Leading High Velocity Design Operation
I work as an Enterprise Designer in a MNC. As part of learning and team-building initiatives, we have many programs. One such event is the UX Design challenge. It’s a two-week design program between members from across our design studio. Wherein we collaborate to create a digital solution for the given hypothetical problem. A designer is observant, intuitive and problem solver by trade.
And this article is summary of my experience in a high-velocity design operation. The learning from my team members and our team lead. Read through to know more, our name and “a bit of both!”.
If we try to understand any activity or system, it basically consists of three parts: People, Process and Tools; at its core. Let’s see how our lead approached these three pillars.
People
“A boss leads good people to greatness and a leader bring out the greatness of its people”.
- Listen & Understand your team’s strength and interest.
- Establish a ubiquitous communication channel, easily approachable when needed.
- Promote people to speak and share their opinion in the group
- Track delivery not working time of member. Allow people to work when they feel efficient, productive and available.
- Remember to take a break
“All this process established respect for each other and trust amongst team members”.
Process
“Show the path and lead the way”
- Decide your aim and build scaffolding towards your goal.
- List the artefacts of each step and mark the timeline for each milestone, and adhere to the specified time.
- Be thoroughly knowledgeable of the process self.
- Let member take ownership themselves, instead of allocating them.
- Discuss each members output/ outcome but don’t micromanage them.
- Keep time to explore and criticise ideas, but always end meeting with a decision.
- Never make a decision in silos
- Make some executive decision at times, to speed up the process when things are going slow. But don’t always.
- A leader should have a holistic view of the combined task and make the decision accordingly.
- Be stringent like the secret sorcerer for time.
“Time is of the essence, but never skip the process”
Tools
- Use a common tool
- Arrange tools beforehand that are going to be critical for the functioning of team.
- Use open source element/components and plugins available to speed up your process. Customise them, don’t reinvent each pixel.
- Use tools to connect easily, collaborate effectively and express seamlessly.
Well, this is what I observed and learnt from my team lead and the other team members. It is also open for comment, interpretation also addition of more points, with a big welcome. Hope this would help the designers leading agile design project.
PS. My team’s name was Guardian of Galaxy, directly copied form Marvel Universe. <All credit to the marvel for the name from their undying fan>. ❤
