Agile Team Structure
- Lana Hazelton
- Sep 15, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 6, 2023
Roles and functions in interior design teams.
Post 3. “Agile in Interior Design, Dealing With Large Projects” series.
The series answers the question of how to automate and scale the interior design process without loss of creativity.
Architectural and interior design are often linked to personal brands rather than organizations. Kelly Wearstler, Bobby Berk, or Nate Berkus to name a few. What is less obvious is that behind these brand names are creative teams. And these creative teams are the propelling power of brand success.
The ability to get the right people together and provide a productive, respectful, and collaborative work environment is important for the success of any team or any project. But it is merely crucial for the success of creative teams to build an environment where creativity is flourishing and at the same time, the working process is not just effective but streamlined and constantly perfected.
Creative teams are Agile by nature. They are usually small, flexible, and very adaptive to change because the very essence of creative afford is creating things that did not exist before. Creative teams create change.
“An agile team is a small, cross-functional group of individuals who collaborate closely to deliver software or products in a flexible and iterative manner, often following agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban.” PMI
For me, it sounds like it was written for our interior design team, despite the team had been formed long before we learned about this definition:) Below is our team structure:
As you see, it is only six of us and we do not have traditional levels of authority within the team. We rely on collaboration more than on hierarchy. All team members have diverse skill sets and can assist each other with different tasks, except the 3D Artist. The 3D artist is a specialist in 3D Max but he can assist the team with drawings preparation if we have a high volume of drawings and a low volume of 3D visualizations.
The key to success in our case is collaboration and a well-defined work process. We also practice servant leadership. The team leader is responsible for communication with the customer and collaboration with the rest of the project participants such as authorities, architectural and engineering companies, etc. That shields the team from destruction and allows team members to focus on their work.
We can scale if we have a high workload or a tight deadline. When we need to increase capacity we can add one more team (or even more than one if it is necessary). But we still have one team lead and one manager.
Role descriptions: Designer The Designer develops the conceptual design for the project (in collaboration with the Team Lead). Selects materials, develops color schemes, selects furniture and light fixtures, works on space planning, and creates main layouts (floor layout, ceiling layout, electricity layout). The designer is also responsible for developing material specifications, the key millwork elements, and key accent elements. The designer is responsible for consistency in style throughout the project. 3D Artist Creates photorealistic images according to the technical tasks received from the Designer. The technical task includes layouts, elevations, and cross-sections of the area under 3D modeling, material selection, color schemes, textures, and sets of furniture and light fixtures. 3D Artist works in close collaboration and constant communication with the Interior Designer. 3D Artist is also skillful in preparing drawings and can switch from 3D modeling to drafting.
Draft Person The Draft Person prepares drawings based on technical tasks from the designer. Completing elevations, layouts, and cross-sections for all areas under design. Calculates material areas and number of items and fills specifications prepared by the Designer.
Manager
The manager is responsible for the coordination of work with material suppliers and subcontractors producing custom-made items for our interiors. The manager sends out requests for information, requests for quotations, checks quotations for compliance with the Interior Design Projects, manages payments, and oversees deliveries and installations. The manager also actively helps the Designer select the right items by sharing knowledge of the market and communicating with the factories and production companies. The manager can assist the Team Lead with various communication-related tasks.
Team Lead The Team Lead is responsible for communicating with the customer and ensuring customer satisfaction with the project outcome. Responsible for administrative work (proposals, presentations, contracts, establishing and maintaining document turnover and storing system, team administration, etc.). Responsible for coordinating team efforts with other project participants: General Contractor, engineers, authorities, press, etc. In our case, the Team Lead can fill in for the Interior Designer, the Manager, and the Draft Person if it is necessary.
Conclusion
The Agile approach is really beneficial for organizing the work of interior design teams, and it is especially effective when it comes to large projects. As practice shows small, cross-functional, highly adaptable design teams thrive using Agile tools and methodologies. Agile emphasizes, flexibility, customer collaboration, and continuous improvement based on feedback. It also promotes clear communication, transparency, and awareness about the end goal.
In the interior design field, where the range of tasks sprawls from conceptualizing designs and 3D modeling to managing project logistics, the Agile framework provides the structure and enables teams to stay on track with their daily tasks while creating stunning spaces.
I hope this post was useful or informative. Please join the discussion and share your insights on how Agile principles can benefit creative teams. Your input is valuable, and together, we can continue to refine and excel in creative industries.
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