Collaboration

Similarities and differences

An artist and a designer both express themselves through various mediums of creative expressions. It has been a long-standing debate whether the word artist and designer can be used interchangeably.

Generally, an artist creates works of art that satisfies themselves first and foremost. They have the freedom to set the creative direction and medium. The exception to this is where a patron has commissioned a piece which may have specified style, theme, or art direction. In the renaissance period of the 17th century, the Medici family were notable patrons of the arts and engaged artists such Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangelo.

A designer creates works of art that satisfy a creative brief. This brief is usually set-up together with the client or an art director to fulfil a specific purpose. The work is often used commercially and set to a budget. And most importantly, there is a deadline.

A private affair?

For many artists, creating art is a private affair. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of sharing an artistic vision in a collaborative way. Collaboration is not for everyone, and yet it can be a powerful experience for individuals who can work together.

The following video provides an overview of how a range of designers and creative minds experience the collaborative process.

Working in an artistic partnership can be an excellent learning opportunity. Each artist will influence the other and improve the overall direction of the piece. When egos are kept in check, an interchange of ideas and processes can be highly beneficial to both artists. Mutual respect is essential, and the work belongs to all involved. The attention gained when the piece is presented will benefit all artists that contributed.

When artists collaborate, they promote each other on their own organic and digital platforms, allowing them to expand their reach.

Contrary to popular belief, artists are not always in rivalry with one another. Each artist has their own set of talents and flaws. The finest people know how to develop their talents and seek assistance in improving their weaknesses. This is where collaboration can help.

Three skills for collaboration

Master these skills to be a good collaborator.

Accurate transfer of information

In today's digital workplaces, being a master of information transfer is essential. Your colleagues and peers are not mind readers. Do not assume that they know what you are trying to communicate.

Design communication methods that ensure critical information is not misinterpreted or lost.

A mindset for collaboration

Collaboration cannot be taught. It requires the creation of a conducive environment.

Everyone has a role in this transformation. Emphasize more about the team than yourself. Approach everything with an open mind and to examine opportunities rather than problems.

Learn to interact with technology

Modern workplaces are filled with quickly evolving and developing technologies. Understanding how such tools function and learning how to use them to encourage collaboration.

Benefits of collaboration

Organisations that want to succeed in an ever-changing environment thrive from effective collaboration. When it comes to the competition, a good collaborative work culture puts your organisation ahead of the pack right away.

Benefits of effective collaboration in an organisation include;

• Unfettered innovation
• Collective knowledge
• Enhanced teamwork
• Maximum redundancy
• Minimal oversight
• Maximum performance
• Effective analytics
• Accessible data
• Efficient processes
• Overall happiness.

Working to a creative brief

A design brief is the outline and specifications of what you will be required to design.

You may be given an explicit written design brief, a very basic brief, a verbal brief, or you may even be given the opportunity to write your own brief. Often a client will not know exactly what they require so it is important to put a design brief in writing to set out specifically what you understand is required.

If you do not put a brief in writing, you will not have anything to check the final design solution against. The client could say that it was not what they wanted, and you may have to start over.

What needs to be covered in a design brief

Make sure to check out Sylvia Moses ' How to Write the Most Compelling Creative Brief.

Interpreting a design brief

Identify design problems

Identify any problems established by the brief. These are not problems like the printer being out of ink but are more like design challenges. What do you need to solve to ensure that your design solution will be successful?

Seek clarification

A design brief should be a two-way document. You should try to interpret what the client is wanting and then, where possible, question the client to clarify or expand any areas of concern. You may also suggest alternatives and negotiate any changes that need to be made to the brief.

It is a good idea to document any significant points of clarification and provide a copy to the client. This will reduce the possibility of a dispute regarding the interpretation later if the client changes their mind.

Freelancers and design contractors

A freelancer or design contractor works for themselves. This role is self-managing and is responsible for every aspect of running their own business.

Freelancers need to build business relationships to bring in new clients and maintain their current ones. They need to do their own administrative, financial, marketing, legal and other general business-related duties. It is possible to outsource these duties to other companies or utilise web applications to assist with completing some of the tasks, at an additional cost.

Inhouse designers

An inhouse designer is a designer who works within the design or marketing department of a company. This person might be the only designer in the company, or they may work in a team with other designers.

Their work is to support the company’s effort in every aspect of the business. It can involve producing training materials, creating an Annual General Report (AGR), producing content for marketing materials, and other design tasks. This role can report to the owner or manager directly, or if it is within a design team, they can report to a design lead.

Working for an agency

Graduates are likely to start as a junior designer with a creative or design agency. Junior designers will report to senior designers and follow directions from creative and art directors.

They work alongside account managers, copywriters, and if the company has a multimedia department, UX designers, web developers, and video content creators, to name a few. The range of work varies depending on the type of clients the agency has.

Teamwork is an integral part of any company or organisation.

The following video shows us what teamwork looks like in the modern workplace. What approaches, perspectives, and trends help nourish effective teamwork?

Team collaboration

This fundamental type of collaboration, team collaboration, has been around for a long time. It involves cooperation among members of a team who are familiar with one another, their skill sets, and their overall contribution to the project.

A team leader oversees preserving the team's equilibrium and guiding the team towards constructive collaboration. Deadlines are set, and successes are celebrated.

The following video explains how a team member sees teamwork in their artistic working environment.

Communication

For any team to function properly and work productively with other teams, frequent communication is a necessity. Frequent communication helps to answer individual questions, overcome obstacles, and resolve conflicts. It also reduces the potential for confusion and duplicated efforts.

Some of the ways you can ensure frequent communication in support of collaboration and teamwork include:

• Creating a variety of platforms for employees to communicate and share ideas, such as in-person meetings, brainstorming sessions, and email or other forms of virtual communication.
• Providing interpersonal communication skills training to help employees at all levels learn how to communicate with others with complete and correct knowledge.
• Providing training to help leaders strengthen their ability to manage internal communications within departments and teams, as well as develop skills that will help them grow as leaders.
• Develop collaboration and teamwork skills.

Empowering the team

Collaboration is not something that everyone is naturally good at. Teaching employees what good cooperation looks like and what actions they can do to support it, is the best strategy to improve collaborative behaviour in the workplace.

People are more likely to acquire a collaborative mentality and engage in desired behaviours when they are aware of all the benefits of effective teamwork.​

Leadership and teamwork have a direct impact on the ability of an organisation to carry out its mission. You need leadership to make sure everyone on your team is going in the same direction and working towards the same goal.

Collaborative leadership is a management strategy in which members of a leadership team collaborate across departments to make decisions and keep their company running efficiently.

This form of leadership is growing in popularity and replaces the traditional top-down approach. A top-down approach is where high-level executives make decisions which are passed down to employees without explanation as to how or why those decisions were made.

A collaborative leadership approach contributes to a sense of togetherness among managers at the top level. This helps them to make swift business choices, establish and maintain the organisation's basic principles, and strategically approach difficulties as a single, cohesive team. Embracing collaboration at this level illustrates to employees that they, too, should approach their work in a collaborative, team-oriented manner.

What is collaborative leadership?

Labanauskas, E. and Romanov, A., 2014. Teamwork: A Conversation About Group Work and Leadership. [image] Available at <https://cronkitehhh.jmc.asu.edu/blog/2014/10/teamwork_a_conversation_about_group_work_and_leadership/> [Accessed 2 September 2021].

An effective leader analyses situations and leads in the most appropriate manner for that situation. A good leader understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. This is referred to as "situational leadership".

What are the characteristics of a collaborative leader?

Passionate

A collaborative leader must understand and be passionate about the organisation’s vision and strategy. They will repeat these to employees often. They are the organisation’s number one cheerleader. Clarity and passion are critical.

Lead their own selves before others

Understanding people is difficult unless a leader has a fair understanding of themselves. Collaboration with others necessitates quick answers, a laser focus on goals, the development of relationships, creativity, and perceptive qualities. The best way to lead others is to lead yourself — continually explore and learn about yourself.

They look at “power” differently

A collaborative leader empowers others. Power is decentralised and everyone is responsible for the end result. Collaborative leaders let go of ego and do not need to be "in charge."

They listen

If a leader does not know how to listen, collaboration fails. Everyone wants to express themselves and be understood. A collaborative leader fulfils this essential human need by listening – what is being said and what is left unsaid.

They are generous in sharing credits

When a team accomplishes great things, share the credit generously. Collaborative leaders value performance, remain appreciative of others' contributions, and allow the team to take pride in themselves.

Through collaborative leadership, leaders can create an inclusive environment that energises teams, releases creativity, and cultivates a work culture that is both productive and joyful.

Collaboration lifts everyone's efforts to produce something better than what we could achieve individually.

Collaboration requires accurate transfer of information, a mindset for collaboration, and utilising collaborative technology. Collaboration in a design space involves working with clients and colleagues to meet outcomes specified in a design brief.

Teamwork relies on collaboration, communication, and empowerment.

Collaborative leaders can encourage a positive, collaborative environment by being passionate, knowing their own selves, empowering their team, listening, and sharing credit.