Remote Collaboration

How we build within to influence the world through design

Remote Collaboration

Thoughts
Seyi Owolawi
a small studio
By 
August 30, 2023

Listen to article

First things first, how we see it; The World is our Studio 🌎.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let’s do some humble bragging that lets you in on what has worked for us and how you can implement some of them if you have a fully remote team or dream of being a part of one.

Our team at a small studio are of global tapestry; spanning longitudes and latitudes- yet we collaborate exceptionally well, producing incredible design solutions as a unified force. Over the years, we have gleaned insights and tweaked our style of collaboration accordingly.

Here are a few things that continue to allow us bring the heat!

Trust: Trust is our number one elixir. When a team is distributed, trust is that foundational ingredient that expedites the entire process. You have to trust that everyone will communicate openly and honestly, meet their deadlines, and deliver exceptional work individually or collectively. Our trust in one another is so next-level, and it works wonders. We enhance this trust through regular check-ins; we do not micromanage any team member. If they say they will get it done, we trust them.

"Our trust in one another is so next-level, and it works wonders."

Communication: In every relationship, sharing from the heart keeps expectations in check and hearts in tune. So, we over-communicate with one another to prevent isolation of any sort. We don't get nosy about what others are working on, but we keep our Slack channels open and Zoom calendars available to Jam, share ideas, and ask questions. And our communication is about more than work. They are filled with pictures of pets, videos of kids, dope playlists, and viral TikToks to keep the millennials up on things. 😉

Gracious Feedback: Critique is essential for growth but can be trickier when done remotely. Every one of us always gives feedback politely and constructively. And every one of us is open and responsive to feedback, too. The regular exchange of insights makes our team and design solutions even more exceptional.

Big Picture Thinking: Absolutely nothing is hidden from one another regarding a task to execute. Context and clarity are always provided so the team is in sync. As progress is achieved on a project, the entire team is carried along to understand how the destination is reached and how much impact can be achieved for the partner.

Celebrate Wins: Quite often, we have game nights that bring out the dark side of many of us. The next one is a Dungeons and Dragons edition (We will consider inviting you). Game nights, happy hours, Squirrel moments, meeting shoutouts, kind words, and some gifts- all kick the team's morale into high gear and make everyone feel they belong.

We have seen how all the highlighted points have unlocked the potential of every one of us collaborating remotely, and we are beyond grateful that we have the right collective of talent to make the magic happen.

We hope everything we shared comes in handy for you or anyone else you care about. Kindly push this piece forward to empower someone out there.✌️

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Let’s talk strategy.

Schedule a call with our Identity Architect and see if it makes sense to work together.