Theme 3 Discussion
Summary
Shameless opens the conversation addressing the difficulty of synchronizing remote teams across time zones, likening collaboration to dance and emphasizing the need to replicate energy and nonverbal cues asynchronously. Anthony Arman Derraz and Michelle highlight the complexity of designers working between agency and in-house cultures, underscoring code-switching and mutual respect to maintain both identities. Darryl differentiates handling toxic relationships from inside versus outside perspectives, noting internal conversations can be easier but carry more risk. Solomon and others emphasize the importance of clarifying expectations early and fostering open conversations to bridge gaps between client demands and what consultants can deliver. Charzade shares positive outcomes from the pandemic, including increased trust, closer teams despite physical distance, and a more human approach to client relationships. Darian and others reflect on cultural aspects and the uncertain future of remote work, debating whether the new trust and flexibility will last after the pandemic.
Key Insights
-
•
Remote collaboration benefits from adopting dance-like cues to signal and synchronize asynchronous communication.
-
•
Maintaining two distinct organizational cultures requires intentional routines, mutual respect, and one-on-ones between teams.
-
•
Code-switching between company languages helps embedded agency designers effectively integrate without losing identity.
-
•
Outside consultants can exit toxic relationships cleanly, while insiders face more complex, riskier navigation.
-
•
Explicit conversations about project expectations reduce gaps between client demands and consultancy deliverables.
-
•
Pandemic conditions unexpectedly strengthened trust and personal connections among remote teams.
-
•
Being transparent about not knowing everything upfront helps agencies set realistic expectations with clients.
-
•
Workplace cultures that respect personal time and avoid long hours improve collaborative outcomes.
-
•
Remote work humanizes professional relationships by blending personal and business contexts.
-
•
The future of agency work may require evolving beyond traditional models due to economic and global shifts.
Notable Quotes
"I gave birth to two things at once: my talk and my son Mateo within two days."
"How do we dance at a distance? That is the real tricky part of remote teamwork."
"When I was at IBM, embedded designers were expected to fit in seamlessly, which was an honor."
"Code-switching between your native tongue and someone else’s helps foster better connection."
"The happier their team is, the better the work they deliver for me will be."
"When you’re on the outside, there’s always an end to the relationship; it’s very clear and clean."
"Sometimes you need somebody else to tell you something obvious, like consultants should not be expected to know everything upfront."
"The pandemic pulled our remote team much closer—being physically apart made us feel closer."
"A real test of trust happened where I could confidently step away from micromanaging after we shifted online."
"We are all becoming more human in work, stripping away masks and fronts, which strengthens relationships."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Your resume, your portfolio, your body of work should reflect you as a human being."
Dave Hoffer Joanne WeaverUX Job Search AMA #2 with Joanne Weaver and Dave Hoffer
May 21, 2025
"The more people know about HITS, the more they want to use it, though some teams have cultural resistance."
Matt DuignanHITS, Microsoft's internal human insight system: From research library to living body of knowledge
July 16, 2019
"Managing to outcome, not output, lets people own their way of working and leverages their best strengths."
Bria Alexander Laura Gatewood Corey Long Daniel Orbach Laine Prokay Deanna SmithThe Big Question about Resilience: A panel discussion
September 23, 2024
"Discovery doesn’t usually come with a launch party or even its own Jira ticket, but it’s what turns speed into progress."
Bianca JeffersonFrom Sprints to Systems: Operationalizing Continuous Discovery Through DesignOps
September 10, 2025
"The Quality Experience score helps executives make confident decisions by summarizing digital experience quality in a single number."
Rima Campbell Amrit S BhachuIncrease Productivity and Drive Business Impact
September 24, 2024
"Kate Middleton has been doing this for a hot minute, invested in maintaining the status quo because if it ain't broke, why fix it?"
Melinda BelcherBridging the Gap: Making the Most of the Differences Between Agency and Enterprise
January 8, 2024
"You want to separate out those distractions from the actual tasks."
Marc Majers Tony TurnerInterrupted UX - Add A Dose of Reality To Usability Testing
March 11, 2022
"Audacity means being willing to do things that seem dumb or risky because that’s how you innovate."
Deanna Washington Tim Allen Jeff Courcelle John Maeda Matt Raw Erica TjaderScaling Success: Paving the Path from DesignOps to VP
October 4, 2023
"I recently observed a director of engineering talking to a content strategist about what they were both seeing because they were both in the actual physical room at the same time."
Vicky Teinaki Michele Marut Tim ParmeeShort Take #3: UX/Product Lessons from Your Industry Peers
December 6, 2022
