5 Ways to Build Trust with Team Members

Lessons learned from working remotely on design projects

Four individuals standing in a circle discussing a topic as a group.
Source: ManyPixels
Four individuals sitting at a table having a team meeting.
Source: ManyPixels

1. Be clear on project requirements upfront

Aligning with Team Members

A screenshot illustrating the “pages” feature in a productivity app called Notion.
Break things down into systematic chunks by utilizing pages in Notion
A screenshot illustrating the “boards” feature in a productivity app called Notion.
The kanban board view
A screenshot illustrating the “properties” feature in a productivity app called Notion.
The different properties we kept track of for each deliverable

Create Document & Presentation Templates

A screenshot conveying two deliverables in Google Drive — one for creating new docs and one for creating new slide decks.
Templates for documents and slide decks
  • No spelling or grammar mistakes
  • A table of contents
  • Headers, footers, and page numbers
  • Clear document context
Four individuals sitting in chairs having a brainstorming session.
Source: ManyPixels

2. Over-communicate

Two individuals holding puzzle pieces with a light bulb in the middle symbolizing problem-solving.
Source: ManyPixels

3. Lead by example—share ideas and offer help

Three individuals in a circle holding hands representing team success.
Source: ManyPixels

4. Hold each other accountable

  • Divide and conquer
  • Plan your time wisely
  • Set hard and fast rules — before submitting a document, create a deadline for reviewing it with team members
  • All documents include a consistent layout with proper context (see above)
  • Each team member’s design files are cleaned up
  • Your folder structure has a consistent naming convention and is thoroughly organized for clients to browse through
Two individuals sitting at a table having a conversation.
Source: ManyPixels

5. Be open and honest — address difficult issues when they arise

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Product designer at Gusto — celinefucci.com

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