Read This if Your Church Design Workflow Feels Chaotic
If you’ve been on either side of a ‘Hey, we want to pivot for next month’s sermon series visuals’ text, this one goes out to you.
We’re going to tell you this, and it might just set you free: most church teams don’t get the luxury of a simple, cut-and-dry focus session to clearly articulate and agree on the visual direction for each sermon series.
Most of you are brainstorming in the margins between meetings, discipling people, and walking with people trying to break the chains of addiction.
Trying to think creatively while your thoughts linger in the conversation you just had with the family that’s falling apart.
Designing while juggling last-minute event flyers and ‘Hey…can we get an update to these slides?’ requests.
Discerning God’s vision for your next series while you wrestle with the words you just heard from someone in your church who’s questioning your leadership.
It’s a lot.
We won’t try to lessen the weight of the ministry you’re doing, but we can try to simplify the process of the design work that needs to get done despite it all.
We talked to our Director of Design, Dustin Harper, to learn from him about creating a design workflow that works for your church. His thoughts are jam-packed, so let’s get into it!
Clear Direction Early = Fewer Late Nights Later
If you’ve been there, you know that most design stress doesn’t explode at the beginning. It explodes Thursday at 2pm.
The Slack message. The “tiny tweak.” The “what if we tried something different?” You know the drill.
By that point, everyone’s tired and just wants it done. So, here’s your solution.
Get specific before the file opens.
Before anyone touches a template, pause long enough to answer:
What are we trying to say?
Who owns this?
Who gets final say?
When those pieces are settled early, the back-and-forth shrinks fast.
When pastors focus on the heart of the story God is inviting your church into, designers can translate that into visuals without guessing what you mean.
Big ideas don’t require months of build-up and 16 rounds of revisons. They require a shared understanding of what you’re aiming at before you start building.
Separate the Vision Work From the Resize Work
We’ve been in the rooms where the team is trying to cast vision, perfect the font, and size it for screens all in the same meeting. It might feel productive, but often times it just keeps you working in circles without moving forward.
Both vision and execution are important, but they don’t run well at the same time. They require different headspaces, heart postures, and conversations. If vision is shifting while production has already started, the work gets reworked and time gets wasted.
Instead, create a process that has a clear break between the two. Hold off on any production and resizing until the vision and style is locked in.
Say it with us: Our ministry is dynamic, but that doesn’t mean our workflow has to be chaotic. 🤝
Feedback Should Move the Work Forward
Design rarely falls apart in the concept phase. It usually unravels during feedback.
When notes are scattered across emails, texts, and hallway conversations, the designer becomes the air traffic controller and the pilot.
A healthier rhythm looks like this:
One clear approval path
Feedback gathered in one place
Final sign-off early enough to protect quality
The tone of feedback matters too. When feedback centers on whether the message is being communicated clearly, revisions feel purposeful instead of personal.
Design works best when it’s held with open hands — confident in the message, humble in the process, focused on people over personal style.
Q: Where do church teams most often lose time in the design process, and how can they course-correct?
A: I often hear ministry leaders correlate a “Big Vision” with a lengthy timeline. This doesn’t have to be true.
Big vision doesn’t require a long timeline. Ministry leaders often assume it does—but clarity matters more than time.
Avoid open-ended ideation. Waiting for inspiration slows teams down; intentional decisions and design direction remove the guesswork.
Clarity fuels strong visuals. Well-defined vision leads to better outcomes—half-formed ideas waste time and energy.
Q: What tools do you use to make the biggest difference for your team?
A: I use Remix templates (these are created by Squad designers so I know I’m starting with a level of quality that I trust).
I standardize my design process by using smart objects and shortcuts within Adobe. I preset artboards to speed up delivery of multiple file sizes.
Q: Do you have any tips for churches wanting to standardize their process?
A: Have a simple, easy-to-follow folder structure for how your deliverables are organized. I use this system:
1. Source Files - Working files like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
2. Concepts - Initial designs shared for review and approval
3. Concepts - Approved deliverables exported in all required formats (JPG, PNG, PDF, EPS)
A Message to the Ones Who Always Feel Behind
We’ve felt it—last-minute slide changes and event graphics due yesterday, all while trying to shepherd people.
When your team is always chasing instead of planning, visuals start reflecting stress instead of intention, and both your people and your mission miss out.
That pressure is a signal that something has to give—and sometimes the healthiest, most faithful choice is to bring in support. It’s not giving up; it’s making space to steward your time, your team, and your ministry well.
Design Should Support the Ministry You’re Carrying
You’re already holding a lot.
Hard conversations. Guiding your people through culture wars. Leadership decisions that don’t neatly fit into a content calendar.
And sometimes design that moves your mission forward is just adding to the load.
With stronger starting direction, defined approval paths, seasonal planning, and simple systems, the creative process feels steadier. But when capacity runs thin, it’s okay to bring in reinforcements.
At Church Media Squad, we come alongside churches to handle the creative execution when your team needs margin. We understand ministry because we’ve been in it. Our goal isn’t just polished visuals — it’s helping your team breathe while your message moves forward.
If having experienced creatives in your corner would serve your church, we’d love to step in with you. Schedule a call with our team to see how we can help!
