Building and Scaling a Design Team at Redmadrobot
Building and Scaling a Design Team at Redmadrobot
Growing a design team from 10 to 30 people while building the structure, processes, and culture to support its growth.
Growing a design team from 10 to 30 people while building the structure, processes, and culture to support its growth.
• Leadership
• Leadership
Context
Redmadrobot is a digital product agency working with leading brands across banking, telecom, and technology.
Redmadrobot is a digital product agency working with leading brands across banking, telecom, and technology.
I grew from Product Designer to Design Director, eventually leading a multidisciplinary team of 30 designers over four years.
I grew from Product Designer to Design Director, eventually leading a multidisciplinary team of 30 designers over four years.
My focus was on building a team that could grow sustainably, deliver consistently strong work, and give people room to develop.
My focus was on building a team that could grow sustainably, deliver consistently strong work, and give people room to develop.
The challenge
Scaling the team without losing what made it good.
Scaling the team without losing what made it good.
As the company grew, the design team needed more structure, clearer expectations, and a consistent approach to delivering work.
As the company grew, the design team needed more structure, clearer expectations, and a consistent approach to delivering work.
The challenge was to introduce these foundations without sacrificing creativity, independence, or the team’s culture.
The challenge was to introduce these foundations without sacrificing creativity, independence, or the team’s culture.
Scaling the team
Building a team that could grow with the business.
Building a team that could grow with the business.
Developed the team structure, hiring practices, and onboarding approach to support growth across multiple projects and disciplines.
Developed the team structure, hiring practices, and onboarding approach to support growth across multiple projects and disciplines.
The team grew from 10 to 30 designers, with clearer responsibilities and opportunities to take ownership.
The team grew from 10 to 30 designers, with clearer responsibilities and opportunities to take ownership.
Growing people
Connecting individual ambitions with business needs.
Connecting individual ambitions with business needs.
Created a design skillset and career framework to make expectations and growth opportunities transparent.
Created a design skillset and career framework to make expectations and growth opportunities transparent.
Introduced individual development plans aligned with both designers’ ambitions and company needs, supported by senior-to-junior mentoring and regular performance reviews.
Introduced individual development plans aligned with both designers’ ambitions and company needs, supported by senior-to-junior mentoring and regular performance reviews.
Together, these practices gave designers a clearer path to grow and helped the company develop the expertise it needed.
Together, these practices gave designers a clearer path to grow and helped the company develop the expertise it needed.
Building a creative culture
Making creativity and learning part of everyday work.
Making creativity and learning part of everyday work.
Organised regular internal knowledge-sharing sessions where designers could exchange experience, present their work, and learn from each other.
Organised regular internal knowledge-sharing sessions where designers could exchange experience, present their work, and learn from each other.
Introduced collaborative workshops and creative sessions to bring different perspectives into the design process and explore new ideas.
Introduced collaborative workshops and creative sessions to bring different perspectives into the design process and explore new ideas.
These practices encouraged experimentation, collaboration, and continuous learning across the team.
These practices encouraged experimentation, collaboration, and continuous learning across the team.
Impact
30
designers on the team
30
designers on the team
4 years
as an average designer tenure on the team.
4 years
as an average designer tenure on the team.
№4
among product design teams in Russia.
№4
among product design teams in Russia.
20+
design awards, including European Design Awards, Red Dot and Webby.
20+
design awards, including European Design Awards, Red Dot and Webby.
Feedback
What the team says
What the team says
Pavel is one of the best design leads I ever worked with. He always helped not only to tackle and advise on the working-process itself, but also cared about self-development of every designer and performance of all the design department overall. He has great experience in both design and people management fields.
Pavel is one of the best design leads I ever worked with. He always helped not only to tackle and advise on the working-process itself, but also cared about self-development of every designer and performance of all the design department overall. He has great experience in both design and people management fields.
Senior Product Designer at Redmadrobot
Senior Product Designer at Redmadrobot
Pavel has excellent team management skills. He is one of the rare leads who can hear and feel his team. It was pleasure to work together, and I am really hope that someday we do it again. Lucky you, if you have a lead like this. Highly recommend!
Pavel has excellent team management skills. He is one of the rare leads who can hear and feel his team. It was pleasure to work together, and I am really hope that someday we do it again. Lucky you, if you have a lead like this. Highly recommend!
Pavel is a highly accomplished professional who introduced me to the world of digital product design. He is a dedicated team player focusing on the team’s efficiency and wellbeing.
Pavel is a highly accomplished professional who introduced me to the world of digital product design. He is a dedicated team player focusing on the team’s efficiency and wellbeing.
Dmitry Moroz
Dmitry Moroz
Project Manager at Redmadrobot
Project Manager at Redmadrobot
Selected work
Explore the team’s work
Explore the team’s work
CONTACT