Cultivating Design: Building a Team That Thrives on Purpose and Innovation

Setting the Foundation: Vision and Purpose

Defining the Ideal Design Team: The ideal design team, in my view, functions as an evolving organism—constantly adapting, learning, and growing. Its foundation is rooted in self-reflection, where each member contributes to a collective purpose. Just as a gardener tends to a garden, leadership creates the conditions for growth. The garden’s soil, rich and nourishing, represents our team’s foundational values. These values are not fixed or perfect; they are cultivated and enriched over time through experience, challenges, and a shared commitment to purpose.

A gardener knows that soil is the first and most essential element in a thriving ecosystem, and similarly, I believe a design team’s foundation is what allows it to flourish or falter. Every seed that enters this space, every designer who joins this team, draws from the soil—its nutrients, its depth, its resilience. Soil isn’t static; it changes with each addition, adapting and replenishing through intentional, conscious nurturing.

A garden doesn’t thrive simply by the gardener’s hand; it’s an interplay between vision and the unpredictable nature of the garden, full of possibility. Just as seeds require different conditions to bloom, team members bring unique talents, experiences, and needs. A gardener knows when to enrich the soil, when to water, when to let nature take its course, and when to step in to provide guidance.

In the same way, a design leader’s role is to foster a space that allows for this evolving balance. When a team feels grounded in purpose, supported by trust, and infused with vision, it naturally reaches for innovation, collaboration, and excellence. Like a garden in full bloom, a well-cultivated design team becomes more than the sum of its parts; it becomes a testament to the vision that set its roots, a dynamic ecosystem built on intention and reflection.

Building a Thriving Ecosystem: An ideal design team, like a well-tended garden, depends on foundational values and an environment ripe for growth. But, just as in nature, there are inevitable challenges in scaling a team and maintaining that ideal balance in a dynamic organisation. At Carsales, we encountered these challenges firsthand as we expanded from a small organisation into a rapidly evolving, cross-functional team. This phase was much like a seedling breaking through the earth, striving for sunlight amid environmental constraints—a true test of resilience and adaptability.

Challenges in Building a Cross-Functional Team: As Carsales grew, we welcomed diverse talents and perspectives into our ecosystem, each one adding to our collective potential. However, integrating these varied skills into a cohesive team required navigating complex differences in priorities, communication styles, and methodologies. Just as a gardener considers the compatibility of different plants, we had to ensure that team members from disciplines like design, engineering, marketing, and product management could align with our shared vision.

Rapid growth also required us to maintain a unified purpose amid the noise of expansion. Each member of the cross-functional team had to understand not only their own responsibilities but also how their contributions intertwined with their colleagues’. Fostering individual creativity while cultivating a collective direction was a delicate balance.

To overcome these obstacles, we focused on building trust and open communication. Much like enriching soil, we introduced practices that encouraged dialogue, feedback, and shared learning. Regular touchpoints and collaborative workshops became our tools for fostering understanding and inclusivity.

As we navigated these challenges, we saw the beauty of diversity within our team. Different backgrounds brought fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and unique problem-solving approaches, transforming potential friction into fertile ground for creativity. Reflecting on those times, we recognise that the challenges we faced were not merely obstacles but opportunities for growth and transformation. Embracing these challenges became a cornerstone of our identity as a team, paving the way for a culture where adaptability and collaboration thrived.

Crafting the Team Structure

Core Team with Embedded Product Designers: The Core Team emerged as a central, cohesive organism operating independently of any specific departmental structure, allowing it to maintain a high-level perspective on the organisation’s entire product design ecosystem. Composed of key design and technical leads, including a UX Research Lead, UX Lead, Frontend Lead, and myself, we formed the backbone of a thriving ecosystem that transcended silos and fostered collaboration.

Our primary function was to cultivate design principles, craft strategic roadmaps, and devise initiatives that shaped the organisation’s design vision. Much like a gardener tending diverse plants, we ensured alignment at an organisational level, nurturing a cohesive design approach across various teams. By driving company-wide research initiatives, we enriched the soil from which innovation could grow.

In harmony with this structure, we adopted the Spotify Agile Tribe Model, embedding product designers within cross-functional teams throughout the organisation. This allowed for deeper collaboration and integration of design across functional areas. Embedded designers thrived under the Core Team’s guidance, gaining access to essential resources and insights that empowered them to contribute effectively while adhering to overarching design standards and strategies.

Strategic Roadmap with Short-Term and Long-Term Goals:
A well-defined roadmap served as the compass guiding our journey through the evolving landscape of product design. This roadmap was a living framework, balancing immediate objectives with future aspirations. Short-term goals provided immediate focus and measurable outcomes, keeping the team energised. In contrast, our long-term goals represented the horizon toward which we aimed, embodying our vision for design at Carsales.

By embracing this dual focus, we nurtured a culture of adaptability, encouraging our team to remain nimble while grounded in a clear direction. This balance fostered ownership, as team members could see how their contributions aligned with both immediate impacts and the broader vision.

Establishing the Operating Model

Setting Up the Operating Rhythm and Rituals: The heartbeat of a thriving design ecosystem lies in its operating rhythm and rituals. Much like natural growth cycles in a garden, our team flourished through a structured cadence that kept us aligned and engaged. We implemented regular sprints, feedback sessions, and retrospectives, each serving as a vital ritual fostering collaboration and innovation.

Sprints became our cultivation cycles, focusing our energy on specific objectives. Feedback sessions, like gentle rain, provided insights to adjust our course and refine designs. Retrospectives allowed us to reflect on our journey, analyzing successes and areas needing growth. This disciplined yet flexible operating model fostered a culture of accountability, empowering each team member to contribute their best.

Understanding the Maturity Curve of Product Design: As we grew, we became aware of the maturity curve of product design, a natural progression that mirrored our team’s development. Initially, we adopted foundational practices, enriching the “soil” with essential principles. As confidence grew, we refined advanced design approaches, evolving in mindset and practice. This curve encouraged lifelong learning and continuous improvement, ensuring we remained adaptable and responsive.

Equipping the Team with Collaborative Spaces and Resources

Dedicated UX War Room: At the heart of our creative ecosystem was the UX War Room—a dynamic space that embodied collaboration and innovation. This room, more than a physical space, became a hub where ideas could take flight. Whiteboards adorned with sketches became our canvas, capturing ideas as they transformed from concepts into solutions.

The War Room enabled rapid problem-solving, allowing us to tackle issues in real time. Agile methodologies guided our processes, allowing us to pivot quickly. Here, we were not just colleagues but co-creators, united in delivering exceptional user experiences.

In-House Testing Lab: Complementing our War Room, the In-House Testing Lab became a cornerstone of our user-centered design philosophy. This space allowed for fast, iterative development, gathering invaluable user feedback in real time. Each testing session became a journey of discovery, illuminating user needs and informing design decisions.

The Testing Lab enabled swift iteration, transforming feedback into actionable insights. With each session, we honed our understanding of user behaviour, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Nurturing a Culture of Inclusivity and Innovation

Challenging the Status Quo: In design, stagnation is the enemy of progress. Our philosophy was a commitment to challenging the status quo, where questioning and experimentation were celebrated. Brainstorming sessions became spaces for vibrant ideas, encouraging team members to propose bold new approaches without fear of judgment.

Every challenge was an opportunity for exploration, inviting us to rethink methods and embrace alternative perspectives. This ethos fostered resilience and an unwavering belief that great design emerges when we dare to ask “What if?” and “Why not?”

Being Inclusive While Embracing Diversity: Central to innovation was our commitment to inclusivity and diversity. A diverse team, drawing from varied backgrounds, enriched our creative process. Each perspective enhanced our intelligence, equipping us with a wide array of strategies to navigate challenges with agility.

By creating spaces where everyone felt seen and valued, we fostered collaboration and trust. We found that valued team members are more likely to contribute their best work and share innovative ideas.

Conclusion

Reflecting on our journey at Carsales, we see a profound transformation in our design team. This evolution established us as a collaborative force ready to tackle complexities in a rapidly changing landscape.

By fostering inclusivity and innovation, we created an environment where creativity thrived. Our culture of challenging the status quo empowered us to redefine possibilities, while our commitment to diversity enriched our resilience. Our collaborative spaces, like the UX War Room and Testing Lab, encouraged agility and camaraderie.

Our achievements reflect the power of collaboration and user-centered design. The culture we built will inspire future generations of designers to push boundaries, embrace diversity, and prioritise inclusivity. As we move forward, we remain committed to nurturing a culture that values creativity and collaboration, reaffirming our belief that together, we can create extraordinary experiences that resonate deeply with our users.