Mind the Design

The trend toward more contract and freelance employees has not bypassed the P-O-P industry. Outsourcing talent is pervasive in sectors such as information technology, accounting, engineering, Web design, copywriting and legal. While freelance designers have always been part of P-O-P, the recent economic downturn caused employers to reduce design staffs and utilize freelance designers on a project-to-project basis.Jim Mahnke, design manager for Great Northern Corp., Racine, Wis., is a proponent of integrating freelance designers with his staff. "I have had great success with our freelance staff. I utilize one group for permanent and another for temporary work," he says.Prudent fiscal management is the primary reason companies utilize freelance designers. Full-time employee staffing levels are built for normal workloads; freelancers are beckoned during the periods that a design department is understaffed. Sandy Carrigan, president of United Displaycraft, Des Plaines, Ill. states, "Using freelance designers has for the most part been an effective way for us to stretch our creative department during busy times. Our sales results with freelance designers have been comparable to our inside creative staff and have on some occasions been key to landing some large jobs." Other strategic and tactical reasons company managers reach out for professional design assistance include: Specialty projects such as video kiosks or video walls requiring software programming or audio video knowledge. Duffer Schultz, owner of Schultz Productions and a consultant/freelancer, blends creative and technical expertise. "Clients get me involved when they need that unique blend of creative direction and cutting edge technology to develop video systems and content direction," he says. "In some ways I'm the creative/technical project manager who blends the retail brand and consumer demographics in a meaningful way with creative concepts and technical output."Accessing retail sector knowledge outside of the company's core competency. For example, a company traditionally strong in cosmetic and financial sectors might utilize a select freelance designer while pursuing a new client in entertainment or home improvement. Knowledge of the retailer's expectations is critical to acceptance of any creative offering. Mahnke points out that it's important to "remain fresh 'design wise'. Attend trade shows and visit retail environments to stay on top of trends and customer's requirements. I need freelancers that I can partner with and rely on to provide accurate and up-to-date designs," he says.Delivering high impact design to new clients or presenting a different creative flavor for existing clients to win new projects. A fresh creative offering from an incumbent supplier can often keep competitors on the outside looking in.Some companies have utilized freelancers with specific software skills such as FormZ in order to provide 3-D renderings in a realistic retail setting.Employee vacations or turnover also cause department managers to connect with seasoned freelance designers.Some veteran design managers like the "no hassle" factor of freelance designers. Freelancers are expected to be self-managed. Talent is the key ingredient, while the designer's location seems to be irrelevant. Mahnke says, "I have utilized people as far away as Florida and Paris, France. In our electronic world, it's become very easy to transfer and receive information." Freelance designers who specialize in temporary display structure are not as common as designers who create concepts, 2-D and 3-D images for permanent and temporary displays or signage. There are few freelance designers, for instance, who possess knowledge of the cutting tables, software and hardware systems required to respond to the market.Sandy Carrigan says, "We mostly use industrial designers with good 3-D conceptual and CAD skills. The most talented individuals are the ones who also combine a strong graphic design sense that they can apply to their 3-D concepts. Designers who possess this range of skills are the most difficult to find."There is an important distinction between freelance designers and moonlighters. Moonlighters are employed full-time by other P-O-P companies and do projects on the side for other firms. Most companies are uncomfortable working with moonlighters. Freelance designers, though, are self-employed and should be willing to sign non-disclosure agreements without hesitation. Like medical doctors or attorneys, a strict non-disclosure policy is an expectation of a freelance designer's client base and a key to long-term success.A handful of temporary display structure designers will go on-site and work at a company's location. Great Northern Corp. has had success in this manner. "My strongest temporary freelance support actually worked for GNC, which helps because they have key knowledge of our production capabilities," according to Mahnke.So will the trend of freelance design grow in P-O-P? "As deadlines seem to get tighter," says Carrigan, "I see the use of freelance help continuing to grow as a way to keep customers happy." Regardless of your business model or type of P-O-P product provided, freelance designers can provide valuable talent and knowledge to your team.Mike McMenimen is president of McMenimen & Associates, Inc. a P-O-P recruiting firm that operates TalentPOP. The firm specializes in the placement of salespeople, designers, engineers, project managers, brand managers, product managers, P-O-P/P-O-S buyers, merchandising managers and freelance designers. Prior to launching McMenimen & Associates in 1999, he was with DisplayOne, a temporary display business, and was vice president of sales for Promo Edge. McMenimen can be contacted at 262-377-9979 or mcmenimen@milwpc.com.

Mind the Design

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