In school, design students are used to working solo. They research their projects by themselves, create concepts by themselves, and execute their designs by themselves. While there are class discussions and critiques about other student’s designs, these are limited and normally after the projects are complete. By the end of school, design students have rarely been part of a true team environment.
However, in the workplace, collaboration is the norm. Everyday, designers work alongside web developers, marketing professionals, content writers, and project managers. These individuals develop concepts together and continually give input throughout the entire process.
While working at The Catapult Project as a Graphic Design Intern, I was amazed at how a collaborative atmosphere changes everything. With everyone working toward a common goal, people are invested in the quality of the final product. They actively search for new ideas, and the original concept quickly evolves. Additionally, when an idea is discussed, a contagious, creative energy is produced.
Personally, I love collaborative environments. It helps being surrounded with people from different backgrounds and viewpoints. Most likely, other people will see what is missing or point out something I never considered before. Additionally, the best people for the job can be assigned particular roles, feeding off of everyone’s strengths. It seems like a win-win to me.
However, I know that I am probably idealizing collaboration a bit. Much like everything else in the world, there are downsides to it. Bad conflict or groupthink can significantly hurt a team. Furthermore, decisions could take longer, because one needs to confer with the rest of the group.
Still, so long as everyone is aware of the possible downfalls, I do not see why collaboration should not be applied more. No one is perfect and a team helps fill in the gaps. The only thing left for me to wonder is why don’t schools stress it more?
Tidbits 