cultivate collaboration
In an era where we find solace and comfort in the 'likes' and approval of our peers, it's quick to realize that we've become more competitive in nature as a society. We've learned to value success and winning over sharing and collaboration. In addition, fast fashion has shifted the consumer mindset away from one-of-a-kind to one-of-many, and fashion designers have been forced to adapt their methods of design as well. This unhealthy combination has caused creativity to be pushed aside to make way for speed.
Designers have become afraid of expressing their creativity. We’re no longer expressing ourselves through all of our vulnerability, but rather holding on to our art until it is 'perfect'. I have news for you - perfection isn't real. It is a made up scale that we’ve conjured in our heads to compare ourselves to, and it hinders authentic design.
“perfection isn’t real."
Now is not the time to be doubting your ability to start a business. Recent studies have shown that a third of closed businesses do not expect to reopen. This pandemic is going to leave a huge gap across various markets. Now is the time to believe in yourself, and take action on your ideas. Trust me, your idea is AMAZING, VALUED, and DESIRABLE.
I’ve never been one to enjoy working alone, and in fact go so far as to say that I thrive in collaborative environments. Collaboration is an opportunity to put multiple ideas on the table from different perspectives. It may seem overwhelming (like too many cooks at the table), but there are ways to collaborate effectively. The goal of collaboration is not to follow someone else’s path, but to encourage, share, and complete one another.
You can start by curating an environment where peoples ideas are welcomed. Create time in your development calendar where you have an ‘idea dump’. Let everyone bring ideas to the table, share ideas or inspiration they have been seeing, or talk about opportunities they think your product should move in. Everybody in your company comes from different walks of life, and experiences parts of the business in different ways too. Customer service is a valuable resource that rarely gets included in product meetings, and yet they have the most intimate experiences with your customers.
Development calendars should begin with Vision & Research, move to Strategy, and then Design. Allow yourself time for creativity again. Build exploration back into your timeline, and reignite the value of authentic creation again.
If you want help crafting a calendar that builds in collaborative/creative time again, drop me a note!