I started my current job in March of 2020. Many of us remember something clearly about the month that COVID started to shut things down. I remember being surprised to hear that my new on-site-only job would be starting in my living room over zoom. How do you lead a design team when none of the team members live near each other and creativity is highly collaborative? Taking from over a decade of working in HR software, I knew whatever I did needed to put people first. That what employees love about a job is often deeper than the work, it’s the culture, the relationships and people they work with. It’s the feeling that their work has value, and their contribution matters. In this talk I will walk though some of the rituals and best practices I have learned over the last two years building a remote-first creative team.

1. High-Fives over Zoom:
Creating a Remote-First Creative Team
Lauren Schaefer
UX Director at Seesaw
@lorielue

2. A Little Background
Remote Relationships
Supporting Creativity
CAMPS
4 Rituals
Agenda
Image by Bellinon from Pixabay

3. Background

7. 2008 - 2020

12. Remote Relationships

14. https://www.betterup.com/blog/human-connection
“Human connection is a deep bond that’s formed
between people when they feel seen and valued. During
an authentic human connection, people exchange
positive energy with one another and build trust.”
Why was remote Suddenly
intimidating?

15. https://blog.zoom.us/vanishing-pen-informacast-new-meeting-reactions-zoom-team-chat-management/

16. Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

18. Image by amrothman from Pixabay

19. People who worked in an environment
where friendships could develop and be
maintained were more likely to report
higher levels of job satisfaction, job
involvement, and organizational
commitment, and they were less likely to
leave that job.
-Riordan and Griffeth (1995)
https://psu.pb.unizin.org/socialpsychmethodsjmc948/chapter/love-friendship-and-social-support-noba/

22. https://psu.pb.unizin.org/socialpsychmethodsjmc948/chapter/love-friendship-and-social-support-noba/
Employees who had “close
friends” at work were almost
50%
more satisfied.

23. Remote Relationships
● Can be just as, or more fulfilling than in-person relationships
● Must be supported with intentional spaces for frequent interactions
● Should allow for unscripted freedoms and awkwardness
● Can increase job satisfaction

24. Supporting Creativity

29. Supporting Creativity
● Creating room for exploring, and supporting risks
● Leading by example with experimentation that incorporates team input
● Trusting and promoting creative space
● Knowing your people, and what gets them excited

30. C.A.M.P.S

31. ENGAGED
DISENGAGED

32. C.A.M.P.S
Certainty Autonomy Meaning Progress Social Inclusion

39. 4 Rituals

40. Mission: Relationships & Creativity
Creating a fully remote creative team with concentrated and crafted
opportunities to connect and be heard, unscripted, on both sides.
Creating spaces and opportunities for uncomfortable silences, vulnerability,
and a multitude of situations and to get creative, explore, and observe each
other in order to innovate, create relationships and build trust.

41. ✔️ Final List
Team Visibility
of Work
Opportunities
for Collaboration
Team building
and Comradery
Collective
Growth

42. 1. Visibility of Work
Image by Manfred Steger from Pixabay

45. 2. Encourage
Collaboration
Image by Manfred Steger from Pixabay

46. https://www.toptal.com/designers/product-design/productive-design-critique-guide

47. “Social support is the active
ingredient that makes our
relationships particularly
beneficial.”
- JENNIFER CROYLE

51. 3. Team Building
and Comradery
Image by Manfred Steger from Pixabay

53. Quick Planning
Virtual Escape Room
No shipping needed

54. Focus on Team Interests
Tea Tasting
Including International Variations

57. Smaller Team Event
Holiday Party Mixer Tasting
Option for Club Soda or Tequila

58. Company Cheer
6 Person Painting Event
Works with any even numbered team

61. 4. Collective
Growth
Image by Manfred Steger from Pixabay

65. T-Shirt Competition

67. Thank you!
@lorielue