Comments on: Word Request

Question: Word Request

tabubilgirl — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 04:26:59 -0800

Title of a specific member of a design team

If, hypothetically speaking, there was a design project involving a large number of designers and consultants, and if there was one person on the team at whom all threads originated - and returned - who provided a solid centre, and who had the role of taking all the different conclusions and suggestions and priorities and massaging them into a harmonious construct...
erk.

What would this person be called? Or what would their role be called?

By: Etaoin Shrdlu

Etaoin Shrdlu — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 04:32:08 -0800

Traffic manager?

By: coevals

coevals — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 04:53:59 -0800

Nexus? Nodal Point? Wampeter?

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 05:25:37 -0800

Project co-ordinator?

I sat "coordinator" rather than "manager" because your description implies a fairly benign position. They aren't making decisions. They're aggregating and disseminating information, but not providing any actual direction.

By: mattoxic

mattoxic — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:08:51 -0800

Art Director?
Creative Lead?
Creative Director?

By: amtho

amtho — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:12:34 -0800

Something with "director" in it, I'd think.

How about "design director"?

And please, world, don't feel you must capitalize all job titles. A unique title, yes, like President of the United States. But one art director should leave the initial letters lower case.

Sorry for the derail. I run into this all the time and it bothers me; you may think it's harmless, but it makes otherwise reasonable people seem subtly self-aggrandizing, and there's no reason for that to happen.

By: missjenny

missjenny — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:36:59 -0800

Project lead.
Project manager.

The former works if the position involves decision-making and a lot of responsibility; the latter if it is more of a coordination role.

By: sadiehawkinstein

sadiehawkinstein — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:38:47 -0800

Project manager, indeed.

By: iguanapolitico

iguanapolitico — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:39:28 -0800

If the person is actually involved in the design, art, creative strategy, it's a creative director.

If the person moves the stuff around from person to person, seeing that priorities are met and things get done, but without really doing it, it's a traffic manager.

If the person is the liaison between the creative team and a client, or the rest of the company, then project manager / account executive.

By: selfmedicating

selfmedicating — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:00:06 -0800

"Doomed"? Look, there is a really common word for this function, and that is manager. If someone is doing this without being called a manager, then they are in the crappy situation of having responsibility without power. These responsibility-without-power jobs are really easy to get into if you are a certain type of person. The tone of your post gives me a feeling that you are a well-liked, non-hierarchical type of person.

Maybe I am just projecting from my own work experiences, but listen to an old lady who has been there: you are doing your career no favors by taking on the work without getting the pay or title that should come with it. It may take some asking and negotiating - but people don't get what they deserve in life, they get what they negotiate. So for what it's worth, my advice is to choose a title that sounds fancier (to you) than you think you deserve. Ask for a small raise if you are taking on additional responsibility. You are probably worth more than you think.

By: tra

tra — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:06:32 -0800

Quoting Star Trek TOS Episode 62:

"Who controls this complex?"
"Control..? CONTROLLER?"

By: Artw

Artw — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:18:50 -0800

I'd go with "Director" of some kind.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:21:41 -0800

nthing Project Manager

By: leakymem

leakymem — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:36:23 -0800

I'd have to guess "Steve Jobs"

By: rokusan

rokusan — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:16:10 -0800

Avoid the word 'director' at all costs because it's confusingly loaded with other meanings. And you're most certainly NOT describing a creative or art director, which are quite different things.

You're describing a project manager, or if it's someone without steering power (they cannot make changes, only steward the decisions of others), it's a controller or traffic manager.

By: TochterAusElysium

TochterAusElysium — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:16:30 -0800

Where I work they used to be called traffic managers, now are called project managers or project specialists.

By: iguanapolitico

iguanapolitico — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:39:48 -0800

Well, selfmedicating is projecting some issues. ;) Everything she says is true. But the OP never said anything even hinting that she is in a bad position. There is nothing inherently wrong with the position tabubilgirl is describing. In fact, it can be awesome and lucrative. We do not know if the OP *has* the position, *wants* the position, knows somebody in the position and is worried about them, or knows somebody in the position and covets it for herself.

In the ad agencies I work at, there are hardly any positions with "manager" in the title, and those who are managers really do not touch a project at every step as described. (They are more like staffing managers: they run whatever department it is, but they do not take active roles in creative projects.) But we do not know if the OP is even talking about ad agencies. As often happens, we need more info, and the OP has left us high and dry. :)

(Sorry for all the "do not"s and such ... suddenly my apostrophe key is not functioning properly.)

That is all. :)

By: iguanapolitico

iguanapolitico — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:40:46 -0800

(Except traffic managers, but again, they are not involved in the creative process. They are VERY important, but they do not influence the creative. At least nowhere I have worked.)

By: jopreacher

jopreacher — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:43:37 -0800

Producer

By: tabubilgirl

tabubilgirl — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:48:01 -0800

Thanks for your responses. I'd like to emphasize that I am NOT myself in this position - the question is entirely academic!

By: selfmedicating

selfmedicating — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:41:32 -0800

OK, in that case ignore my projections and count my vote for either "manager" or "coordinator".

By: plinth

plinth — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:48:54 -0800

Traffic Wrangler

By: muscat

muscat — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:52:03 -0800

project manager