Creative director
Art director
Brand manager
Marketing manager
Project manager
Design lead
This process is used when creative work requires review and sign-off before moving to production, publication, or delivery. It applies to advertising campaigns, brand identity work, packaging design, website visuals, video content, presentation materials, or any deliverable where visual quality and brand alignment matter. Creative approval is common in marketing departments, design agencies, brand teams, and any organization where creative output represents the brand externally.
Participants typically include the designer or creative team who submits work for review, the creative director or art director who evaluates creative quality and execution, the brand manager who ensures brand guideline compliance, business stakeholders who verify the work meets project objectives, and potentially legal or compliance reviewers for regulated content. Client approval may be required for agency work.
Brand-aligned creative with verification that work meets visual standards and brand guidelines. Stakeholder alignment through structured feedback that captures all perspectives before finalization. Reduced revision cycles by gathering consolidated feedback rather than sequential reviews. Clear creative direction with documented approvals that prevent late-stage changes. Quality assurance ensuring creative work meets professional standards before production.
Your version of this process may vary based on roles, systems, data, and approval paths. Moxo's flow builder can be configured with AI agents, conditional branching, dynamic data references, and sophisticated logic to match how your organization runs this workflow. The steps below illustrate one example.
Creative submission and context
The process begins when a designer or creative team submits work for review, including the creative assets, project brief, intended use, and any relevant context about creative decisions. An AI agent may assist by validating that required deliverables are included, checking file specifications, or organizing assets for efficient review.
Creative quality review
The creative director or art director reviews the work for creative quality, execution, and alignment with the creative brief. This includes assessing visual appeal, technical execution, concept strength, and consistency with the overall creative direction. Feedback is provided with specific notes for revision if needed.
Brand compliance review
The brand manager reviews the work against brand guidelines, checking logo usage, color palette, typography, imagery standards, and overall brand alignment. This ensures the creative will reinforce rather than dilute brand equity. Deviations from guidelines are flagged with recommendations.
Stakeholder feedback collection
Business stakeholders and other required reviewers provide feedback on the creative work. The workflow consolidates feedback from multiple reviewers, highlighting consensus areas and conflicting input. If revisions are needed, the creative team receives consolidated direction rather than fragmented notes.
Final approval and release
Once reviews are complete and any revisions incorporated, the creative is routed for final approval. The approving authority confirms the work meets all requirements and authorizes it for production, publication, or delivery. The approval record is maintained with version information and sign-off documentation.
This process commonly relies on inputs such as creative files, project briefs, brand guidelines, reference materials, and feedback from prior rounds. It may be triggered by creative milestones, project deadlines, or designer submissions. Supporting systems might include digital asset management platforms, project management tools like Asana or Monday.com, design collaboration tools like Figma, and review platforms.
Key decision points include determining whether the creative meets quality standards, whether it aligns with brand guidelines, whether it fulfills the project brief and business objectives, and whether it is ready for production or requires revision. If reviewers disagree, the workflow may branch to creative director resolution or stakeholder alignment discussions.
Vague feedback when reviewers provide unclear direction that doesn't guide specific revisions. Scope creep when stakeholders introduce new requirements during approval rather than at briefing. Missing stakeholders when key reviewers are not included and raise concerns after approval. Version confusion when reviewers comment on outdated versions or approvals are recorded against wrong files.
Structures creative submissions so reviewers receive complete context including assets, brief, and intended use.
Routes reviews to appropriate stakeholders based on creative type, brand involvement, or project requirements.
AI agents assist with preparation by validating file specifications, checking completeness, and organizing assets for review.
Consolidates feedback from multiple reviewers providing unified direction to creative teams.
Tracks versions and approval status ensuring sign-offs are recorded against correct deliverables.
Maintains approval records documenting creative decisions and stakeholder authorization for project archives.
