Transforming Creative Culture
From Commodity to Strategic Partner: How DAI's Creative Team Office Hours Elevated the Role of Design.
As Art Director, I led DAI's in-house creative team of designers to create a series of office hours aimed at promoting creativity and collaboration within our department. Our goal was to share knowledge and best practices through design reviews and workshops on various design topics and create a space for designers and non-designers to connect and learn from each other. We also aimed to increase the visibility of the creative team across DAI's global team and encourage leadership to invest more in design as a business strategy. Over 200 to 400 people attended the sessions, and the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive.
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Improved Quality of Work
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Encouraged Collaboration
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Increased Visibility of Creative Team.
Design : Gawon Lee
Creative lead & Art Direction : Kellie Dubois
Measurable Improvement
The initiative was a huge success, with an average of 200 to 400 people attending each session. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as 'loved it and found it super helpful,' 'very professional,' and 'great way to start the day!' The initiative also resulted in measurable improvements in the quality of our work, with designers becoming more comfortable speaking in public and having more time to build marketing strategy. This led to DAI recognizing us as a strategic part of their communication efforts, not just a commodity that makes things look pretty. Furthermore, employees learned to use tools like PowerPoint, Power BI, and newsletter platforms more effectively, resulting in more requests for specific topics to explore in future office hours. The office hour initiative also positively impacted the culture and morale of the creative team and the broader organization, with attendees in a happy mood to start their day and volunteering to record the sessions and share them with others.
Collaborative and Inclusive Initiative
I played a pivotal role in organizing and leading the office hour initiative. I designed and facilitated each session, ensuring they were informative and engaging for attendees. I also encouraged team members to share their knowledge and best practices, creating a more collaborative and inclusive environment. In addition, I played a key role in promoting the initiative across the broader organization, which led to increased visibility of the creative team and encouraged leadership to invest more in design as a business strategy.
Driving Collaboration and Design Thinking: The Impact of Creative Team Office Hours
The office hour initiative was a game-changer for the creative team and the wider organization, demonstrating the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Through this initiative, I learned the importance of promoting creativity and design thinking in the workplace and how it can lead to measurable improvements in the quality of our work. It also helped me develop my leadership and problem-solving skills and encouraged me to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the world of design.
