Sometimes, your business needs to have a design change done faster than ASAP. Because of the condensed timelines that come with these requests, we think of these as “quick-turn” or “rush” projects, which can come with a few potential trade-offs to be aware of.

Let’s talk about the risks of rushing design projects and how you can understand how to prepare for them.

The give and take of rush projects

While there are a lot of pros that come with an accelerated timeline, there are a few cons that might get overlooked when you’re right smack in the middle of managing a project.

Let’s start with the biggest one.

Last-minute changes equal increased costs

Making an eleventh-hour design request means your project gets kicked to the top of the list. What does this mean? Designers already assigned to other projects have to shift their workload to jump on this new task. Since it’s now prioritized above other clients, additional fees come with the fast and furious schedule and reallocated resources to make sure everything gets done by your project’s due date.

How to avoid this?
There are absolutely unavoidable situations that call for moving up your schedule. We’ve found that planning out your design assets in advance will mitigate having to scramble later on. However, if things are moving so quickly in your organization, then it’s helpful to allot a portion of your design budget to account for any emergencies that might come up.

Potentially trading quality for speed

Some design requests are more straightforward than others. For example, switching out an image within a marketing piece for an upcoming conference isn’t a complicated ask.

However, if this same photo needs to be altered to change the background or superimpose multiple elements into it, it will be more design-intensive. The designer will need to cut out and color-correct all the images and make sure they look seamless and natural within the original photo. While AI generators can assist, the results still need to be edited and reworked to provide a good result.

How to avoid this?
If you have an urgent design request with a fast-approaching deadline, it’s time to prioritize your wishlist. Your design team can give you a view of what’s realistically possible to achieve within your timeframe, ensuring you have a result that works.

Missing out on strategic opportunities

Editing an existing design or building off a campaign with pre-designed elements will be faster to knock out than starting from scratch. In our eyes, good design starts with thorough research followed by creative iterations and refinement to get the best outcome.

Condensed deadlines throw a wrench into this process because they limit what can be done in a few days if the goal is to develop an innovative brand or marketing campaign. Very rarely does it happen under pressure, and chances are high it won’t be as effective for your company as you want.

How to avoid this?
Thinking through your strategy before launching a new campaign or other complex marketing initiative can help you find openings to take advantage of. It stops you from rushing to throw something together that doesn’t position your business in the best light.

Brand inconsistencies creeping into designs

Several factors can lead to brand inconsistency, and tight deadlines are one of them. The more design assets there are to deliver, and the less time given to work on them, it creates the perfect storm for things to fall through the cracks. Inconsistencies, overlooked details, and disjointed designs can snowball into an avalanche that weakens your brand and could mean pricey investments to fix them down the line.

How to avoid this?
Having a rock-solid set of brand guidelines will prevent internal and external team members from taking liberties with your brand elements. There are creative directors, art leads, and account managers to help facilitate this within the design agency before it goes to you.

From there, we recommend having one person in charge of brand management who serves as the point person who can bring attention to anything that is off-brand, which is incredibly important when so many things are in motion.

Prepare for the rush

Speed is valuable, and having a plan to go along with it is priceless. With both in your corner, staying on course is easier, especially when several deliverables are involved.

Naturally, you want to avoid many of the issues that can materialize and impact rush projects, which means having open, clear lines of communication between you and your creative team. Having one point of contact from each side will give everyone the space to execute the plan as efficiently as possible so they can crush the rush.