Six guidelines to follow if you see a different way to solve a design problem
“Too many chefs spoil the soup” is an apt proverb for describing the tension that can arise in large-scale creative team collaboration. How do sizable design departments reconcile the individual vision and innate sense of style that creative people possess, when conflicts in personal taste and execution threaten to spoil the soup? Even with the advent of design systems, ‘the way you designed it’ isn’t always the same as ‘the way I would have designed it’ and if patience runs in short supply, opinions can flare — costing time for design teams and testing relationships with heated discourse.
So what do you do if you find yourself dismantling a colleague’s design solution, because you think your approach could be better, even with collaborative design team critiques and reviews? First, take a deep breath … then follow these guidelines to the letter. (Your manager will thank you for it.) These best practices preserve trust and respect — essential ingredients for any functional group — and you’ll notice themes including respecting your fellow designers, assuming personal responsibility, and exhibiting grace, humility, maturity, and collaborative spirit.