launch
                      7. Review             12.  Optimize
                      8. Revise
```

**Strategy (Days 1-5):** Brief (objective, personas, message, platform specs, brand guidelines, timeline, budget, metrics, references) → Planning (concepting time, resources, asset timeline, review cycles, contingency) → Assignment (lead creative, designers, video producers, copywriters, motion designers, editors).
**Creation (Days 6-20):** Ideation (3-5 concepts with treatments, mood boards, storyboards) → Production (shoot vertical/square/landscape simultaneously, multiple takes) → Editing (rough → fine → final; motion graphics, audio, color) → Review (creative director, copy edit, brand compliance, technical spec).
**Launch (Days 21-28):** Approval (present final, explain strategic choices, sign-off) → Delivery (export all formats, naming conventions, captions/copy, upload to platforms/DAM) → Optimize (set targeting/budget, monitor first 24-48h, identify underperformers, create variations, document learnings).
**Speed levers:** Parallel Design/Copy/Motion (−40-50% time) | Template libraries (3-5x speed) | Standardized format specs, naming, color profiles. **48-hour turnaround:** Day 1 AM brief → PM concept → evening production. Day 2 AM review → PM revisions/approval → evening launch. Requires dedicated team, clear brief, limited scope.

## Creative Brief Template

```
PROJECT: Name | Brand | Request Date | Launch Date | Budget
OBJECTIVE: Primary (one): Awareness | Lead Gen | Sales | Installs | Traffic | Engagement. Secondary: [describe]
AUDIENCE: Age, Gender, Location, Interests, Pain Points, Motivations
  Persona: "[demographic] who [problem] and wants [outcome]. Values [values], frustrated by [frustration]."
MESSAGE: Single Most Important [one sentence]. Supporting (2-3 max). Value Prop: "Because [product], [audience] can [benefit], unlike [alternative] which [problem]."
PLATFORM: FB Feed/Stories | IG Feed/Stories/Reels | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn | Twitter/X | Pinterest | Snapchat
  Formats: Static | Carousel | Video (length) | GIF | Interactive. Quantity per format: [specify]
BRAND: Logo (Standard/White/Icon/None/Specific) | Colors (Primary/Secondary/Accent) | Typography (Headlines/Body)
  Tone: Professional | Casual | Playful | Authoritative | Aspirational. Dos/Don'ts: [list]
COMPETITIVE: Top 3 competitors | Differentiation | Approach (head-to-head | differentiate | ignore)
VISUAL: Mood (Minimal/Bold/Warm/Cool/Luxurious/Playful) | Photo (Studio/Lifestyle/UGC/Dramatic)
  Video (Polished/UGC/Animation/Documentary) | References (3): [links]
CTA: Headline options (3) | Body copy options (3) | CTA button text
LANDING PAGE: URL | Match level | Special elements
METRICS: Primary KPI + target | Secondary KPIs (2) | Past benchmarks
TIMELINE: Brief Due | Concept Review | First Draft | Revisions | Final | Launch
APPROVALS: Marketing Lead | Creative Director | Brand | Legal | Client
```

**Video extras:** length (sec), aspect ratios (16:9/1:1/9:16/4:5), script (provided/outline/freedom), talent type, voiceover (gender/tone/accent), music source, locations, B-roll.
**Static extras:** sizes (1080x1080 feed, 1080x1350 portrait, 1080x1920 stories, 1200x628 ads), layout style, product imagery source, text density.
**UGC extras:** creator instructions (loose/detailed/scripted), creator requirements (count, demographics, engagement), content type (before-after/unboxing/tutorial/testimonial/lifestyle), deliverables per creator, hook requirements.

## Feedback Loops

**Priority:** Strategic direction > Brand compliance > Technical execution > Personal preference.
**Sync** (live reviews, calls): first-round concepts, complex strategy, major pivots, client presentations. **Async** (threads, Loom, annotations): routine revisions, technical feedback, multi-timezone, documentation.
**Tools:** Frame.io (video — time-coded comments, approve/archive) | Figma (design — pin to elements, @mention, categorize: Visual/Content/Brand/Critical, mark resolved).
**Feedback quality rule:** Include strategic reasoning — not "make the logo bigger" but "increase logo 20% for mobile visibility"; not "fix timing" but "CTA at 0:08-0:12 too long — cut to 2 seconds".

```
Feedback template: Project | Round | Reviewer | Date
WHAT'S WORKING (2-3) | STRATEGIC FEEDBACK (big picture) | SPECIFIC REVISIONS: [Timestamp/Element] | [Issue] | [Fix]
QUESTIONS | DIRECTION: Approved | Minor | Significant | New direction | PRIORITY: Critical/High/Medium/Low | TIMELINE: [date]
```

**Reducing rounds** (industry avg 3-4; top performers 1-2): Better briefs | Approve references before production | Present 3 options (safe to bold) | Single decision-maker | Real-time reviews.

## Asset Management and DAM

```
Assets/
├── 01_Raw/Photography/[Year]/[Month]/ + Video/ + Audio/
├── 02_Working/[Campaign]/Concepts/ + Drafts/ + Final/
├── 03_Final/Social_Media/(IG|FB|TikTok|LI)/ + Display/ + Print/ + Video/
├── 04_Archive/[Year]/
└── 05_Templates/Photoshop/ + After_Effects/ + Canva/
```

**Naming:** `[YYYYMMDD]_[Campaign]_[AssetType]_[Platform]_[Version]_[Status].ext` — e.g. `20260210_SpringSale_Video_9x16_v03_APPROVED.mp4`. Platform codes: IGFeed, IGS, IGR, FB, TT, LI | Status: DRAFT, REVIEW, FA, APPROVED | Versions: v01 → v02 → vFA
**Metadata tags:** campaign, asset type, platform, format, dimensions, creator, usage rights, expiration, mood, subject, color. **Rights per asset:** source, license type (royalty-free/rights-managed), usage scope (web/print/social/global), expiration, required releases (talent/property/location/music/font/stock).
**DAM tiers:** Enterprise: Bynder, Widen | Mid-market: Brandfolder, Canto, Air (AI auto-tagging, visual search, ~$50/user/mo) | Lightweight: Dash, ImageKit | Free: Google Drive, Dropbox, Notion, Airtable.

## Creative Team Structure

| Stage | Size | Key Roles |
|-------|------|-----------|
| Startup ($0-1M) | 1-2 | Creative generalist, designer/editor hybrid |
| Growth ($1-10M) | 3-6 | Creative Director, Sr Designer, Video Producer, Jr Designer, Copywriter |
| Scale ($10-50M) | 7-15 | VP Creative, CDs by channel, Sr Designers/Video (2-3 each), Motion, Copywriters, Coordinator |
| Enterprise ($50M+) | 15+ | CCO, multiple CDs, full creative hierarchy, specialized roles, Creative Ops |

**Org models:** Functional (by discipline — best for specialization) | Channel (by platform — best for channel expertise) | Campaign pods (Creative Lead + Designer + Video — best for ownership).

**Roles:** Creative Director (strategy, vision, quality) | Sr Designer (complex projects, design system, mentorship) | Designer (asset creation, brand adherence) | Sr Video Producer (video strategy, directing, post oversight) | Video Producer (editing, format optimization) | Motion Designer (animation, motion graphics, interactive) | Copywriter (headlines, copy, concepts, scripts, brand voice) | Creative Ops Manager (workflow, resource allocation, tools, process docs).

**Cadence:** Daily standup 15 min (done/doing/blockers) | Weekly creative review 1 hr (WIP, feedback, inspiration) | Monthly strategy 2 hr (performance, wins/losses, priorities) | Quarterly audit (assets, gaps, archive, templates, training).

## Freelancer Management

**Use for:** capacity overflow, specialized skills (3D, animation), one-time projects, temporary coverage. **Avoid for:** ongoing high-volume (expensive), core brand work (needs institutional knowledge), daily fast-turnaround (coordination overhead).

**Sources:** Referrals (best) | Toptal (vetted, high-end) | Dribbble/Behance (designer portfolios) | Upwork (largest marketplace) | LinkedIn (direct outreach). **Evaluation:** Portfolio → Paid test project → Reference check → Trial (1-2 small projects).
**Onboarding:** brand guidelines, tool/asset access, communication channels, first brief, feedback process, payment terms, timezone. Freelancer handbook: brand voice, design standards, delivery requirements, naming conventions, revision process.

**Rates:** Static social ad $150-500 | 15-sec video $500-2K | 30-sec video $1K-5K | Full campaign (10 assets) $3K-10K | Hourly: senior $75-150, junior $35-75.

**Quality gates:** (1) Concept approval before full production | (2) Rough cut direction check | (3) Final delivery brand compliance + technical spec.

## Creative QA

| Check | Items |
|-------|-------|
| Technical | Format/resolution/aspect ratio, file size, sRGB color, compression, no artifacts, audio normalized, captions, consistent frame rate |
| Brand | Correct logo/colors/typography, brand voice, visual style consistent |
| Copy | Spelling/grammar, brand terms, no prohibited words, CTA clear, pricing accurate, legal claims compliant, disclaimers present |
| Functional | Landing page URL works, UTM parameters, CTA clickable, video/sound works, mobile display correct, loads <3s |
| Legal | No unsubstantiated claims, required disclosures, licensed materials, model releases, trademark usage, FDA/FTC compliance |

**Process:** Creator → Internal Review → QA Checklist → Final Approval → Launch. QA team: primary (project lead), secondary (fresh eyes), final (marketing/client sign-off).

**Tools:** Grammarly (copy) | URL validators | Platform ad previews | Frame.io (video) | Figma (design) | Asana/Monday (tracking).

## Localization and Versioning

**Localization vs translation:** translation = language only; localization = language + culture (idioms, humor, visual relevance, market-specific offers).

| Level | Items |
|-------|-------|
| Must | Text, currency/pricing, units, date formats, phone numbers, legal disclaimers, promotional terms |
| Should | Imagery (ethnicity, settings), cultural references, humor, color meanings, testimonials |
| Global OK | Product shots, brand elements, abstract graphics, iconography, instrumental music |

**Pipeline:** Source approved → Extract text → Professional translation → In-market review → Creative adaptation → Local QA → Deploy.

**Tools:** Smartling (enterprise), Lokalise (dev-friendly), Crowdin (community), Phrase (agile). AI first-draft (DeepL/ChatGPT) — always human-reviewed.

**Versioning dimensions:** Geographic (US "$50 free shipping" / UK "£40 free delivery" / EU "€45" / AU "A$75") | Demographic (18-24: fast cuts, TikTok / 25-34: problem-solution / 35-44: detailed benefits / 45+: clear, larger text) | Audience segment (New: welcome / Active: upsell / Lapsed: win-back / VIP: exclusive) | Channel (IG: square, aspirational / TikTok: vertical, raw / LinkedIn: professional / YouTube: landscape, storytelling).

Track master asset in source language; localized versions as children. Update master → cascade.

## Creative Toolstack

| Category | Tools |
|----------|-------|
| Design | Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, Canva, Sketch |
| Video | Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve (free), Final Cut Pro, CapCut |
| Motion | After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender (free), Lottie |
| Audio | Audition, Audacity (free), Logic Pro, Epidemic Sound, Artlist |
| AI Image | Midjourney, DALL-E 3, Stable Diffusion, Adobe Firefly |
| AI Video | Runway ML, Pika Labs, Synthesia, Descript |
| AI Copy | ChatGPT, Jasper, Copy.ai, Grammarly |
| Collaboration | Monday/Asana/Trello/Notion/ClickUp, Slack/Teams/Discord/Loom, Drive/Dropbox/Frame.io/Air |

**Stacks by size:** Startup (1-3, ~$100-200/mo): Canva Pro + Figma, CapCut + DaVinci, Notion/Trello, Google Drive, Slack free | Growth (5-10, ~$500-1K/mo): Adobe CC, Premiere + AE, Monday/Asana, Dropbox/Air, Slack, ChatGPT + Midjourney | Scale (15+, ~$2-5K/mo): Adobe CC Teams + Frame.io, Monday Enterprise, DAM (Bynder/Air), enterprise AI.

**Selection criteria:** skill level, integration, scalability/cost per user, real-time collaboration, export format support.
