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Lesson: Working Within a Team
10 minute read
From school projects to starting your first job, it's likely that you've collaborated with others on projects and team assignments before. As a designer, this process is no different, except you're probably focusing on a new set of skills.
Your team could be made up of a number of different roles. You might be one of many designers on a design team. You might be the only designer within a marketing department. Or you might have to work side-by-side with developers. Regardless of the makeup of your team, collaborating creates harmony across an organization to move in the right direction.
To make the most of your experience working on a team as a designer, it's best to understand your own role and responsibilities, those of others on the team, and how to communicate effectively to get things done.
Understand Your Role and Responsibilities
When you join a team, you should be well aware of what your personal responsibilities are within the organization. This is likely defined in the job description or might be articulated further in your first few days in the new role.
No matter what your position title is, what type of team you're on, and how big it is, you're most likely going to be completing design tasks for projects. This is a given based on the general nature of being a designer.
One caveat though is what your focus may be. This can vary widely from company to company. When you begin your new job, it's important to gain a clear definition of what you will be tasked with doing in comparison to your colleagues and teammates.
Importance of Effective Communication
Communication is the most important factor in working within a team structure. That cannot be said enough, as it can make or break the success of a project.
As a designer, communication is even more important across departments and within a project team. You'll likely be working with people outside of your design team, which means everyone should have clear insight into what you're working on, what your estimated completion times would be so they can take it from there, and if any issues arise throughout the project's duration.
is an effective tool along with many others used across various companies. Depending on your new company's preference, it's essential to keep team members in the loop. These tools help eliminate the necessity for extensive email threads that can lead to confusion.
When communicating, it's not only important to discuss early and often with teammates, but to communicate clearly. This can help lead proper discussions to reduce wasted time in meetings and result in more efficiency.
If problems arise during the project, knowing who to escalate those too are key as well. Be certain that you understand who is leading the project, who can manage to get members on the team back on track, and who can help you solve any concerns.
Participation and Leadership
While communication and knowing your role are key factors, participation is just as important. Even if you're an introverted person, as a designer you must stand up for any user-centered design issues or problems that may come up.
You are the primary advocate for the user, so you have to speak up and protect your design decisions if at any time they are being challenged by teammates. This doesn't mean that you should steamroll any colleague's suggestions, but you must take them into account and determine if they make sense to the project as a whole and from a usability factor.
As you continue to grow as a designer, you will also likely step into a leadership role, either mentoring other junior designers or becoming a manager in the team. Being able to take ownership of a project and your responsibilities can help you increase your leadership ability.
Being a team member means working as a team to ensure you're crafting the perfect experience for your users. Being a leader doesn't always mean managing a project or people, but can be part of what you do within the team by leading design decisions and ensuring those make it into the final product.
Being a good teammate means understanding and showing empathy for not only the users, but those on the team and their responsibilities. Be certain as you start your new job to consider others and their goals within the team, communicate effectively and concisely to reduce wasted time and keep everyone moving together toward the final product, and be a leader and an advocate for the user, your team, and the project as a whole.
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