It takes me a few days to get comfortable in a team and suss out the dynamic. I really value learning about my teammates from the get-go, especially their strengths/weakness and common interests we share. My desire to produce high standard work motivates me to manage the work and keep everything moving and on track in a productive direction. Taking on this kind of leadership role in a flat hierarchy can cause tension, so it is important for me to be upfront about this habit and also check in with the team and take feedback on whether it’s working for them or not.

My team opted for a general rule of 4 days in person and Fridays online, but it was okay to WFH as needed. I discovered that I prefer working in person – it builds team chemistry and allows for spontaneous interactions or ideas. It was particularly important at the beginning of the project where we were setting expectations and working on the base branding design and strategy elements as there was a lot of fast-paced brainstorming, iterating and discussion. Days where most of us were in person with a couple online were harder to navigate to ensure that the people online were still contributing. Having a day or two online however was a good break from the commute and gave us more time to work independently on tasks to make progress.

This was a very positive experience of working with a design team. Between the four of us our strengths varied between print, digital, motion, branding and UX/UI. This made it easy to divide the design tasks. Something we focused on this time was being involved in each other’s work, giving feedback and advice as it was being developed rather than once a draft had bene completed for example. This ensured consistency across the designed elements and improved the quality of the work.

I’ve worked with other disciplines for my job and on other uni projects before, but this was the first time with a team of this size. There was a large core of business students and design students and at the beginning we were at odds with each other because we each had a different process we would follow for projects. By communicating these distinctions, we were able to follow a method that combined the best of both worlds. Working to each other’s disciplinary strengths is also important for making progress, but we did fall into the trap of becoming siloed. I don’t think it’s an easy habit to break, but I will make an increasingly conscious effort to get multiple perspectives on work to ensure ideas are shared. I do still acknowledge however that you would not have a business person create a logo when a designer could do it, so I believe there is a balance to be met of how involved you are in other people’s work. I am interested to take note of how this balance is met in established workplaces.

One of the other greats things about working with other people is being able to learn from them and teach them things so you can all grow. This could mean learning about business methodologies such as developing a brand voice and identity, sharing new shortcuts for Adobe programs, or explaining the fundamentals of UX design. there is so much to gain from other people. People have a rich bank of knowledge, and I strive to ask questions and be open to being a beginner. This will be particularly important when I am a junior at a company, as my goal will be to learn as much as possible from people with more experience, but it will remain a lifelong aim.

Getting feedback can be difficult, especially when you are proud of your work. I don’t like hearing criticism, but I strive to keep in mind that constructive criticism helps me improve my work. I encountered a situation in this internship where I got defensive about my work when hearing feedback. I felt the need to explain my thought process behind the design because I didn’t want it to be perceived as a careless decision. Reflecting with my supervisor called me question my belief that I had been receiving feedback poorly, and rather emphasised that communicating your process or approach was important for ensuring that you are on the same page as the other person. If you’re not, misunderstandings are common and lead to tension. However, being flexible about your point of view is also crucial, because if you are resolute in your ideas then you are not helping the team.Item description

Prior to this internship I believed that leadership at heart was about helping your team run at their best by lifting people up, project management and having decision making power. Now however, I know that leadership is about being a role model and setting a standard that other people want to live up to. A good leader is passionate and personable, they want high quality work, and they contribute to make that happen. You need to be active and engaged, listen to your team, have empathy and compassion for them, and support them to working to their best. When you’re working in a flat hierarchy like I was for this internship, this other side of leadership is particularly important, and I realise that I do a lot of these things without realising it constituted as leadership. Now that I am aware of it, I hope to develop my leadership abilities further.