How to be efficient in remote design work in multicultural teams

In today's globalized world, it's becoming more common to work on product design projects from afar, which brings the challenge of working with people from different backgrounds. As a UI/UX designer, you may face challenges that others on the team may not face. This post will give you some tips on how to work well with people from different backgrounds on digital projects that are done remotely. I'll also tell you a bit about my experience working on these teams and give you some tips that will help you understand the process and work well with your product and development teams.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020, many industries were forced to make quick changes, continuously refining and upgrading their methods. My journey toward working entirely remotely began when I was employed by a Colombian telecommunications firm. I worked there until October 2021, and then I began working at FullStack Labs, where everyone speaks English. Nonetheless, I always do my work in Spanish, which is my native language. Since I was usually close to my coworkers and collaborators, we could talk to each other right away. This made it harder for me to get used to my work environment. In a handful of minutes, I can stand up from my desk and go to a coworker to ask or answer a question. But the fact that people from different cultures, time zones, and languages were in the digital world made it harder for things to go smoothly.

But thanks to FSL's processes and organization, I was able to quickly adjust to this new way of creating digital products and interacting with people from all over the world on the same work team, with all the benefits this brings to a UI-UX designer career in terms of learning to understand and interpret the needs and thoughts of people with vastly different worldviews.

For lack of a better way to express myself, allow me to offer the following six suggestions for fostering productive team dynamics:

1. Cultural Awareness and Understanding

You need to be aware of and remove some mental barriers that a society may have—the specific society in which you have developed professionally—such as the way people communicate in another language, idiom, and different interpretations of the same things when working as a UX designer in a team and with multicultural clients. You can't assume that a coworker or client will share your level of intuition about a matter just because it seems obvious to you.

It's important to keep in mind that different cultures have different ways of doing things, including working together and communicating. So, it is crucial to recognize cultural differences in your team and treat them with respect. Conflicts may arise from divergent approaches to communication, work habits, and the management of time and resources.

When we talk about your audience and how to interact with it, you need to exercise extra caution.

When making something for a multiethnic audience, it's important to think about cultural norms and preferences. Color, symbols, and beauty are all things that people from different cultures see and understand in different ways. Because of this, it is crucial to learn about and account for different cultures' preferences. Understanding cultural norms and preferences before beginning the design process might help you reach your goals with more success.

2. Communication and Language

Multicultural teams, especially those working remotely, often find it difficult to communicate. Avoid employing idioms or slang that may not be familiar to your audience and instead opt for clear, simple language. Sketches, diagrams, and wireframes are all examples of visual tools that can improve the clarity of communication. In design jobs, which are generally the starting point for digital product development, efficient communication with your work team using tools like those already stated will help decrease time and processes. It is important to make detailed documentation of the application's decisions, workflows, components, and states so that the team and stakeholders can understand them.

If you have to work with people who speak different languages, you might find it useful to use an online translation tool to help you communicate and understand each other. 

Online translation programs like Google Translate, DeepL, or Microsoft Translate can be of great assistance in this situation. Tools like Grammarly can also be useful for improving the quality of your written communication. When working with coworkers who speak various languages, these tools can help with communication and understanding.

Employ inclusive language and avoid making assumptions or preconceptions while interacting with coworkers from different cultural backgrounds. This can mean not using language that is stereotypical of one gender or the other, not using slang or idioms that might not translate well, and being aware that different cultures have different views on religion and politics.

3. Make Use Of Design Collaboration Tools

Particularly useful for distributed teams is the use of collaborative design software like Figma, Miro, or Sketch. They allow designers to communicate in real time on the same project, offer and receive feedback, and discuss changes. These instruments also keep track of any changes to the design and let everyone involved know about those changes.

Such resources may include:

• Figma is a cloud-based design application that facilitates real-time collaboration and communication between designers working on the same project in different locations.

• Sketch is a digital tool for prototyping, interface design, and wireframing. Sketch facilitates online communication and the sharing of data.

• Miro is a straightforward online whiteboard and collaboration platform. It has widgets for instantaneous editing, commenting, and video conferencing as well as pre-built templates for visual assistance and connects with other collaborative tools to facilitate teamwork.

• Zeplin is a quick and easy way for designers and developers to work together. It was made so that creatives could submit their designs and share them with developers, who could then pull information like CSS code and files from the drawings. It also connects with other design and development tools and provides collaborative capabilities like commenting, version control, and project management.

• Loom is a comprehensive video chat app that makes it simple to send and receive recorded messages within a group. Features like screen/webcam recording, notes, captions, and emoticons contribute to its user-friendly design. Comments, reactions, and interfaces with services like Slack and Gmail are all included for group work.

For making and sharing visual assistance with others, use Whimsical, a user-friendly collaborative and diagramming tool. Users may quickly and easily make diagrams and flowcharts by dragging and dropping shapes, and the program supports teamwork with features like live revisions, comments, and versioning. It also works with popular third-party apps for teamwork, such as Slack and Trello.

Using collaborative design tools will ensure that everyone is on the same page and that design changes are carried out quickly.

Designers greatly benefit from these technologies since we are able to make high-fidelity prototypes, record explanatory videos, and leave technical notes for each image, all of which greatly improve the clarity with which we deliver and/or present designs to our teams, stakeholders, and clients for the feature, or display that we're supplying.

4. Define your needs and your desired outcomes

It's crucial to have a shared knowledge of the team's goals and individual responsibilities when working remotely. Timelines, channels of communication, and the overall scope of the project should all be established at this stage. You know when the designer is taking center stage and when he is only lending his expertise to the cause by clarifying ideas and making adjustments as necessary to ensure the final product lives up to its billing.

5. Establish Trust

While trust is crucial in any team setting, it can be more difficult to cultivate when members are physically separated. Keeping promises, being consistent, and communicating honestly and openly with your staff will all go a long way toward earning their trust. It's crucial that your coworkers know they can come to you with any questions they may have, and that even if the answer is beyond your sphere of influence, you'll be there to listen and mediate until one is found.

6. Create an environment of respect

It is important for a remote ethnic team to show respect for each other and give honest feedback. Respect people's varying cultural backgrounds and work to foster an inclusive atmosphere. Getting people on a team to open up and say what they think can lead to more unique and creative solutions. Never discount the thoughts of a teammate; you never know who might come up with the best answer just because they aren't the designated creative thinker.

Multicultural remote UI/UX design teams present unique challenges and opportunities. Consider cultural differences, use tools for collaborative design, and do user research to make your design more accessible and useful. If you want your team to be effective, productive, and successful, you should do everything you can to promote an environment of mutual respect and clear lines of communication. Keep in mind that a wide range of cultural experiences and perspectives can enrich your design work.

If you haven't taken the leap yet, I advise you to do so since it will have far-reaching benefits for your personal and professional lives. Without even considering the beautiful people I have met along the journey, having that cultural brush has allowed me to broaden my mind and have a broader perspective on the world.