A rant, a rave and a reality check on how we build creative teams, manage collaboration and fuel the inspiration inside.

1. Designing Design Teams
A rant, a rave and a reality check on how we build creative teams,
manage collaboration and fuel the inspiration inside.

2. Peek Behind the Curtain
It is imperative that we first understand the business of people,
before we sympathize with the people in business.

3. Set Perspective
We have to understand that everything has to do with anything,
and, anything has to do with everything.
It’s less about learning facts & formulas,
and more about the application
to both people and life.

4. Set Perspective
We have to understand that everything has to do with anything,
and, anything has to do with everything.
It’s less about learning facts & formulas,
and more about the application
to both people and life.

5. Revealing the Magic
The world of business often first looks past the human-element:
• People are seen as “Resources”
• Resources are expected to be “Productive”
• Productivity produces “Profits”
• Profits increase with “Efficiency”

6. Power behind the Curtain

7. We are all not Equal
To begin understanding the unique dynamics of the creatives behind creativity,
we must first acknowledge that the work force is inherently unfair.

8. Natural Inequality
We struggle to make accommodations for specific groups,
yet, we forget that accommodations already exist:
• Developers are provided with higher salaries
• Accountants require less ongoing training
• Sales teams are given expense accounts
• Some get a $600 IBM and others a $2,000 Mac

9. Accommodating Creatives
We are different. We work differently, we think differently and our industry evolves
at a pace that is radically different; we must embrace this difference.

10. Designing :-)
Be less focused on building world class products,
be more focused on building world class teams.

11. The Objective
Find great talent, create an environment in which great talent can do great work.
Great talent doing great work produces world class products.

12. “ Success is empowering
great talent to do great work.

13. • Optimal Efficiency
• Solid Deliverables
• Greater Enthusiasm
= • Higher Individual Morale
• Stronger Collaboration
• Increased Retention

14. Creative Fulfillment
Passion is our fuel, inspiration pushes us forward and we can’t turn it off.
Great talent is egoless, avoids politics and cares simply about:
What We Do When We Do It Where We Do It

15. Are You Happy?
It’s a bullshit question that almost always returns a bullshit response.
We often fail to understand the question and are fearful to be truthful.
Downton Abby
Season 2, Episode 8

16. The Happiness Spectrum
We must know when to let go and we must remember that a raise, promotion or
special project is not a long-term solution to an unhappy problem.
Irreversibly Unhappy Happy to be “Not Unhappy” Unsustainably Happy
There is no turning back. Where most of us spend our time. Temporary love for the job.

17. Timing is Everything
Let us focus on the “When We Do It”

18. =ρ
ρ=λ/μ

19. Queue Theory
ρ=λ/μ

20. The Greatest happens when
ρ≥1

21. If =p
Then, what is λ & μ ?

22. λ is our “in-take” rate

23. μ is our “out-put” rate

24. When our λ (in-take rate) over
our μ (out-put rate) is greater
than or equal to 1 we experience

25. μ

26. μ = Maximum Efficiency

27. Note, μ ≠ Maximum Working-Time
Leisure-Time is a Loss Leader
And thus, 100% efficiency is not possible nor realistic.

28. When, μ < Above-Optimal Productivity
We reduce burn-out
And thus, increase greater performance over a greater duration of time.

29. μ = Maximum Efficiency
Maximum Efficiency = [(Maximum Working-Time) - (Leisure-Time) - (Above-Optimal Productivity)]
70% = [(100%) - (10%) - (20%)] = μ

32. • 5.5 Hours / Day
• 3.5 Days / Week
μ = 70% = •
•
15.5 Days / Month
8.4 Weeks / Quarters
• 8.4 Months / Year

33. Defining μ
Ensures accountability not on the resource, but,
on the maximum efficiency.

34. “The Magic”
We understand λ and we know μ, but, there is more ...
Above-Optimal Productivity = The All-Elusive 20% Time

35. The All-elusive 20% Time
Invented It Made it popular

36. Success is based on the Math
We love the idea of the concept, and we love the product of the concept.
But, is it successful? And, how do we measure that?

37. What are we Doing Here?
Let us focus on the “What We Do It”

38. Theory X
Assumes employees are by nature lazy and avoid work and
therefore need to be closely supervised and controlled.
The Human Side of Enterprise
by MIT professor Douglas McGregor

39. Theory Y
Assumes that most people enjoy mental and physical activities,
want to be creative, and want to succeed at work. Given the right
conditions, employees will seek out and accept responsibility and
exercise self-control, self-direction and creativity.
The Human Side of Enterprise
by MIT professor Douglas McGregor

40. “ Retain great talent, and,
enable great talent to thrive.

41. Great talent are naturally
“Above Optimal” performers.
Those designers to which “the bar” is not the point of delivery.
But, rather the base-line starting point for the minimum expectation.

42. Above-Optimal Productivity
It’s not about having 20% free time
It’s about better utilizing and understanding our time

43. Above-Optimal Utilization
There is a percentage of our time optimal for an opportunity to:
Pool Resources Collaborative Environments
maximize down-time for group benefit work with teams outside the norm
Inventory Management Enhance Skill-sets
produce forward to stay ahead of schedule work with skills beyond the day-to-day
Self-Management Satisfaction Supply Chain Efficiency
have greater ownership over creative endeavors ensure inherent organizational synergy

44. Location, Location, Location
Let us focus on the “Where We Do It”

45. We’ve all been here

46. Where do our best ideas form?
The answer is never “in the 5th floor conference room at 10am”.
Our best ideas usually come to us elsewhere:
• While jogging or in the shower
• Right before bed or as soon as we wake-up
• When we’re thinking about something else

47. Environment Matters
The goal is to be able to walk into a space and say,
“Yes, I can be creative here today”.

48. Where we work matters

49. Remove Boredom from the Board Room

50. More than a Bookshelf, it’s a Canvas!

51. Not a Kitchen, a Collaboration Opportunity

52. Your Space as a Member of the Team

53. “Understanding why something was
successful is fundamentally different
than simply copying the steps that
were taken to achieve that success.

54. The Designer’s Dilemma
The question asked most often by designers is ...
Why don’t we have a seat at the table?

55. Vernacular
“ The primary issue within any organization
almost always comes down to communication. ”

56. Remotely Relevant
I’m not making this shit up, we’re in the middle of the “talent wars”.
It’s about harnessing the energy created from talent and passion.
Marissa Mayer: The Future of Yahoo!

57. Managing Creatives
A wrap-up with a quick rant on
leadership and management in a creative field.

58. “I believe that design managers
should be focused more on their
people than their portfolio.

59. “ I believe that leaders lead
designers to great solutions
rather than provide their solution
in front of those they lead.
You do not lead simply because you’ve stepped in front of someone else and they followed suit.

60. “ I believe that creatives’ unique
inspiration driven nature and
passion leaves us easily susceptible
to burnout and disengagement.
A nature that is unfortunately often overlooked by ignorance and left to malnourishment

61. “ The pit crew pays little attention
to the finish-line, their focus is on
ensuring the car and the driver
simply get there.
Output is a measure for success, when it’s the focus, the crucial resources to get you there break-down.

62. We’re Different Dammit!
The way we work is different, and is the way we hire, the way we communicate,
the way we collaborate, as well as the way in which we learn and grow.
• We must advocate to be our own HR team
• We must fight for our own budgets
• We must take better control of our own Comms
• We must learn to run our team like a business

63. Designing :-)
And, happiness is the hardest thing to design of all; it is subjective and fickle

64. Thank You.

65. http://marty.com
I’m Martin Ringlein and I don’t bite. Say Hi.