Working in a Design Team
AI generated image
Introduction:
When doing my research about what it is like working in a design team, I learned many different things that I could relate to as a student but also things that I have not seen yet as a student and was interesting to see. I read about how working with a team can “cure” your loneliness as a solo designer and how the size of your design team affects things.
Working with Others vs Working by Yourself:
This topic is something that I can currently relate to as a student taking design classes. There is such a difference when working with yourself on a project versus within a group of other designers. At some moments or on certain projects, I enjoy working by myself and deciding what looks best but it can be very encouraging and exciting to work with other designers and to bounce ideas off of each other. It also motivates me to do the best work I can when I know that other designers will see and critique it. The only time it can be difficult is when the designers don’t agree but it is something all designers deal with and there are ways to work through it. Finally, I think it is nice to work with other designers because even in my classes, everyone has different levels and different expertise which can help the project become stronger. I think it has been a great experience working in groups with my classes so I will have that experience of working with others when I enter the working world.
“Being part of a design team keeps you motivated, creative and helps you to reach the best results.”
Size of the team:
Something that I hadn’t thought about yet as a student is the size of the team because most of the groups that I have worked in have been smaller. In an article I read, they categorized the different sizes of teams into four categories: “the small size design team (fewer than 10 designers), the medium size design team (10-50 designers), the large size design team (50+ designers), and the giant size design team (150+ designers).” I never realized that design teams could be that large, but it makes sense for those larger companies. Something interesting that I found in this article is they said that someone in a giant design team can feel like they have moved to a whole new company just by switching the team they are on. There are so many factors that go into how big the design team is and one is not better than the other, you just have to find the right fit for yourself.
Conclusion:
Overall, I think it is important to work on projects by yourself but also to be able to work in a design team both small and big. I think working in a team is something that designers all have experienced at some point in their journey, and it not only lets you expand creatively but also possibly learn some new things from your fellow designers.
Hello! I’m Bridget Feldman
I am a graphic and interactive designer with an interest in public relations. I live around the Boston, Massachusetts area and would love to connect!