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Being part of a design team might be exciting and fun, but it is not all rosy. However, thanks to today’s advancements, designers now have several avenues. With modern technology, they can kickstart the project from the word go and work collaboratively.
Design team members work together to design an abstract idea, finalize it, and create the product, with each step varying in various degrees, some simple, and some complex. This design collaboration is a multi-step process that requires some best practices for efficiency. This article gives you seven ways to drive the best results for your design team.
Cloud storage
Cloud storage is a dedicated server that is used to store data, for which you usually pay a subscription charge. It gives you access to your data from anywhere and anytime. A cloud storage server helps the design team to keep the files organized, safe, and secure.
For smooth operation and improved productivity of design teams, unlimited cloud storage is better than a fixed amount. Demand for space is getting bigger as photos and games need more gigabytes. The unlimited cloud server is what the design team needs to store the humongous amount of data.
The cloud storage servers help the design team to collaborate and share documents, files, and other things easily with other members in the office. The document management tools of each server differ from the most basic ones to the servers that come with all the bells and whistles, albeit at a higher price.
Another benefit of cloud storage is that it allows for backup with a disaster recovery plan. With this feature, the design team can secure sensitive data, ensuring that the valuable work that they spent doing a considerable amount of time is never lost. It involves installing a program and directing it to back up the files online.
Scratch disk
Most designers work in programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere Pro. If they are using these programs on a Mac computer, they can experience errors associated with the scratch disk. So what is a scratch disk, and how do we solve it? Read on to know more.
An SSD or a hard disk that Photoshop temporarily uses for storage purposes is known as a scratch disk. Photoshop uses this scratch disk to store history panel states and portions of your documents that are unable to fit in the RAM or memory of the machine. Sometimes the scratch disk becomes full, and you get errors on that.
The way to solve the error is by deleting or moving unnecessary files to another location to free up hard drive space in the scratch disk. You can also specify appropriate drives for the scratch disk. For example, you can select the drive with the maximum free space or the fastest drive.
Make sure the units are set correctly while resizing or creating your documents because the error could be due to document unit discrepancies. Consider resetting the photoshop preferences too. For example, you could disable auto-recovery saving and limit history states.
UX/UI designers
Seek experienced UX/UI designers as part of your design team to drive the best results for the design project. A UX/UI professional is a designer dedicated to solving the users’ problems in an intuitive, easy, and friendly way based on their opinions. They design the experience of the users by appealing to their preferences and tastes.
User experience designers are vital in the starting stages of a project. They can work with product users and product managers to identify opportunities, understand objectives, and conduct research. It is the job of a UX designer to design a product and work on its function and usability.
On the other hand, a visual designer, or a user interface designer, excels in motion and visual design using UI methodologies. They are involved in the process of enhancing interactivity and designing the look of the product. The role of a UI designer is crucial in the latter part of the design project.
The typical duties of a UX/UI designer include researching to understand needs and creating ideas for problem-solving. They play a very central role in determining the architecture of the product and designing user journey maps. Then they create the best flow to help them complete their jobs.
Proofing tools
To help creative teams design the best work and maintain a high standard, they must make use of the proofing tools. These web-based tools provide a platform for team members to create, publish, and market projects. The projects can also be edited, shared, reviewed, and uploaded.
Online proofing tools are available with a broad range of features to permit collaborations on publishing projects and creating designs simultaneously. Using an online proofing tool helps the creative team ensure projects are error-free. Because online profiling tools are web-based, projects can be worked on in real time.
The ability to manage projects collaboratively and in real-time is the biggest advantage of online proofing software. It ensures the design team completes projects before the cut-off time. Making real-time changes to a file and submitting their edits can be done from anywhere and at any time. They do not have to send projects using a file-sharing tool.
Online proofing tools are project management tools that use a single dashboard to manage files and documents. Proofing and approvals can be done right within the dashboard. From there, they can add annotations and request changes or mark it complete. It works in a single window, so there is no switching back and forth.
Plan thoroughly
Having a thorough action plan helps team members to strategize and have a sense of urgency, keeping them reminded of the end goal. The plan of action prepared on an executive level informs them about how they can accomplish the mission. The plan should serve as a roadmap to completion.
The plan must be well-detailed and comprehensive to serve its purpose. It should involve the methodology for targeting, project scope, and design conceptualization. The design process must also include budget requirements, due dates for each stage, and the final delivery date.
Having everything documented in a comprehensive plan of action makes it easier for team members to track progress and plan things out effectively. A good action plan is flexible and is not set in stone. As the circumstances change and your company grows, you will be revisiting and adjusting the document to meet the needs.
A strategic action plan helps you overcome obstacles on time, boosting your productivity. The clear direction highlights exactly what is to be done to stay committed to the design project. Listing all the steps can help you prioritize and delegate your tasks based on impact and effort.
Tech test
If a program or tool is not fit or irrelevant for most of the users, regardless of the investment, do not maintain or keep it because it is not good for the team's productivity. In an environment where innovation is the difference between success and failure, it is in the best interest to cut the loss of outdated or complicated technology.
Like fashion, the software can change rather quickly. Insisting they continue using the outdated software will be holding them back and jeopardizing their productivity. You can use user surveys to get valuable feedback from the design team members to find out which software is causing more problems and which is still working.
Maintain regular checkups, maintenance, and repairs of the technology and software to ensure all apps, devices, platforms, and tools are in working condition. Conducting regular maintenance on an annual or semi-annual basis is a good practice.
The primary mistake team members make when deciding to buy software or programs is to assume that the technology that offers more features is better than the other. It is a classic mistake. This might end up in the purchase of a product that is far more complex to use, and then you will be wasting a considerable amount of time.
Diversified team
Create a dream team by including people, each with different functions and diverse skill sets, so that when they work in tandem and collaboratively, productivity increases. For example, product designers can work with product managers, and graphic designers, who have the right understanding of the software tools, can work with the creative team.
Collaborative problem-solving results in better outcomes. A well-put-together team is likely to take risks, leading to innovation. Moreover, a team that works collaboratively reduces stress, increases team satisfaction, and encourages growth. People who work together and understand each other contribute to better collaboration.
Before a team begins to work, have them see each other extensively, to establish rapport and familiarity. Inevitably, mutual connection takes shape, and the team members will discover commonalities. An unavoidable part of collaboration is conflict, but because of the collaborative culture, they will move past the conflict effectively.
Establish an objective for each design task. If the goal of the design project is unknown or unclear, it will result in many wasted hours. For example, the graphic designer may not know how a particular graphic fits in the overall scheme of things. But if the designers were involved in the big picture, they would know exactly what to do.
Conclusion
Leading a design team is challenging. The team members are involved in creating and turning visions into reality. All these things require a stress-free environment and morale-boosting leadership. Technology can go a long way in helping them manage the design project. But good leadership is also essential. Managing such a team and keeping them motivated so they bring out the best in them is not easy. Hopefully, the seven ways in this article will help you.
