Summary
When design teams start to grow within hyper-growth startups, there is often a natural fear that the design culture will change as a result. It doesn’t have to. By encouraging best practices on recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and interviewing for “culture fit” you can benefit from a more diverse and culture rich team. Join Meredith Black for a talk on the vision and values of scaling the design culture at Pinterest while also designing for 175 million users.
Key Insights
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Creating a strong design culture starting from the core values of the company is essential.
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Collaboration among design, product management, and engineering is key to decision-making at Pinterest.
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Hiring for culture fit is as important as hiring for design skills in a rapidly growing team.
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Promoting diversity within the design team enhances creativity and reflects a global user base.
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Innovative team-building events like NITCON and workshops help inspire creativity and maintain team morale.
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Regular feedback and open communication foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
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Designers should be familiar with both the strengths and weaknesses of the products they work on.
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Encouraging ongoing education and inspiration is critical to prevent designer burnout.
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Understanding and adapting to team dynamics is essential as team size expands.
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Hiring carefully and deliberately is crucial to preserving the team's established culture.
Notable Quotes
"Design always has a seat at the table at Pinterest because our co-founder is a designer."
"At Pinterest, we call our collaborative decision-making process 'knitting.'"
"One in three designers on our team is from another country, promoting diverse perspectives."
"Burnout isn't a result of working too much; it stems from a lack of stimulation."
"We created Bash Bingo Days to make updating our legacy design fun."
"The Yarn Ball Speaker Series allows designers to share their unique stories in intimate settings."
"We have a tradition called Fika, or tea time, for designers to bond over coffee and dessert."
"It's easier to hire someone than it is to let go of someone who disrupts team culture."
"The right hire can contribute significantly to user experience and team dynamics."
"We want candidates to join for the right reasons, not just because we are a trendy workplace."
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