Medidata Solutions, a growing technology company that develops software as a service (SaaS) for clinical trials.  

Challenges

Since its inception in 1999, Medidata has been on a dynamic growth path that has included an acquisition. Their workforce has tripled over the past several years. As a result, the in-house design team faced an increasingly heavy workload.

Hiring an in-house designer takes time, time that a growing company doesn't have. Also, design needs fluctuate throughout the year, so adding a fixed cost might not be necessary.

Outside agencies are expensive, and not very flexible. Getting work done on evenings and weekends is a challenge, and there is a reluctance to take on small projects. Freelancers also proved to be unresponsive, and their designs didn't respect the branding guidelines and had to be re-worked, wasting even more of the in-house team's precious time.

Solutions

Medidata agreed to work with me because I provided flexible design support backed by business experience that enabled me to understand their messaging.

The design team was then able to better manage their workload and deliver faster turnaround times. As their success is important to me, I regularly suggest new ideas and design concepts that go beyond the scope of my work.

While I’m a trusted and flexible external service partner, I’m also an integral member of the team. The design team is now more productive, and confident they have the support they need.

Results

• Maximized the capacity of the in-house design team, and eliminated the need for a full-time employee
• Helped the design team to deliver on more projects, with faster turnaround and minimal supervision
• Increased creativity, by contributing new concepts and ideas to marketing projects
• Nurtured a great working relationship with the in-house team—became a trusted and reliable teammate they could rely on for projects large and small, with tight deadlines, completed on time, and without the need for reworks.