mTab Design Team
Building a collaborative design culture from the ground up
Overview
When I joined Slideworx as Head of Design, the design team existed but wasn't functioning as one. Each designer worked in isolation on a single project — no shared processes, no design system, no style guide, no planning. Over few months I transformed this group into a cohesive, collaborative team.
For the last ten year led it through a company merger, layoffs, and a fundamental shift in how design work gets done.
Challenge
The team had no visibility into each other's work, no feedback loops, and no career development structure. Most designers came from art backgrounds and lacked the technical knowledge to collaborate effectively with engineering. Building a real team meant changing processes and mindset — creating an environment where collaboration felt natural, and where designers understood not only how to design but what they were designing for.
Approach
I introduced design reviews, critique sessions, 1-on-1s focused on career growth, and design workshops. My developer background let me bridge the gap between design and engineering — over time I got the team up to speed on technical constraints, earning design credibility with developers.
We built three and a half design systems over the years due to internal divisions. Eventually, we merged and then abandoned them entirely, adopting Microsoft Fluent after combined research with engineering — a pragmatic move that accelerated both teams.
For recruitment, we partnered with a local Art University professor to organise data visualisation contests for students, offering prize money and paid internships. This became an effective talent pipeline, bringing in candidates already aligned with our domain.
I was always involved in shaping the team's composition — hiring, letting people go when necessary, and stepping up as a product leader during two rounds of company layoffs. One of the hardest test was navigating the Slideworx/mTab merger — keeping the team grounded and collaborative through real uncertainty.
Outcome
The fractured group I inherited became a tight team with a strong culture and genuine technical fluency. Designers grew from junior to mid, mid to senior. The collaborative culture survived the merger, the layoffs, and every organisational shift.
What’s next
I'm now focused on transitioning the team from pure creators into decision-makers who work efficiently with AI tools — eliminating repetitive tasks and freeing designers to focus on delivering experiences that delight users.