{"id":6411,"date":"2016-10-21T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/?p=6411"},"modified":"2025-01-19T22:35:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T06:35:57","slug":"the-formation-of-a-design-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/the-formation-of-a-design-team\/","title":{"rendered":"The Formation of A Design Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

or, How a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Came Together to Make Pretty Things with Computers<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the first 30 days, I lost almost half my team. As the brand new manager, how am I supposed to recover from this? Did my presence, or the change I represented, cause this? What is going on. Eight months ago, I started this journey and one of my major responsibilities at my new job was to define, build and mentor the digital design team. On the day I started, that team was seven people, including myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change was coming\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On day one, I was told that one of the designers would be fired sometime that week. I was given the option of stepping in. This seemed like a bad move, considering that my boss had already made the decision. I chose not to get involved. This did immediately put a hole in the team\u2013and created the first opening to fill.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
the entire team at week one<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

About a month in, two more people on our team resigned and a third took a leave of absence. One was my direct charge and the other worked in a odd solo role. The third, was part of the print team, and had been there a long time. They were instrumental in the daily workload. This loss would be felt for months, maybe even years. My team was soon down five people and the workload was starting to cause some pain with my crew as we picked up work from the print side to help.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
the team at two months, with holes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What was I doing?
<\/em><\/strong>I was doing four things during this early time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, I was trying to get to know the team.
\u2022 Who are these people and what are they good at?
\u2022 What motivates them and why do they come to work everyday?
\u2022 What do they really want to do as designers?
\u2022 How can I help them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, I was trying to understand the workflow of the team.
\u2022 What kind of projects are we doing?
\u2022 What does the team excel at?
\u2022 When do things go off the rails, and why?
\u2022 Are there more efficient ways to tackle these projects\/problems?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, I was trying to learn the dynamics of my new office.
\u2022 Who are the people here that make the decisions?
\u2022 What is the culture: meetings, side conversations, what?
\u2022 Who likes each other and who does not?
\u2022 How do I help my team get things through?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth, research and more research (links at the bottom)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth and growing pains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I knew before accepting the job that the plan was to grow the team. After a lot of discussion, three new positions were approved. I argued to replace the one senior designer with two junior designers. So, the new structure looks like this. Lighter boxes are un-filled positions.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
within two months of starting I had 6 open positions to fill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The team was dealing with the workload and before I get into how I built out the team, I should explain a little bit about the team that I inherited. In the simplest terms, the people I was put in charge of are awesome. They are super hard-working, talented and smart. I was very lucky to have a solid core to start with. I can\u2019t say enough about these human beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creative Team Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During this evaluation period I realized that we needed a direction, or philosophy about the team\u2019s work. This was my attempt to put something on paper that we could drive towards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purpose
<\/strong>Serving the needs of product & marketing teams through strategy, wisdom and action while promoting a more data-driven approach to drive higher sales and better customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Vision to Support the Business
<\/strong>Communicate, execute and embed quality to strategicially further our corporate purpose through creative problem solving and forward-looking technological solutions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Core Values to Support Our Vision
<\/strong>Develop strong, reciprocal relationships internally and externally
Provide clear communication
Think strategically using data
Cultivate a creative environment
Acquire and retain top talent<\/p>\n\n\n\n

back to the mission of finding people\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I filled these roles, I did my best to focus on the skills and chemistry of the team. We have a lot of tasks and not all of these tasks are super creative. We needed to build a team that was technical and able to execute maintenance projects efficiently. But, I also wanted to keep my eye on the long term vision of a team that was capable of strategic web planning, UX, UI and other high-level creative work.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
this was how I saw the breakdown of work during the first few months,
prod. = production<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How do I find and interview designers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My approach may be different than others. I am not an HR person, but I\u2019ve been a designer at every level over my career. I know these roles well, I\u2019ve lived them. I use everything available to find people: LinkedIn, Slack, local job boards, friends, Facebook and recruiting agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I start with the portfolio and I try and digest it as a narrative\u2013what is this designer\u2019s taste? what have they worked on? where are their strengths and weaknesses? I try not to get over-hyped or bummed on the content of projects. Some of us are lucky enough to work with big brand names and others don\u2019t get that chance. There is a lot of luck involved and that doesn\u2019t always correlate with someone\u2019s ability. This is especially true of designers in the first five years of their career. I look for potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they have good work, I will read the resume. I look for the same things as everyone else. Where did they go to school, past jobs, anything interesting. Pet peeve: resumes longer than one page\u2013just don\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next step is a twenty minute phone call. I want to talk with the candidate and have an honest, informal chat. I want to get a feel for how they think, how they talk about their work and what their motivations are. This is a big ask on a short awkward phone call, I know. But, I try. If this goes well, I bring them in-office for a meeting with the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The in-office interview structure is this. Meet and greet with me. Hand off to the senior designer for 20 minutes. Then hand off to a few of the other team members (2\u20133 at once) for fifteen minutes. I come back and finish up for another fifteen minutes. My interview style is very informal. I don\u2019t have set questions. I want to know if I will be comfortable with this person for forty hours a week or more. We don\u2019t have to be best friends, but we need to be able to communicate, respect each other and work toward common goals. After the hour, I get the team together to hear everyone\u2019s reactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The design test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If they are given the thumbs up from the team (and I agree) then we ask that they complete a short design test. The test should be something the team does regularly. It shouldn\u2019t take more than four hours and needs to be deep enough to see how the designer solves a problem. That is the goal: to see how they use design to solve the question asked. Do they understand the question? The result of this phase is the deal breaker usually. I\u2019m often surprised to find that someone really doesn\u2019t understand the nature of the work when I see the result of this test. Once in a while, you are blown away and learn something about the business that you never saw.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
my vision of the team of the near future<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Skills Vs. Need<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
looking towards the distant future<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How do you balance the immediate needs while looking towards and planning for future needs? How do you hire people to fulfill both roles? Are these things possible, or even necessary? I thought about this a lot. I probably overthought it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ok, enough. Who did I hire?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first hire was a web designer. She worked in a smaller office and was essentially running the show alone. She wanted to be part of a team, wanted to learn more digital and our office was close to her home. She did not have all of the technical knowledge that we needed. But, she was willing and excited to learn. Being a great designer is always helpful. She fit in really well and her personality, while different from many on the team, meshed well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that I got lucky and three hires happened almost at once. The first was a junior designer\u2013she is straight out of school and a very talented designer. Again, she wasn\u2019t as technical, but excited to learn. The other junior designer I found on Slack through a local design group. He is very well rounded: a great designer, UX savvy and technical. The third was for one of the web designer roles. He worked at a company where he felt under-utilized and while a little less experienced than I was searching for, he had the whole package. He was very technical and hungry to learn more, even considering himself somewhat of a front-end developer. His design work and UX work was very strong. He\u2019s become a great addition to the group. He\u2019s quiet, but quickly gaining the trust of the staff and continues to push everyone forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After these wins, it got a little tricky. Things do go sideways, this is normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hired another junior designer, straight out of school. She was bright, technical with a modern design sense. You could tell that she thought about the screen first. She started and all seemed well, but then on day 4 she let me know that she would be leaving. Yes, I was a little bummed but, it was probably for the best. She found another job and decided it was a better fit for her. I have no ill will towards her. She is doing what we all need to do: look out for what is best for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We found another web designer through a recruiter. She had been working as a contractor for a large corporation and wanted the things that come with the in-house job: benefits, stability, and a team that works together. I\u2019m still surprised by this one. She is super technical, quiet and smart. I haven\u2019t totally figured out how to use all of her talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we are still down one junior designer. But, the team has grown a lot and works really well together. We have an amazing group of creative, diligent, compassionate people. It\u2019s been a joy to work with them and help guide them forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
long term vision, breaking out marketing, UX and content teams
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I spent a fair amount of time looking at what the team might be in 3 years and 5 years. How would the team grow and evolve to best serve the business? Above, is one of these plans. The colors correspond to the skills from the diagram earlier (skills vs. need). These areas will overlap. Recognize people\u2019s strengths, but designers shouldn\u2019t be siloed off into one zone for eternity. Collaboration and cross-pollenization of ideas is necessary and this is the best way for good ideas to affect other good ideas. How these all work together isn\u2019t simple and definitely not something I figured out. This is a dream state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, after 8 months, I have resigned. A new opportunity has presented itself and I\u2019m moving back to California before the East Coast winter comes. I feel really proud of the team I helped build. They are capable of great work and I will be watching from afar. I do feel bad. Part of me wishes that I could continue to guide this group through the chaos. I\u2019m confident they will do fine without me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you to the team. You made this job easier than it might have been. Your professionalism, talent and brains are not lost on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These were helpful\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Build a High-Performing Design Team<\/a>
How to Hire a Designer & Build a Design Team<\/a>
Unintuitive Things I\u2019ve Learned about Management (Part 1)<\/a>
The 8 Qualities of a Great Design Leader
<\/a>\u201cWe only hire the best\u201d<\/a>
Unicorn designers don\u2019t exist. Generalists do.<\/a>
7 tips to create high functioning design teams (Part 1)<\/a>
(Design) Lead Starter Kit<\/a>
The not-so-dark art of design management<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Less helpful for me\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Design Your Design Team<\/a>
Forming A Design Team, Part I: Structure<\/a>
The Structure of Optimizely\u2019s Design Team<\/a>
Creative Teams Title Structure<\/a>
How to Structure a Creative Agency<\/a>
Creative Operations: Getting Your In-House in Order<\/a>
The new creative team and getting it to work<\/a>
How to Structure Your Culture for Innovation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These didn\u2019t help me so much, but maybe you\u2019ll get something out of them\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building the In-house Design Agency<\/a>
Rethinking The Advertising Agency Team Structure<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

or, How a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Came Together to Make Pretty Things with Computers During the first 30 days, I lost almost half my team. As the brand new manager, how am I supposed to recover from this? Did my presence, or the change I represented, cause this? What is going on. Eight months […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6406,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[117],"tags":[8,115,48,116,114,20,30],"class_list":["post-6411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design-work","tag-design","tag-designops","tag-hiring","tag-management","tag-team-building","tag-ux","tag-work"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/formation-of-a-team-header.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6411"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6413,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6411\/revisions\/6413"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnfreeborn.com\/words\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}