Designers and developers are two completely different types of people, right? The old right brain vs. left brain stereotype. Yet you need web designers and developers to collaborate well to create a beautiful and functional website. How is this possible when programmers are technical geeks and designers are fluffy artsy types? If your organization’s creative and technical teams don’t work well together, you could be in for big problems in your marketing and sales. Let’s look at the downsides of this clash and some solutions that will result in a gorgeous website that attracts customers and sells your brand perfectly.
Working in Silos
Many problems arise when designers and developers don’t see eye to eye. Not only do you end up with a website that is less attractive than you would like, but it may not function well, and be a sub-par experience for your visitors leading to less leads or sales. When the two teams are not communicating well, important copy or graphics may get lost, functionality may be confused, and the project timeline will be off track. Dysfunction within a team equals a lower quality end product: your website. Your website is one of the most critical assets—if not the most important asset—for marketing your business!
In addition, if the teams are within your organization, the disharmony of poor collaboration can disrupt working relationships, creating an environment where morale is low, and the blame game is everyone’s first impulse. When all stakeholders are in constant communication and are open to collaboration, everyone benefits.
Busting the Myth of Us vs. Them
First off, let’s change the dynamic here. Developers are actually very creative, using problem-solving skills to complement their technical prowess when they make things function on a website or in an app. And creatives, including graphic designers, copywriters, and UX designers, use their knowledge of their craft to create a website that makes sense, communicates a clear message, and works as a unified whole. So, geeks are creative, and artists have technical skills. And it is even better if both teams have some knowledge in the other area so they can understand each other’s points of view, work together to solve problems, and synergize their talents into a cohesive presentation for potential clients.
The Benefits of Collaborative Tech and Creative Teams
The most obvious benefit to your company when the website creation process is smooth is that you have a website that does what it needs to do: sell your products or services well. It may seem like it doesn’t matter how you get to a great website, but an integrated process will not just get you a better end product but will help you realize tangible advantages in design, content, and function. In addition, when a team collaborates, they spur each other on to better ideas, playing off each other to come up with superior solutions.
For your website, having a collaborative team that tries new ideas means that your management can be involved in the process, helping to shape the final product to best work for your company. An iterative process where creative and tech try new ideas together can give you further options, prototypes to test, and a way for you to apply your creativity to the process of development. A collaborative environment positively impacts everyone in your company, giving them ways to communicate their ideas and thoughts and bring their best selves to the table.
A positive environment of communicative teamwork has so many advantages for your company. You end up with a better website to use as a marketing hub, which should improve your sales and profits. You create a positive work culture that values workers and their ideas, which improves morale and retention. And you have a priceless marketing asset—your website—from which springs all your other marketing and sales activities.
Finding the Right Tools to Enable Collaboration
One great way to achieve an inherently collaborative process is to use and implement a collaboration tool that works for your team and that every stakeholder has access to in real-time. Our team has found that both Figma and Miro are great collaboration tools to get from early UX stages through design and all the way to development all while staying in the loop. Regardless of which tool(s) you choose, having a web-based method for collaboration is essential to staying on track and having a smooth website process.
The Upshot
Whatever you do to get a tech-savvy creative team working diligently on your website, you will improve your business. If you have some or all of the right talent on your staff, you can work to make the process a more collaborative activity. If you need extra help on either creative or tech teams, hiring a small agency to supplement your staff can be an efficient way to build a team without hiring staff you may not otherwise need. If you want that collaboration with an outside team, a technically knowledgeable small marketing agency will have all the elements in place for you. They can take the time to listen to your needs and ideas and work with you to get a solid website that moves your business forward. But whatever you do, remember to foster the interaction and cooperation that will ensure you get the best possible website to market your business.
Looking to partner with an agency? Take a look at our capabilities or book a 15 minute call with us and let’s see if we’d be a good fit!