Building design community

I’d describe my ideal design team culture as one where everyone leverages their unique stills to uplevel those around them. And one specific way we show that is by encouraging collaborative work and a workshop culture.

Reflecting on a previous tight-knit team I was on, I appreciated when my manager created a sense of togetherness when they consistently referenced the contributions of lower level ICs. It was a great way to infuse good feels into the entire team.

My favorite teams have been those that are highly focused on quality, where designers work together as a unit on a larger whole. Think of it like connecting over shared interests, the interest being craft 🙂

I’d describe my ideal design team culture as feeling “safe” enough to ask questions or share diverse perspective.

I’d describe my ideal design team culture as one that helps each other to improve and get through the hard stuff while keeping the vibes open and accessible to all to participate.
And one specific way we show that is by offering to spend time together one on one, additional office hours and small group sessions, using our time together to share about ourselves as well as our work

I’d describe my ideal design team culture as one where people care deeply about the craft and magic of what the team puts out and are less concerned about their individual ownership.

And one specific way we show that is by having a critique culture that’s humble and kind that also holds a high bar

I appreciated when my manager created a sense of togetherness when they created intentional time to get together and jam about whatever – especially non-work stuff

I appreciated when my manager created a sense of togetherness when they created a shared sense of vulnerability in our work which increased the openness of our collaboration.

I appreciated when my manager created a sense of togetherness when they made time throughout the week to spend more non-work time together as a team. I.e., finding an impromptu open slot to grab coffee with the team

They acknowledged the importance of the design work we had done after a hard review. It reiterated the sense of team

Reflecting on a previous tight-knit team I was on (brand studio), I appreciated when my manager created a sense of togetherness when they acknowledged the subtle under-the-hood contributions from people across the team — not just the sexy ones (like I experienced when I was in advertising).

I appreciated when my manager showed up as a real and multi-dimensional person — also by showing and sharing their vulnerability — creating a sense of shared partnership, setting an example and giving us room to show up and lead.

I appreciated when my manager created a sense of togetherness when they brought us together outside of the context of work with culture events

One specific way I like to get my team connected to the broader community is by planning and facilitating meetings/workshops with similar teams at other companies. I did this in the past with design ops teams at Pinterest and Salesforce and it was a great opportunity to share best practices and build new connections.