Margaret Cyphers

1. Build a physical team I believe in designers physically grouped with designers, for moment-to-moment critiques, inspiration and validation (for your team, this could mean all of UX, or broken down by disciplines like VisD or IxD depending on size.)

When I first stepped into my role at ACTIVE, I invited all of those people ‘tagged’ as Visual Designers to our very first Creative meeting. I still remember walking into the room, introducing myself, and asking them to do the same. It was clear as we were going around the room that these people didn’t know each other from Adam. Surely as designers at the same company, and in the same building, they had crossed paths before!? Not necessarily the case – especially at a large technology company. Most people were working in their own design silo. No group critiques, no brainstorm sessions – nobody that shared your obsession for unique letterforms or delightful interactions. The team seemed starved for a more creative environment, and more creative inputs. My goal was for them to go back to their Product team stand-ups, refreshed – knowing they were going to be supported to grow as designers and thinkers – not just executors. They would become a stronger asset to their Product team, and to the company as a whole.

2. Encourage collaboration While I believe in the value of building a strong team by discipline, I push those same designers to interact with their Product team on a daily basis. They should be having conversations with the developers, interaction designers, and product leaders outside of their daily stand-ups. Invite your developer to lunch. Banter back and forth about some new technology that one of you saw online. Share a great example of a micro-interaction you saw. We should be helping each other to grow, and great growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Some of the best work I have done, I have done in parallel with development. Collaboration outside of your team’s discipline brings greater value to the end-user. We are delighting them not only with what they see, but how they interact with it, and how it performs.

It is also important that your team has a space that encourages collaboration: whether it is a full UX lab, a war room, or just a dedicated wall to pin up work in progress.

3. Connect with your team Don’t hide yourself in an office, and only come out when you are hungry. Be accessible. Be transparent. And make time to learn about your team – as designers, but also as people. This does not mean you need to be, or even should be their best friend. But show genuine interest in someone’s recent vacation, their kid’s new art project, or how they did in their first 5K. I know everyone’s comfort level and management style is a bit unique. All I am suggesting is that you let your guard down a bit. A designer should know that you have their back. If people feel valued and supported they will push through a hard deadline, go the extra mile, and stay late without even being asked.

There are great ways to connect even when you are managing an overseas team, or are a remote manager. I have used Google Hangouts, Skype, and WebEx to help connect with my teams – in particular in China. We probably don’t do it enough, but it makes a difference. Video allows you to connect with someone while they are presenting, or to be able to go around the room and share brainstorm sketches. Whenever you can get the team together in person – even better. But in today’s world, that isn’t always possible. So don’t give up, or think you can’t make a connection just because someone isn’t right there in front of you.

4. Share responsibility As a design leader, I view myself as one of many tools to help the design team. It is not my job alone to make them better designers, or to educate them on all of the new technologies, tools or best practices. Do not go at it alone. I believe in setting up Creative meetings, and work shares where the designers all step up to the plate to help train. Especially without lavish conference budgets, you should leverage your team to research and present topics to the rest of the group. You can even do this cross-discipline. If a new iOS just launched – have 1 or 2 designers do the research and present to the group. They shouldn’t be expected to be the new subject matter expert in a day’s time, but they can start the conversation and encourage others to dig deeper and keep learning.

5. Share inspirations Every week, maybe much to their dismay, I ask each designer to email a recap and status of current projects, and those coming down the pipe. In this update, I also ask for them to share something that inspired them during the week. A new font they love. A music concert they attended. An article they found intriguing. It is always amazing to me how many designers forget how important it is to gain inspiration from outside sources.

Are you sensing frustration with the limitations of designing in a grid, or inside a template? Take them to the local art museum where they will see amazing creativity inside of a rectangular frame. While designers typically encounter certain parameters, those same 'limitations' should serve as a springboard to great problem solving.

6. Hire the right people A no-brainer you say? You’re interviewing a designer with a great portfolio so you’re set, right? Not so fast. I have worked with many talented designers, but those that rise to the top are more than just good designers; they are thinkers. When you are hiring, focus on more than just the actual design of the work. Ask questions about the designer's process, their thinking, and their struggles. Most importantly, ask them about the problem that they were presented with, and why they chose to solve it the way they did. I have had design candidates answer that they felt it would ‘win awards’, or they were ‘psyched to put it in their portfolio’. They didn’t get the job, or even a second interview, no matter how talented they were. You want to hire thinkers, and problem solvers that are passionate about the work at hand – not design-egos. If a designer is good, their work will speak for itself. They should know they are interviewing to be one member of a talented team of people.

7. Seek unique skill sets Unless you are a company only designing mobile apps, I don’t recommend building a team of 30 people focused on one discipline. At ACTIVE, we have a whole suite of mobile apps , but we also design software, B2B and consumer websites, and data-driven insights products. So, we hire a balance of skill sets. Over the years, I have hired designers with strengths specific to: data visualization, experiential web design, interaction design, user interface, information architecture, and motion design. This allows us to align certain projects to someone with say Android experience, but also encourages designers to grow their existing skill set by learning from one another. See #4 Share Responsibility.

8. Have a team structure Structure is more than an org chart, and who reports to whom. Structure in your design team ensures that you have a strong foundation, with key designers who serve also as mentors and leaders. You need senior-level thinkers that will ask the hard questions, and help push the rest of the team to do the same. With only junior-level designers, you may have killer design talent, but you will lack leadership and vision that more seasoned designers bring to the table. Less experienced designers will ideally watch and learn from more senior designers on how to tackle a problem, or how to present their work. If possible, I recommend a base of junior talent, then a solid group of mid-level designers, and finally some key senior-level talent. I also believe there should be different tracts for designers – those interested in growing into management, and those more interested in staying focused on the craft. Not every great designer makes a great manager.

9. Invest in the team Have fun together – set up a team lunch, scavenger hunt, or happy hour. Get to know each other. The cost of a few pints of beer = priceless.

Ensure that each person gets 1:1 time – if not from you, from their direct manager. Also, set a recurring team meeting while you’re at it. While I have always done a weekly Creative meeting, I am currently implementing a new, topical schedule by week:

Week 1 : Product Brainstorm. Focused on brainstorming for a particular product.

Week 2 : Training, by office location. Focuses on internal training, with a designer stepping up to introduce a subject to the rest of the team. You could also bring in a subject matter expert, or watch a great training video.

Week 3 : Training, worldwide team. Focuses on internal training, with 1-2 designer(s) stepping up to introduce a subject to the rest of the team. Turn on those webcams!

Week 4 : Monthly Work Showcase. Another full-team meeting where we stop to view and celebrate all of product launches, and/or design campaigns completed in the past month.

Week 5: Designer’s Choice or team activity. If there is a 5th week in that month.

10. Focus on retention. You can’t always control things. Maybe someone wants to move to Iceland, or decides to switch career paths and become a yogi. Or sometimes, you just made a bad hire. Things happen. Know when to wish someone well in their career (and mean it). But know that you should be focusing on retention even before people come and say “I'm leaving.” I have held ‘Stay Interviews’ at multiple companies now (vs. Exit Interviews) and have found them to be invaluable. Does it mean designers never leave? No. But does it give me great insight into what is working, and what is not? Generally designers will be pretty transparent about things they want more of, and things that they are struggling with on the team. Listen. Change what you can. Be honest about what you can’t.

___ I hope some of these tips are helpful, and generate discussion. I would love to hear your thoughts or those things that have worked well for you in your team.

Want to join the team at ACTIVE Network? Check out our career page.

Margaret Cyphers

Edwards, Colorado, United States 3K followers 500+ connections

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