Rituals for Creative Teams

Creative rituals provide rhythm for design teams. I've collected a few of my favorite activities, from standards like critiques to more experiemental ideas like 15:5 updates. These rituals help teams stay creatively energized, build trust, and foster a shared language.

Regular creative rituals also strengthen team bonds and psychological safety. When designers participate in activities like warm-ups or inspiration boards, they practice being vulnerable with their ideas and learn to give and receive feedback in safe environments. This builds trust and improves collaboration during more challenging project work.

Additionally, creative rituals help establish a shared language and common practices within design teams. Whether through weekly critiques, product teardowns, or inspiration boards, these activities create touchpoints for discussing design principles, sharing knowledge, and developing collective wisdom. They transform individual insights into team learning opportunities.