Designing is not only about how it looks, it’s how it feels too. We have all worked in some sort of group where there were people who were great team players, and then there were some who liked to take all the glory themselves. I have personally worked on projects with people from both groups, and to be honest, I can’t say which is better. It really depends on how each individual team member operates best. If you’re one of those team members that want to be in charge of everything, then you can do yourself and your team a favor by keeping your ego in check. Otherwise, you’re going to find yourself being hated by people around you. It’s that simple. The same thing goes if you’re the type of person that likes to play the blame game, and you blame others for not getting the job done. This is what we call being a “snake”, and it’s not a nice trait to have. There are times when you have to take the blame and apologize, but there are also times where you really can’t do much about it. Learning how to properly share the blame when it’s not really yours will make people trust you more, and that’s something that all designers should work on.
Haha too much talk there. Let’s go over some tips on how to improve collaboration skills based on my experience.
1. Be an effective communicator.
It doesn’t matter if your team knows your language — the client/users should understand what you are saying. As a designer, the most common method of communication to convey an idea is through visual diagrams.
The client/users should understand what you are saying. When you’re in the middle of working on something, explain your thoughts and concerns and work through them in detail, explaining the benefits and the drawbacks. This way, your co-workers/team members understand what is going on. If you need to draw a visual diagram, share the sketches on the whiteboard so that the rest of the team can discuss it. If you are thinking of some ideas or approaches, ask the team to comment on the pros and cons. Sometimes, it’s better to write an e-mail to your team so that they can discuss ideas in the privacy of their e-mail.
2. Get to know your team members.
If you are working together for the first time, talk to your co-workers/team members. You’ll often be working together, so it makes sense to get to know each other a bit. Ask your team if they have any questions or if they need anything from you. Your team members may not be that great at design — they just want you to get the job done. Learn the basics and the fundamentals. This way, you can communicate and interact with your team, and your work will be more aligned. If your team knows your language, they will likely understand what you are saying. This conversation can happen when you work together for the first time, and you’ll realize that you both need the same thing — to communicate and to interact with your team. It doesn’t have to happen when you are in the middle of working on something, but you can also have these conversations in a meeting when you aren’t in the middle of working on something. You can ask if they need anything from you and if they have questions about the project. This way, your co-workers/team members will know what they can expect from you, and you will also know their strengths and weaknesses.
3. Set and follow a schedule Set your schedule.
This means that you are the one who decides when you will be available, what you’ll be doing and when you’ll finish working on a project. You must get your tasks done on time. The other important thing is that you let your team know when you are going to be working on a project. For example, say that you’re working on the frontend design of a new project. You can decide when you are going to start working on this project, and you can tell your team when you are going to finish. This will make it easier for your team to understand and adapt to your schedule, and they will make sure that they all understand when to start and when to finish. If you’re working on a product, you’ll want to ensure that all the different team members have a say in the design and the implementation of the product.
4. Make decisions together Be a decision-maker.
If you’re the decision-maker of a project, you should make decisions together with your co-workers/team members. You are the project manager, so the first thing to do is to check in with your team and ask for their input. The biggest mistake that project managers make is not to involve their team members in the project. They do things on their own, so they don’t make any decisions. This way, you are losing a great opportunity to be involved with the team and get to know them. Your team members may have different skills. You need to make sure that everyone has a say and a chance to contribute.
5. Have design/UX meetings
Design discussions need to happen! These discussions should include your team members, and you should check if they are happy with the design or if there are any flaws. Meetings about design should always be a discussion where you come up with a solution and the team members get to comment on it. It’s better if you can come up with some ideas together. As a designer, it’s your responsibility to get to know the requirements of the user and the business and to design a product that satisfies the users and meets the business needs. You’ll know a lot more if you meet and discuss the design problems with your team. You need to communicate with your co-workers/team members so that you can understand their points of view and their perspectives. This way, you can make improvements and avoid any mistakes.
Those are some tips that I can share with you. If you have tips on improving collaboration skills as a designer, don’t hesitate to add your tips in the comments column.