Profitable Collaborations

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Glenn Maguire on September 27, 2009 at 8:58pm

In our experience elements needed for profitable collaborations tend to be that the 2 halves have different skills, not stepping on each others feet and allowing each partner to shine in their field of expertise.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alison Coward on September 27, 2009 at 10:48pm

Hi David,
Thanks for writing this post and for the links to your previous articles. Since my MA, I've also spent some time looking in-depth into effective collaborations and also how online tools can support this. As you've identified there is a planning and strategic element into helping a creative collaboration become more successful - I developed a work-in-progress toolkit with a group of designers which includes: resources needed, a checklist for the initiator(s) to develop a manifesto, a checklist for potential collaborators and tips for facilitating communication (http://bracketprojects.co.uk/projects/collaborative-toolkit/). Other elements I've found to be important are establishing trust, managing intellectual property (and looking at alternative models such as Creative Commons), and project management. Online tools can support collaborative working, particularly suiting the way that creative practitioners work - flexibly, at different times, from different locations - so we can look at incorporating these into our practices to move forward. I've been exploring all of these issues over at my blog www.bracketprojects.co.uk. Would love to hear what you think!
Alison

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David Parrish on September 28, 2009 at 6:22am

Hi Alison

Thanks for this. I'll follow the links and get back to you with any comments.
Keep up the good work!

Dave

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Hannah Quinn on September 28, 2009 at 10:41am

Hi David, You bring up some very true and valid points. I think it is essential from the outset to establish with your collaborator what the terms are. However, this can be awkward and difficult to bring up, especially when working with friends. I've learnt the hard way that you must just get on with it and do what's best for the business. Written agreements are vital. Hannah

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Andy Lovatt on September 28, 2009 at 11:44am

Good place to start a digital collaboration is with PACT Collaboration Agreement. Good template on their website can be amended to particular projects. Also good stuff at Creative Commons.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David Parrish on October 2, 2009 at 7:54am

Thanks Andy!
Do you have a copy of the PACT Collaboration Agreement you could send me?
Or better still, upload it here?

Cheers
Dave

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Hugh Mason on September 28, 2009 at 5:11pm

The ultimate collaboration has to be one leading to a merger or acquisition. Serial entrepreneur Sue Charles shares her frank experience of what does and doesn't work in this case study.

Summarising: "Spend a lot of time on the people issues, because it will be the people issues that will either make or break what you're doing. Keep focused on what you've agreed to do, have a plan and keep looking at that plan and ask 'Are we still on plan? Do we still want to do that?' It can still be appropriate to change it but you have got to be honest with each other."

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Simon Rhodes on October 2, 2009 at 5:36pm

Clear and open minds. Respect. Enthusiasm. Patience. The need for defined roles when it comes to 'production'. To ensure being able to create more than the sum of it's parts. To push your usual limits. Honesty. Time to reflect.

At Smiling Wolf we've collaborated successfully on several occasions with other creative partners (involving up to five businesses each time) to create award-winning projects that leave a real lasting legacy for those involved. A good recent example would be our collaboration with BCA Landscape to create an identity and new public landscaping for Burscough town.

It's always challenging but extremely rewarding.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Andreas Andrews on November 26, 2009 at 3:47pm

I'm going to come back to this discussion, but just to briefly share my experiences with others on this one:

I've previously jumped into a 3 way partnership with friends (and my partner) and quickly realised that we had conflicting interests that couldn't be supported, and although it seemed we were saving money, it would not have lead to a profitable business and now we are all happily working to our own goals, and collaborating creatively. I think if the partnership had gone any further it could have easily ended in huge disappointment for each of us, but nothing has been lost, and although I'm not put off partnering with others to creative profitable businesses, I am inclined to consider very carefully if doing so is in a businesses interests. Hence I will be finding out more on the topic before considering a partnership.

I'm actually really keen on partnerships, and beleive they can lead to big things, but I guess I need to have the right reasons for partnering to allow for success.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David Parrish on April 3, 2010 at 7:29am

There's more about partnership working and creative collaborations on my guest blog for Vision and Media, with examples of how businesses have worked in partnership to win work - including major international projects such as the design of the Liverpool Pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Adrian Riley on August 9, 2010 at 10:55am

Our business is a partnership to start with - three designers working together (we trade as an LLP). We make decisions together and share in the profits together whilst also having some defined roles and responsibilities for each individual. For example, as I've been doing this the longest, I tend to bring in most of the work and be the public face of the studio, but it really annoys me when people think my partners are employees or worse, underlings who I give the more mundane tasks to. That's a challenge in itself - presenting us to the outside world as a team of equals but also organised and with clear communication.

We try and do it by making us all visible at events and to clients - it's part of our style that you talk to the person doing the work, not have your messages interpreted by someone else. We'll sometimes double-up unnecessarily when leading workshops and creative sessions just so people get to meet us all. It's hard when I'm the gob-y one who's inclination is to jump into the limelight... I need to hold back sometimes but I also need to be highly visible to attract work as that's part of my role.

▶ Reply to This