Research on Design Project Management: The Case Study of the Independent Graphic Designer with Piecework-Based Business

• Main Authors: WANG, YUNG-PING, 王用賓
• Other Authors: CHENG, SZU-WEI
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/zr97s4

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 應用美術學系碩士班 === 106 === In the graphic design industry, choosing to work as freelance designers instead of working for a single particular company for all time is becoming more common. However, when one is working on designing projects as a freelance designer, there may be some problems and difficulties. The unstable circumstance perhaps can be prevented or improved through a management approach. Thus, this paper conducted an in-depth research, which focuses on design project management for a freelance designer. Firstly, through literature review, the research found that design project management is to start the project through one’s design concept and then manage the project thoroughly and strategically. This paper proposed that the design project management of a freelance designer consists of three types of management, which are the management of project, the management of the designing process, and self-management. Samples of freelance designers were collected from a famous designing platform, Behance, for this research. Among all the freelance designers in the graphic design industry in Taiwan, six of the designers who attract the attention of most people were selected for in-depth interviews for the research and the firsthand information of the projects were obtained from the designers directly. The information gathered and the transcripts of the interview were analyzed as codes with grounded theory. After the data was analyzed, the research found that the features of freelancing are having independence of managing projects, free time schedule, the possibility of taking cases from different fields, the possibility of running one’s own business, and the full control of financial condition. During the process of taking a case, the course of design project management of a freelance designer includes the discussion on the project and the design, the process of taking a design case, project schedule management, the cost and contract management, and partners who run a project with the designer. On the other hand, the self-management includes the understanding of oneself, managing personal branding. The result of this paper can serve as reference about design project management and self-management for a freelance designer in hope that through the assistant of management the virtuous cycle in design industry can be reached.