It’s no secret that corporations send projects to outside designers. Even companies with in-house creative departments need to call in reinforcements, and those designers have to be in sync with house style. But managing vendors—and maintaining branding guidelines—can be a burden. It’s a dilemma that led the Principal Financial Group to try a little creative problem solving. Principal’s solution: Inviting a group of external designers to work inside its Des Moines, Iowa, headquarters.

Making the move
Originally, Principal’s goal was to narrow the roster of firms the in-house Publishing Services department worked with. The effort evolved with a firm called Innova Ideas & Services. “Innova had all the qualities we were looking for,” says Chery VanHouweling, manager of Publishing Services/Document Services.

But Innova is based in Ames—35 miles from Des Moines—and Principal worried about that distance. In July 2003 Innova opened a satellite office at Principal on the same floor with in-house designers. Innova rents space and furniture from Principal but remains autonomous. Four designers and a project manager work on-site.

Division of labor
The arrangement went through a six-month test period, and those days didn’t pass without ruffled feathers. Bob Cunningham, a senior document consultant at Principal, describes that as the “storming” phase. Meetings were held to address concerns and define everyone’s role. “It’s not a competition,” says Dawn Budd, director of design services for Innova. “We’re not bidding for the same projects. It took a while for everyone to realize that.”

In fact, who undertakes any one design project is largely defined by how that piece will be printed. In-house designers—roughly six people within Publishing Services—largely work on projects slated to be produced by Principal’s in-house, digital print facility. Innova takes on pieces requiring an outside printer. And as VanHouweling puts it, “They rely on each other to maintain the brand.”

Happily ever after
Advantages of this unique strategy cut both ways. Principal gets a creative resource with intimate brand knowledge. There’s also flexibility in design costs and quicker turnaround from on-site designers. Innova handles a sizable chunk of work and enjoys opportunities to interact daily with a client.

While the two groups largely work on separate projects, there are opportunities for interaction and collaboration. Designers get together on a regular basis to update a live portfolio—a wall display of current work—that features a mix of projects along with the rationale for each piece. It’s one of the ways Principal breaks with the traditional corporate environment and provides innovative resources for an innovative arrangement.