Org Design for Design Orgs: Building and Managing In-House Design Teams

by Peter Merholz

Onboarding A special class of activities takes place when a new member joins the team. Thoughtful onboarding is the difference between a new member feeling welcome, knowing where stuff is, and hitting the ground running, or someone feeling confused, uncertain, and unable to work. Provide the new designer with a team roster, instructions on the shared file structure, pointers to standards and guidelines, a glossary of acronyms and other jargon, and a buddy to go to for questions as they arise. Make sure they have a computer with everything they need already installed (which might mean working with IT to get a “designer special” setup, as designers have needs for software, displays, and accessories that differ from other departments). Schedule a team lunch to celebrate the new member. At Groupon, the design organization called itself the Design Union, a recognition of the company’s Chicago roots, and a celebration of the honest labor and craft of the team’s design work. Every new team member received a welcome kit, which included a branded notebook (Figure 8-6) and a rubber stamp featuring the Design Union’s shield (Figure 8-7). These small, fun non-essentials made clear the importance of craft within the team.