Running a relay race can be smarter than an individual one.

Knowing how to work in a team has been one of the biggest challenges to conquer as a designer. Often in college, we are not very encouraged to do so because creating “chemistry” among your peers is difficult, especially when you begin to understand a designer’s fundamental functions. What is the aesthetics with which you want to characterize yourself? What are the programs you must understand to achieve specific results? Designers tend to face these concerns at the beginning of their career; therefore, getting into the professional field and meeting role models to follow is vital to understanding true teamwork and developing into a better person and designer.

It is essential to surround ourselves with people who inspire us at different stages, such as the conceptualization phase, reference hunting, execution, and delivery. This way, we will never cease to learn, and we can truly benefit from teamwork. Determining the role of every person in the company is vital; this is what will ensure that the work at each stage is well done. I believe that recognizing the qualities of each member has been the real key to success in our projects. By identifying the capabilities and qualities of each designer and team member, we can truly complement each other and create a thriving environment.

Running a relay race is more brilliant than an individual race. Working together with specialized people indisputably nurtures the work, making projects much more rich, holistic, and less tiring for a single designer. So when your team has the same disposition and tunes in with you is a winning formula.

People who don’t enjoy teamwork have not found the space where it is inspiring to listen and learn from others. If you are not enjoying collaboration, it is most likely because you do not see value in the opinion of the people you are working with. Looking for the circumstances to grow is directly related to finding a team and a safe space for different points of view and professional experiences. Every member should be valued, as each has a high level of introspection, questions, and diverse backgrounds, making their collaboration a nurtured asset for every challenge the team may encounter.