How a Strong Client Services Team Elevates Your Design Potential.

Let's talk about something that doesn't get nearly enough credit in design studios: a really good client services team.

I'm not talking about someone who just answers emails and books meetings. I'm talking about the kind of team that creates actual space for your designers to do their best work. The kind that means your creative director isn't spending half their day managing client expectations or decoding vague feedback.

If you've ever thought "we need another designer" when what you actually need is someone to handle everything around the design work, this one's for you.

What Happens When Designers Are Also Client Managers

Here's what I see all the time: talented designers spending huge chunks of their day on calls, writing follow-up emails, chasing approvals, managing scope creep, and trying to translate "can you make it pop more?" into something they can actually action.

It's exhausting. And it's expensive, because those are hours they're not spending on the work you actually hired them to do.

A strong client services team changes that equation completely. They become the buffer, the translator, the organiser. They let your designers be designers.

What This Actually Looks Like in Practice

They handle the communication so your designers don't have to. Every back-and-forth with a client, every status update, every "just checking in" email. That's all managed by someone whose job is communication, not creation. Your designers get clear, actionable briefs instead of messy threads and last-minute panic calls.

They're really good at getting useful feedback. Not all feedback is created equal, and not all clients know how to give it. Client services teams know how to dig deeper, ask the right questions, and translate "I don't like it" into something your designers can actually work with. Less guessing, more doing.

They figure out what actually needs to happen first. When everything feels urgent, nothing is. A good client services team assesses what's genuinely time-sensitive, what can wait, and what needs the most attention right now. Your designers stop firefighting and start focusing on work that actually moves the needle.

They build the relationships that make projects easier. Trust takes time, and someone needs to be building it consistently with your clients. When that's handled well, clients are more patient, more collaborative, and way less likely to derail a project with constant changes. Your designers get the breathing room they need to do great work.

They spot opportunities your designers might miss. Because they're in regular contact with clients, they hear about upcoming projects, shifting priorities, and new needs before anyone else does. That means more work coming in and your design team getting to stretch into new areas instead of wondering where the next brief is coming from.

They balance workloads so no one burns out. A good client services team knows who's swamped, who's got capacity, and what's coming down the pipeline. They manage expectations on both sides so your designers aren't over-promised to clients and under-supported by the studio.

What This Actually Gets You

When client services and design work together properly, everything shifts. Projects run smoother because communication is clearer. Quality goes up because designers have time to actually think. Capacity increases because you're not losing half your team's hours to admin and client management. And clients? They're happier because someone's genuinely looking after them, not squeezing them in between design tasks.

It's not about adding headcount for the sake of it. It's about structuring your team so everyone's doing what they're actually good at.

Is Your Team Set Up Right?

If your designers are spending more time managing clients than designing, or if you're turning down work because you "don't have capacity" when really you just don't have the support structure, it's worth looking at how your team's built.

Sometimes the answer isn't hiring another designer. Sometimes it's hiring the right client services person who makes your existing team twice as effective.

I'd genuinely love to hear how your studio's currently set up and whether this is something you've thought about. If you're trying to figure out whether you need to expand your client services team or restructure what you've already got, let's talk. I work with studios navigating this exact question all the time.

Looking to build or strengthen your client services team? Let's have a conversation about what would actually make a difference for your studio.

Your CV Shouldn't Look Like a Designer's CV.

Here's something that might surprise you: if you're a Project Manager, Studio Manager, or Account Director in the creative industry, your CV shouldn't look anything like a designer's portfolio.

We see this all the time. Talented ops people trying to prove they "get" creativity by using bold colours, experimental layouts, or fancy typography. But here's the reality: when you're applying for an operations, project management, or account role, hiring managers want to see one thing above everything else. Organisation.

Your CV is proof that you're the person who keeps everything running while the creatives create. So let's talk about what actually works.

Start With the Basics

This sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed how many CVs land on our desk without proper contact details.

Your name, phone number, and email should be at the top. Clear and visible. If you've got an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, include that too.

No photos. Not necessary for these roles in the UK.

And please, start with your most recent role. Not the summer job you had at 16. If you're five years into your career, no one needs to know about the café shifts.

Keep It Clean and Professional

Your CV should be straightforward and easy to scan. Use a clear format with consistent headings and logical spacing.

You can use a font with a bit of personality. But keep it professional and readable. Avoid anything script-based, overly stylised, or hard to scan quickly.

Now, professional doesn't mean boring. We also don't want to see a CV that looks like you've just typed everything into a blank Word doc and called it done. That tells us you don't pay attention to detail or take pride in your work.

Your CV should feel considered. Use consistent formatting for dates and job titles. Add subtle spacing to create visual hierarchy. Use bold text strategically to highlight key achievements. Make it easy to navigate with clear section breaks.

Think of it this way: your CV should feel polished and organised, not creative or experimental. It's the difference between a well-structured project plan and a designer's portfolio. You're the former.

Hiring managers for ops, project management, and account roles want to see structure and clarity first. A bit of visual personality is fine. But readability and thoughtful presentation are non-negotiable.

Quantify Everything

This is the golden rule for anyone in operations or project management: numbers speak louder than words.

Hiring managers want to see the tangible impact you've made. Don't just list your responsibilities. Show what you achieved.

Weak:

• Managed projects for multiple clients

• Oversaw studio operations

• Handled account relationships

Strong:

• Delivered 15+ projects on time and within budget, with an average project value of £50K

• Reduced studio overhead costs by 20% through process improvements and vendor negotiations

• Grew account portfolio from £200K to £500K annual revenue over 18 months

Every bullet point in your experience section should answer one question: what did I achieve, and what was the impact?

Use specific metrics wherever you can:

• Budget sizes you've managed

• Number of projects delivered

• Team sizes you've led or coordinated

• Revenue growth you've driven

• Cost savings you've implemented

• Client retention rates

• Efficiency improvements

• Square footage delivered (for fitout PMs)

• Projects completed under programme (for delivery managers)

Highlight Your Tools and Systems

Creative studios, design agencies, and architecture firms run on specific tools. Make sure yours are clearly listed and easy to find.

• For Project Managers (Creative Projects): Asana, Monday, Trello, Jira, Microsoft Project, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, time tracking tools like Harvest or Toggl.

• For Project Managers (Fitout & Delivery): Procore, PlanGrid, Buildertrend, Primavera, MS Project, BIM 360, Aconex, CAD coordination experience, RIBA stages you've managed.

• For Studio/Operations Managers: Float, Forecast, Resource Guru, Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, HR systems, facilities management platforms.

• For Account Directors/Managers: HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Proposify, PandaDoc, client reporting tools.

Don't rank yourself with bar charts or percentages. Just list them clearly. Your experience section will show how proficient you are.

Emphasise Leadership and Stakeholder Management

These roles are all about people. Managing teams, coordinating between departments, handling client expectations, keeping everyone aligned.

Hiring managers want to see evidence of:

• Team leadership: How many people have you managed or coordinated? What were the results?

• Client relationships: How have you maintained or grown accounts? What's your retention rate?

• Cross-functional collaboration: How have you worked between creative, finance, and client services teams?

• Problem-solving: What challenges have you navigated? What was the outcome?

Be specific. Instead of saying "excellent communication skills," show it: "Led weekly client review meetings for 8 key accounts, resulting in 95% client satisfaction scores and 100% retention."

Show Your Understanding of the Creative Process

Even though you're not a designer, you work in the creative industry. Your CV should demonstrate that you understand how creative studios and architecture practices operate.

For Project Managers (Creative Projects): Mention experience managing creative projects like branding, web design, campaigns, or environments. Reference design stages you've worked with: concept, design development, production. Show you understand creative timelines and resourcing.

For Project Managers (Fitout & Delivery): Detail project types and scales you've managed: commercial, residential, hospitality, retail. Mention RIBA stages, construction phases, or delivery milestones. Show experience coordinating between design teams, contractors, and clients. Demonstrate understanding of budget management through construction.

For Studio/Operations Managers: Highlight operational improvements that supported creative output. Show how you've balanced creative freedom with commercial reality. Demonstrate understanding of studio workflows and capacity planning.

For Account Directors/Managers: Emphasise sector experience: hospitality, residential, retail, FMCG, property development. Show how you've translated client briefs into actionable creative projects. Demonstrate your ability to manage expectations on both sides.

Tailor It to Each Role

Never send the same generic CV to every job. Read the job description carefully and adjust your CV to highlight the most relevant experience.

If they're looking for someone with agency experience, lead with that. If they need someone who's managed large teams, make that prominent. If budget management is a key requirement, quantify the budgets you've overseen. If they want fitout experience, emphasise your construction project management.

The hiring manager should be able to see within 10 seconds that you're a strong fit for this specific role.

Keep It Concise

Junior to mid-level: one page.
Senior to leadership: two pages maximum.

Your most recent role should have the most detail. As you go back in time, keep descriptions shorter and focus only on what's relevant to the role you're applying for.

If you're padding your CV to fill space, cut it. Quality over quantity, always.

Don't Leave Unexplained Gaps

If you've taken time out for any reason (travel, family, health, freelancing, career change), acknowledge it briefly. An unexplained gap looks worse than the actual reason.

Keep it short and honest. You don't need to over-explain, but transparency matters.

Proofread Relentlessly

Typos and grammatical errors are particularly damaging for operations roles. You're meant to be organised, detail-oriented, and on top of things. A sloppy CV suggests otherwise.

Proofread it yourself, then ask someone else to read it. Use Grammarly if you need to. Just make absolutely certain it's spotless before you hit send.

Include Relevant Certifications

If you have project management or business qualifications, include them. They add credibility and show you're committed to your profession.

Examples: PMP, PRINCE2, Agile/Scrum certifications, APM, Six Sigma, RICS (for construction/property PMs), or any relevant business or operations management qualifications.

Place these prominently in your education section or create a separate "Certifications" section if you have several.

The Bottom Line

Your CV needs to show three things clearly:

1. You can manage complexity (projects, teams, budgets, stakeholders)

2. You deliver results (on time, within budget, to a high standard)

3. You understand how creative businesses work and how to make them run smoothly

Make it clean, make it professional, make it quantifiable. Show them you're the person who keeps the engine running while everyone else creates brilliant work.

If you're not getting responses and you're wondering whether your CV is holding you back, we're always happy to take a look. Sometimes it's just one or two tweaks that make all the difference.

Need a second pair of eyes on your CV? Want to make sure it's actually working for you? Get in touch. We'd love to help.