There are very few projects that can be accomplished on your own. Literally thousands of people may be involved in the making of a big-budget blockbuster. Even activities that we normally think of as solo endeavors will usually involve the contributions of several individuals.
Take writing a book, for example. We often picture an author working by themselves, typing away each day to craft their story. But while the author may come up with the story idea on their own, getting it to publication requires collaboration.
There are beta readers and editors who offer important feedback, agents who pitch the book to publishers and of course, the many people who bring that book to life at the publishing company.
If something as individual as writing a book is actually a team effort, then surely fine-tuning your company’s web design should also be a collaborative process. While not everyone will be involved in the actual programming of the site, collaboration can help you avoid costly mistakes and create a stronger, more customer-friendly experience.
To get some additional insight on how collaboration can spur more creative and effective web design, I reached out to Meredith Cooper, director of product marketing for Adobe's Creative Cloud Enterprise.
Her company has recently begun hosting what it terms “Creative Jams” -- events featuring expert speakers and team competitions that fuel a collaborative, learning-oriented mindset.
“Designers are hungry to learn. They’re hungry to experiment and try to push the boundaries and innovate, and we provide this through a new and different forum for learning,” she explains.
“This community platform for learning goes a long way in terms of not only helping creative designers hone their craft or learn new skill sets, but also to help them feel really good about what they’re doing so they can feel inspired and feel like their work matters.”
The competitive nature of the events has served as a powerful transformative tool, as designers of different backgrounds and talent levels are forced to work together. This creates an environment where everyone learns from each other as they adapt to new tools and processes.
Such collaborative experiences have been found to significantly improve results in the workplace. A 2014 study from Stanford found that collaboration improves engagement and the ability to stick to a task while simultaneously reducing fatigue and emotional burnout.
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