I have found that as I learn more, more comes to be expected of me. For example, there was once a time when I thought I could just create in a vacuum, and let others worry about the details.
Project management is a huge term that can encompass any number of things. At a high level, it means planning out how a project will run from start to finish. And at a micro level, it involves how an individual manages tasks related to said project.
The majority of my time as a designer has been spent making sure I meet deadlines, but as I start to manage things more, I find that I am now setting them. Project management is an aspect of design work that touches everybody in some way, but it isn’t something I’ve thought that much about.
I try and keep up with the latest tools and techniques people use to organize and manage things, but nothing has ever really worked for me. I tend to find that using something new is much more work than just diving in and getting started.
The one helpful lesson I’ve learned is that tools don’t create anything, they only shape and manipulate. The motivation and desire has to be there first. Beyond that, I’m a work in progress myself…