Summary:
2022-2023 #Yearinreview š£ | I focused on building a positive team culture, addressing career stagnation, and ensuring the right designers worked on the right projects. By aligning individual growth goals with business objectives, I helped my team thrive. Reflecting on the year, I learned the importance of flexibility and empathy in leadership, which will pave the way for how I approach 2023-2024!
Introduction
In 2021-2022, I made the transition from a senior individual contributor to a design manager within the Commercial vertical - you can read about the initial transition here. This major step prompted me to reflect deeply on my experiences and the type of leader I wanted to become. I found that journaling my thoughtsāoften in an unfiltered "š§ brain dump" styleāwas incredibly helpful in organizing my ideas. It became a practice I committed to, setting aside time each year to reflect and recalibrate.
As I mentioned in my transition, the Head of Design had been stretched too thin, leading to stagnated career development, inconsistent design standards, and low morale across the team. When I began building my team of four in Commercial, I knew this was the status quo I had to address. My immediate challenge was to create a positive, safe, and supportive cultureāone that could uplift the entire design organization from ground upāwhile also driving toward our shared business goals.
[1] First challenge: Setting the team up for success
It started with building team cultureā¦
I designed an intentional onboarding documentation on ways of working and values
Shaping a strong, positive culture was crucial. From day one, I focused on setting clear values and expectations to foster collaboration, accountability, and respect. It was important to create an environment where designers felt motivated and empowered while ensuring that less desirable behaviors, like inconsistent standards or siloed work, were addressed early. By introducing frameworks like the Double Diamond and embedding practices such as open design reviews, peer feedback, and regular check-ins, we established a culture of transparency and continuous learning. This open environment sets the tone for how we work together and resolve challenges constructively.
I compiled clear and accessible team resources for new designers
Even in the months beyond their first days, we continued to emphasise behaviors that aligned with our shared valuesācollaborative spirit, transparent and empathetic communication with a commitment to excellence. Regular team discussions reinforced these principles, creating a space where everyone felt safe to contribute and grow. This proactive approach not only curbed negative patterns but also built a team dynamic centered on trust, collaboration, and shared purpose. Itās been rewarding to see the team uphold these values while delivering thoughtful, user-focused solutions that reflect the culture weāve worked so hard to cultivateā.
In addition to addressing team culture challenges head-on, I encouraged activities that could foster team bonding and make us feel more connected. I mentioned in a previous article where I introduced informal team dinners and/or lunches, which I liked to call āfood diplomacy,ā where we could relax and talk outside the work environment. This not only helped to improve morale but also strengthened our relationships, creating a more cohesive and supportive team.
[2] Second challenge: Delegating designers to meaningful work
After having the right values hammered down, the next challenge I faced was ensuring the right designers were allocated to the right products and projects, which ultimately helped drive faster delivery and more consistent design quality. Resource planning became an essential part of my role, especially when managing tight timelines and multiple initiatives at once.
A prime example of this was the design system migration (known as Akira) and the development of content writing practices. With limited resources, I had to carefully evaluate the strengths and skill sets of my team members to ensure that each designer was working on the tasks where they could add the most value. For instance, I assigned Cš¬ who has a strong design sense to aid the Tech organisation in the design system migration, while I encouraged Dš¶ who showed interest in UX writing to focus on carving out the very first principles behind UX writing practices in Ninja Van. By aligning each team member with projects that best suited their expertise, we not only streamlined the workflow but also ensured a higher quality of output.
What stood out most was learning how to better collaborate and delegate. I started balancing between doing things myself vs empowering my team to take ownership, trust their abilities, and deliver the best results. Through this experience, I became more attuned to my teamās strengths and learned to plan resources more strategically, which ultimately helped improve both our efficiency and the overall design consistency across projects.
[3] Third challenge: Managing growth and development
Besides culture and work, I made it a priority to set clear, meaningful goals for the teamāones that aligned with broader business objectives but also resonated personally with each individual. I believed that goals needed to be more than just checkboxes; they had to inspire ownership and growth, especially as we tackled challenges like stagnated career development and low morale. By taking the time to sit down with each designer, I listened to their personal aspirations and understood what motivated them. This insight allowed us to craft goals that not only advanced their individual growth but also contributed to the teamās collective vision.
The focus was on being strategically intentional. Designers were encouraged to approach their projects thoughtfully, gathering timely feedback and consistently following through on improvements. Each of them also had the autonomy to pursue their own growth path, as I focused on creating a framework where they felt both supported and challenged (maybe I can do a more in depth review of the framework š¤).
Framework to facilitate conversations and connecting design with business impact
I emphasized the importance of celebrating and sharing practices that elevated our design maturityārather than keeping successes under the radar. By creating opportunities to align individual aspirations with impactful contributions, we built a team that was not only motivated but also actively driving positive change within the organization. This approach turned challenges into stepping stones for both personal and organizational growth.
While I had put several structures in place to support growth and alignment, I quickly realized that management is an ongoing learning process. Even with the best frameworks, there were nuances and challenges I had yet to navigate, and this became clear as I reflected on how I could refine my approach moving forward.
[4] Reflections and big, big learnings of 2022
Biggest success of the year š
Honestly, I wouldnāt have exchanged the experience of managing my team for anything else in the world. The largest win of the year was hands down building an amazing team culture thatās supportive, inspiring, and just downright awesome to be part of! It was all about creating a space where everyone felt genuinely valued and fired up to do their best work. Seeing designers like Tš£ grow confidently and hearing (and seeing) how much others appreciated the open chats, encouragement, and shoutouts for their strengthsāitās been incredible! From intentional onboarding to celebrating every little win and āYES!ā moment, we built a culture bursting with positivity and collaboration.
And on a personal note, seeing them appreciating all the cooking š©š»āš³ that Iāve done for them was also extremely heartwarming. A real momma-hen moment! š
Heartwarming appraisals and comments from reports and other leaders
What I would do differently šš»
Youād think by now itās a given that everyoneās different, and as such management style should also be fluid enough to cater for those needs. But in reality, itās not as straightforward as it seems. Sometimes, we just feel itās easier to standardise things, because itās comfortable when everyone follows the same template. But I learned that career growth isnāt a straight line, and some people need more time to figure things out. My job as a manager was to give them the space to grow at their own pace, while providing the right support and resources along the way.
For example, Cš¬ was having a tough time making big decisions. I realised that pushing her too hard wasnāt helpingāshe needed more time. So, I switched gears and focused on smaller, manageable steps. We had conversations about her goals and what she really wanted to achieve, and this made me realise I needed to give her the space to grow at her own pace, without forcing her into bigger challenges too soon.
With Hš», I started noticing signs that she was unhappy in her role, but I didnāt act fast enough. She was disengaging, and looking back, I wish Iād spotted the signs earlier. Once I recognised it, I made sure to check in more frequently, offering her a chance to explore other types of work that better suited her interests. Eventually, I encouraged Cš¬ and Hš» to collaborate on projects together, co-designing in ways that sparked their creativity. This helped boost team morale and created a more collaborative spirit overall.
On the other hand, Dš¶ thrived on being thrown into the deep end and figuring things out on her own. So, I gave her the freedom to take the lead on removing obstacles, while still offering her support when needed. That autonomy, paired with a safety net, allowed her to thrive and tackle complex projects with confidence.
Conclusion
Even after a long verbal vomit, I only managed to summarise the major learnings of 2022. As I look ahead to 2023-2024, Iām excited to continue my journey as a leader and a manager, focusing on building a culture of growth, collaboration, and empathy. Thereās always room to improve, and Iām ready to face the new challenges ahead with the lessons Iāve learned in 2022!