Summary
A design process is only as good as the people who run it, no matter how "efficient" the process claims to be. This talk will cover the circumstances of a case study and the strategies that took place to establish and maintain momentum on a product that didn't have a direction. With the collaboration of a team in "flow," the work seemed (sometimes unbelievably) natural, enabling and empowering everybody not only to trust each other, but also to trust themselves in their own decision making and their own exploration of their craft and strengths with mutual trust and respect.
Key Insights
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Frameworks make design processes inclusive for non-designers, helping teams understand design decisions.
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Team flow differs from individual flow by involving a collective interdependence and shared energy.
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Achieving flow requires a balance of challenge and skill matched with clear goals and feedback.
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Open communication early in team formation builds trust that supports sustained team flow.
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Including all team members in early design exercises like brand sprints creates shared purpose.
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Pivoting a project disrupts flow but can be managed by reapplying learnings and adapting team dynamics.
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Trust and respect allow team members to be authentic while maintaining high performance and collaboration.
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Different people need different communication styles to reach their optimal state of flow.
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Team flow feels like the team is a single organism working towards a shared goal.
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Replicating team flow depends on time spent building relationships and adapting to new members.
Notable Quotes
"I love frameworks because they're inclusive by design and help non-designers participate."
"People really make the framework work or fail."
"Team flow is like being a single organism moved by the same purpose."
"To get into flow, I need a strong belief in the purpose and what we’re working towards."
"Open communication from the beginning lets us advocate for each other’s work."
"We were super serious about work and then in the next moment, talking about the Bachelor."
"Respect, trust, and alignment helped us feel empowered and be ourselves in the space."
"You do need to adjust your style based on the person, there is no one size fits all."
"I wouldn’t say replicating flow becomes less successful; it’s about if it can organically happen."
"There’s a science and a sense of instinct, like athletes developing their moves as they practice."
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