Every designer knows a job only runs smooth if the brief is clear.
No clear brief? Chaos. Endless revisions. Tears. Now, imagine that principle applied to school pick-up with three kids under six.
The brief is simple. Deliverables required:
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One Up & Go (Vanilla preferred, but any flavour beats Dad forgetting).
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One Orange Juice (pulp free, or so help me).
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One Chocolate Milk Bot Bot (served at the exact temperature of fridge-cold serenity).
Miss a single item? Job rejected. Dad in strife. Client tantrum incoming.
Scope Creep in the School Car Park
It starts as a pretty simple job: grab the kids, hand out drinks, drive home.
But like any design job, scope creep strikes. The 6-year-old wants TWO Up & Go's.
The 4-year-old now wants strawberries.
The 2-year-old? She’s decided she actually wants a banana but only after launching chocolate milk across the car.
This isn’t a beverage run — it’s project management on steroids.
No Wiggle Room on Deadlines
The hardest part? Timing. There’s no margin. If you rock up to school pick-up without the goods, you’ve already missed deadline. Doesn’t matter if the printer jammed, the shop was out of stock, or you were literally stuck at work. The clients/kids don’t care — they’re standing at the car with crossed arms and grumpy faces.
Final Proof
In the design studio, I live and die by client expectations. In the car, it’s no different.
Every pick-up is another high-stakes delivery. The brief is clear, the deadline is immovable, and the consequences of failure are brutal.
Because in parenting — just like in print — you’re only as good as your last job. And right now, my reputation hangs on a choc milk bot bot.
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