With 18 years in the product design field working for a a wide range of companies (Big, medium, startup, agency) I learned a few things on building design teams, culture and shipping meaningful product.
I know "one team" may sound cliche but the most successful product teams are teams where business, tech, marketing, and design are all on equal footing. Designer should own features just as much as their counterparts.
Design is fortunate to touch many different teams within an organization. It's where everything intersects. Though a design leads the charge it's important to be a team player. Working with other departments, inviting them into the design process, communication and collaboration are imperative for a successful design team.
Design isn't all sketching, prototyping, and nudging pixels. Design is truly effective when it is part of a bigger strategic initiative. This means understanding the business goals and future direction and helping to shape the bigger strategy.
Truly aligning around the problem we are solving as designers is where we are most effective. It's not making things pretty or coming up with a great color palette. Design is problem solving at its core and it's key we are aligned on what the business problem is.
Keeping an engaged team aligned to a why with a clear objective and goals. This leads to a successful design team driven with a clear purpose.
Designers should be more than a ticket-takers, they truly own the design. And as a design leader I foster a team that promotes self-leadership and truly owning the design. That means no micro-managing from me, more responsibility and accountability for my team, and ultimately a build up of trust..
When you leave your current role you should be significantly better than when you showed up. It's easy for designers to simply crank out designs for a couple years and not really grow. I like to focus on how can a designer grow, improve, and mature as a designer, an employee and a self-leader.
Have fun....because why not? It makes everything better. When you genuinely enjoy what you are doing, enjoy the people around you, your work and time at a company can be truly fulfilling.
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