Edward Boatman • Jul 29th
Creative teams are feeling the heat, and not because they don’t love the work. Burnout among designers, brand managers, and creative ops professionals is on the rise, taking a toll on output, morale, and retention. In fact, 52% of creatives recently surveyed by global creative-first agency Billion Dollar Boy experienced burnout directly because of their work. And, two in five people have seriously considered leaving their profession entirely as a result.
The problem isn’t a lack of creativity or passion. It’s the broken systems around the work that leave teams overwhelmed, reactive, and constantly playing catch-up. Companies are consistently cutting back, piling more on already overworked teams, which leads to a lack of purpose, dissatisfaction, and a loss in motivation. It’s a phenomenon called ‘quiet cracking’ and it's rampant among the creative community.
Creative ops burnout happens when workflow chaos, constant interruptions, and avoidable duplication of effort take over. Fixing the system, not just adding more hustle, is what keeps teams productive, healthy, and engaged.
So what exactly is driving this burnout? Let’s break down the most common (and often overlooked) reasons creative teams are struggling.
Designers often spend more time answering questions than actually designing. When every team member can send “just a quick asset” request, deep and focused creative work becomes impossible. Research from the University of California Irvine shows it takes over 23 minutes to regain focus after an interruption.
Source: Addy Osmani
One of the biggest drains on creative teams is finding files, or worse, re-creating assets that already exist. When brand assets are scattered across cloud drives, email threads, and random folders, every request turns into a scavenger hunt. It also exacerbates the continuous stream of requests for assets or resizing of assets; many companies do not make it easy for non-creatives to self-service their own needs.
Without clear brand guidelines or centralized templates, designers end up rebuilding the same pitch deck, social graphic, or presentation again and again. Not only does this waste hours each week, but it also leads to branding inconsistencies across teams and campaigns.
The rise of generative AI has added a new layer to the problem. Tools like Canva, PowerPoint Copilot, and Beautiful.ai make it simple for anyone to spin up decks or visuals. But when those tools are used without brand oversight, the results can go off-brand quickly. Fonts, colors, layouts, and even tone stray from established guidelines, creating confusion and inconsistency across channels.
For example, Toys “R” Us set out to grab attention at the Cannes Lions festival, touting the first AI-generated brand video campaign. It did garner a strong reaction, but many found it off-putting and a slight to human-created ad creatives.
Source: Toys “R” Us
Rather than helping, AI can multiply brand fragmentation if there isn't a system in place to guide what gets used, where, and by whom.
A disorganized workflow quietly drains time, energy, and trust. Much of this appears as what researchers call “dark matter work,” which refers to invisible, unproductive tasks that pile up and pull creative teams away from meaningful projects. Here’s how that plays out in practice.
Recently, Wrike found that employees spend up to 50% of their time on dark matter work, but what does that look like? It’s:
All of these requests add up. Instead of working on the campaign they had planned, they’re filling orders. Plus, creatives are missing out on their passion—being creative!
These inefficiencies don’t just waste time. They quietly wear down the team. Instead of producing meaningful creative work, designers feel stuck in a cycle of repetitive, low-value tasks. Over time that frustration turns into resentment, and the quality of creative output suffers.
At the company level, this kind of breakdown can stall important initiatives. Marketing campaigns get delayed while teams wait on assets that already exist. Sales opportunities are missed because the right materials are not ready when needed. Brand consistency starts to slip as different versions of files circulate unchecked.
When creative talent spends 20 to 30 percent of their time duplicating work or chasing down files, it does more than hurt productivity. It creates a workplace where designers feel their time and expertise are undervalued. Left unresolved, this frustration can lead to burnout and drive talented team members to seek healthier, more supportive environments.
When creative teams are overloaded, deadlines start slipping and mistakes creep into the work. What seems like a small delay or a minor inconsistency can quickly snowball into much bigger problems.
Imagine a product launch where the design team is already stretched thin. They receive last-minute requests for website graphics, sales materials, and social media assets. With no clear workflow or centralized system, they scramble to deliver, but assets arrive late or incomplete. The launch goes live with placeholder images and rushed designs, leaving the campaign looking sloppy and unprofessional.
At the same time, different teams are pulling assets from old email threads or outdated folders. One sales rep uses a logo from three years ago on a proposal. Another shares a presentation with incorrect colors and fonts that do not match the current brand guidelines. These inconsistencies erode trust in the brand and make the company look disorganized to customers and prospects.
Worse yet, the team members who care about maintaining the brand are forced into firefighting mode. They spend their days fixing mistakes instead of creating fresh, impactful work. This reactive environment drains morale and makes it harder to deliver quality creative under pressure.
Over time, missed deadlines and off-brand materials create a reputation problem both inside and outside the company. Internally, other departments lose confidence in the creative team’s ability to deliver. Externally, customers notice the inconsistencies, and the brand loses credibility.
Beyond missed deadlines and wasted time, creative ops burnout takes a serious toll on people. Overloaded creative teams often experience emotional exhaustion that leads to disengagement, lower job satisfaction, and ultimately higher turnover.
Think this is a non-issue? Think again:
That means less time for meaningful design, more fatigue, and more stress. Within creative and marketing roles specifically, the picture is even bleaker. A report by WeTransfer found that over 70% of designers and creative professionals reported feeling overworked, and more than half said they considered leaving because of unsustainable workloads.
Source: American Foreign Service Association
This emotional fatigue builds up slowly. At first, designers feel irritable. Then they start dreading Slack pings or last-minute requests. Over time, they disengage and do just enough to get by. Eventually, they check out, leave the company, or even worse, stick around and drain their peers.
When talented designers and creative ops professionals depart, it triggers a ripple effect. Remaining team members have to pick up the slack, worsening the burnout cycle and raising the risk of additional departures.
Estimates from Qualtrics show that replacing an employee can cost 1.5-2x their annual salary, plus months to fully onboard a new hire. Should those experiencing burnout make a change, we’re about to enter a very costly period for employers.
Unchecked emotional fatigue doesn’t just hurt individuals. It damages team culture, weakens productivity, and undermines the entire marketing operation.
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It builds gradually as small inefficiencies stack up. Designers start skipping lunch to meet deadlines, then work late to fix mistakes caused by miscommunication. Over time, even minor workflow hiccups feel overwhelming and morale plummets. When burnout increases, efficiency decreases.
Source: Burnout is on the rise
Glassdoor reports that discussions regarding burnout have hit a 10 year high, on a steady rise since 2021. It’s not exclusive to a specific industry or return to work mandates either. Burnout has been rising, in part, from a change in culture and values. The corporate world needs to address the root causes of burnout, making some changes in order to position themselves as a healthier workplace.
So what can companies actually do to ease the burden on creative teams? The solution isn’t about working faster or managing time better. It’s about fixing the systems that cause the chaos in the first place.
Instead of reacting to dozens of ad hoc asset requests, creative teams can use brand portals to proactively share approved materials. This ensures everyone has access to the right files without interrupting designers.
Source: Burnout is on the rise
Glassdoor reports that discussions regarding burnout have hit a 10 year high, on a steady rise since 2021. It’s not exclusive to a specific industry or return to work mandates either. Burnout has been rising, in part, from a change in culture and values. The corporate world needs to address the root causes of burnout, making some changes in order to position themselves as a healthier workplace.
So what can companies actually do to ease the burden on creative teams? The solution isn’t about working faster or managing time better. It’s about fixing the systems that cause the chaos in the first place.
Instead of reacting to dozens of ad hoc asset requests, creative teams can use brand portals to proactively share approved materials. This ensures everyone has access to the right files without interrupting designers.
Source: Lingo’s Partner Portal Illustrations Kit
Frequent missed deadlines, repeated errors, high turnover, and constant overtime are strong indicators your team is overwhelmed.
They keep creative teams in a constant state of urgency, making focused and satisfying work nearly impossible, which drains energy and motivation over time.
When workflows are clear and efficient, designers can focus on what they do best, feel more valued, and are less likely to leave for a less stressful job elsewhere.
Burnout is not inevitable, and it is absolutely preventable. By addressing the real causes, like chaotic workflows, scattered assets, and constant interruptions, creative ops teams can thrive and produce their best work without burning out.
The key is to replace disorganization and reactive habits with systems that support both creativity and efficiency. When teams have clear brand guidelines, easy access to approved assets, and fewer unnecessary interruptions, they can focus on meaningful, high-impact projects instead of busywork.
This is exactly what Lingo helps creative and marketing teams achieve. Lingo provides a single platform to organize, manage, and share your brand’s assets in one place. Teams spend less time fielding repetitive requests, chasing files, or fixing off-brand mistakes and more time on the creative work that actually moves your business forward.
If you want to keep your creative team healthy, engaged, and producing great work, it starts with fixing the system.
See how Lingo supports creative ops and helps prevent burnout before it starts → Get Started with Lingo.