3 ways to nurture creativity on your marketing team

When creativity is nurtured in the workplace, it can be a welcome whirlwind of imagination that revolutionizes your marketing campaigns. Designers that have the space and time to let ideas pop and simmer are poised to create original content. But all too often, working quickly to meet deadlines can stifle creativity. Getting your team in the zone takes some planning. Build a work environment that encourages collaboration and creativity. When it’s time for design, give employees the space and resources they need to create their best work. Start by empowering your designers to be relaxed, confident, and ready to create with these three tips.

Tip #1: Make time for concentration

Distractions can destroy a moment of creativity. Give your designers what they need to get in the zone. Need to talk about process or schedules? Put time on the calendar, and give them space to focus on their concepts. Uninterrupted time can be as nourishing to creativity as a good night’s rest. A person is always going to do their best work when the ideas can flow. Team tip: Encourage designers to mark time for design work on a shared calendar. This will keep team members informed and reduce disruptions that tend to plague the average workday. And if it can wait, let it.

Better ideas come to life when designers are given the power to collaborate comfortably. Register for this webinar to learn how creatives at two companies are simplifying the way they work.

Tip #2: Make opportunities for creative collaboration

The best way to ensure your team’s producing their best work is by boosting your creative brainpower early on. Kick off the design phase with a brainstorm where individuals can share and discuss their ideas as a group. Then conduct an open critique of the design where individuals can talk about what’s working and what can be improved. Invite people with different skill sets or experiences to bring in fresh perspectives. The more ideas, the merrier. Team tip: Great ideas can come from unlikely places. Change up your brainstorms by starting off with 10 minutes where everyone shares their worst ideas. Aside from loosening up the group, one bad idea might lead to your team’s next big one.

Tip #3: Make design files accessible

Organization makes collaboration easier, especially with a looming deadline. That’s why creative teams need a centralized and accessible location for each iteration of their designs. Anything less results in wasted time and energy spent tracking down necessary materials. When you have multiple designers working together on a project, you can keep the process moving with a shared workflow and clear folder structure. Team tip: Keep it orderly both within and outside design teams. Decide and implement company-wide best practices for labeling files and folders. Be sure to create separate folders for brand assets and guidelines, design examples and inspiration, and other important files. Implement these three tips for a more free-flowing work environment. Email marketing company Campaign Monitor did just that—across the world. With the help of Dropbox Business, their teams work on designs at different global offices as if they’re in the same room. Like Campaign Monitor, you can redefine success by extending your creative team’s productivity to your entire team. “Dropbox Business has definitely helped accelerate the pace at which we design,” says Ross Chaldecott, Head of Product Design at Campaign Monitor. “It’s a win for our customers because we can ship products faster, and it’s a win for us because we can do quality work without thinking about the complexities of how to get it done.” Better ideas come to life when creatives are given the power to collaborate comfortably. It’s as simple as that. Register for this webinar to learn how creatives at two companies are simplifying the way they work.