How to Build a Successful Design Team?
My name is Oksana Naumova, and I’m the Head of the Design Department at AIBY Group. In this article, I will tell you about my experience with building processes in a design team and discuss the principles and approaches we use.
What is special about design in a product company?
In a product company, design is part of the entire ecosystem, so it cannot exist apart from the other spheres. Designers are involved in the creation of a product, just like software developers. They cooperate closely with product managers, monetization managers, content managers, etc.
Since the company develops its own products, we have the opportunity to analyze metrics, explore the target audience, study the end users of our apps, and offer a design that is not only beautiful but also functional. In our case, the design operates at the intersection with the product. Our work involves more than just accomplishing tasks and preparing creatives — using metrics, we try to predict what users will find interesting and what captures their attention.
On the one hand, a designer must be deeply immersed in the product and tasks. On the other hand, your work becomes more rewarding when you can influence the app by sharing your ideas and see how your solutions help metrics grow.
Structure of the Design Department
At AIBY Group, we find it effective to split departments into teams, each team being focused on a specific aspect. At the same time, teams are not isolated and work closely with each other. This way, we strengthen various aspects of design while maintaining the integrity of the structure.
For example, we’ve recently singled out a team to work with a first-time user experience. It is one of the most critical steps, as it determines whether or not the user will stay in the app. It may seem that preparing visual content for user onboarding is not a challenging task, but it’s not that simple. You need to demonstrate the functionality of the product and get the user engaged — all in a very short time. According to the research, 40–60% of software users lose interest after their initial sign-up, often due to poor customer onboarding.
The Onboarding Design Team cooperates closely with the Growth Product Team. Together, they test different hypotheses and creatives and analyze metrics. For instance, we came to the idea of using animated banners in addition to static ones, and they have shown good results.
This approach implementation helped us significantly improve conversion rates and LTV (Lifetime Value).
Mentoring and Growth maps
As a manager, I not only search for professionals to join our team but also make sure that employees fully unlock their potential. To do that, I act as a mentor. Due to my 15-year design experience, I can immediately see in which direction an employee should move and develop. Sometimes it may not be obvious to designers themselves because it’s difficult for them to assess themselves and identify their talents without a mentor. Generally speaking, one doesn’t have to be able to do it all or spread oneself thin — it’s better to focus on what you do best.
The next step is an employee growth map, which we build together with team leaders. That plays a significant part in motivation. It’s important to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of an employee through adequate, detailed, and thoughtful feedback. If designers lack some skills, you can help them choose the necessary training. The most important thing is their desire to grow and develop.
All this helps create optimal conditions for the realization of an employee’s potential.
A Strong Community
Currently, we have a large design team of more than 50 people. We continue adding new products to our portfolio, and we are constantly growing and strengthening our team with talented professionals. We are a strong community where people exchange experiences, ask one another for advice and opinions, and share useful insights. This is very valuable because it enhances the level of each employee and the entire team. It’s particularly great that our values match, too, and employees enjoy both working and spending their free time together.
Our company is offering several designer jobs, so please check the Careers section on our website.
To sum it up, let’s highlight the following key points:
- In a product company, design is part of the ecosystem and is inseparable from the other spheres.
- In our practice, we divide the design department into smaller teams that focus on specific directions — by dividing up things in this way, we reinforce these aspects.
- Mentoring format and growth maps have proven to be great for unlocking designers’ potential and fostering their development.
-A strong community within the company helps each employee grow.
About Me
For me, design is more than just work — it’s my major passion and my hobby. I often draw in my spare time, and it gives me a lot of pleasure. I have an artistic background that includes two art schools, a college, a virtual environment design diploma from the Academy of Arts, as well as participation in competitions. After finishing my education, I worked in various design areas. Today, that experience helps me understand challenges in different spheres of design, provide deep feedback, build growth maps, and mentor employees. My personal growth continued in this company, where I started working as a UX/UI designer and then became a team leader. Later on, my desire to build processes from within, as well as the problem-solving and results-oriented approach to business tasks, brought me to the position of the Head of the Design Department.
More recommendations from AIBY experts in the next articles. Follow us for more!
