More and more companies now have internal design teams, with new teams being created every day. The conversation has long since moved from “should we have a design team” to “how many designers/teams do we need”. Yet in many cases, design needs — whether ground-level production or broader organization capital-d Design — remain unfulfilled.
It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the best possible engagements for an external design team is when there’s already an internal team. Working in tandem towards a shared set of goals, these teams can help further grow the internal team, tackle major projects while maintaining day-to-day design needs, and provide greater flexibility for the ever-changing design needs throughout the company.
That is, if the engagement is set up effectively. Bringing in an external team is not without its risks, from confusion over roles to inter-team competitiveness. But by starting with the right engagement model, planning and implementing the external engagement effectively, and ensuring the right kind of ongoing support, these pitfalls can easily be overcome.
To help teams who are considering bringing in an external design partner, and those who have already decided to do so but want to ensure success, we’ve put together our guide to Accelerate Your Design Team with an External Design Partner. This eBook covers:
- Why to engage an external design partner
- Different engagement models between internal and external teams
- Problems that can arise with a design partner
- Strategies for ensuring success when bringing in an external team
eBook: Accelerate Your Design Team with an External Design Partner
Looking for an external design partner? Fuzzy Math offers comprehensive UX design services, including UX Organization Design, and has been a proven partner to teams of all sizes in each of the engagement models detailed in this guide.