Case StudyEnabling Team: Promoting Knowledge Sharing - Building a Strong Design Community and Culture at Mastercard
Mastercard, a global financial services corporation, identified a critical need to enhance its design processes and outcomes by improving collaboration and knowledge sharing within its design teams. Despite having talented designers, the lack of a cohesive community and structured knowledge sharing mechanisms led to silos, inconsistent design practices, and missed opportunities for innovation. The challenge was to build a strong, unified design community that could foster continuous learning, collaboration, and a shared design culture across the organization.
The Solution
Mastercard, under the leadership of Cindy Chastain, SVP of Global Customer Experience and Design, implemented several strategic initiatives to promote knowledge sharing and build a robust design community:
- Establishing a Design Community: Cindy focused on creating a strong sense of community among designers. This involved organizing regular meetups, workshops, and collaborative sessions where designers could share their work, insights, and best practices.
- Creating Shared Platforms: The company developed internal platforms and repositories for designers to share resources, tools, and documentation. These platforms served as centralized hubs for knowledge sharing and collaboration.
- Fostering a Culture of Openness: Encouraging an open and inclusive culture where designers felt comfortable sharing their ideas, feedback, and challenges. This was achieved through transparent communication channels and regular feedback loops.
- Investing in Professional Development: Mastercard invested in the professional growth of its designers by providing opportunities for continuous learning. This included access to courses, conferences, and training programs focused on the latest design trends and methodologies.
- Leadership and Mentorship Programs: Implementing leadership and mentorship programs to guide and support less experienced designers. Senior designers played a crucial role in mentoring their peers, facilitating knowledge transfer, and nurturing talent within the community.
Outcomes achieved
The initiatives led to significant improvements in Mastercard’s design processes and overall team performance, highlighting the value of promoting knowledge sharing and building a strong design community:
- Enhanced Collaboration: The establishment of a design community and shared platforms improved collaboration among designers, breaking down silos and fostering a more unified approach to design projects.
- Consistent Design Practices: With shared resources and best practices, designers were able to maintain consistency in their work, resulting in a more cohesive and high-quality user experience across different products and services.
- Increased Innovation: The culture of openness and continuous learning encouraged designers to experiment and innovate. This led to the development of creative solutions and more effective design strategies.
- Improved Morale and Engagement: The sense of community and opportunities for professional growth boosted the morale and engagement of designers. They felt more valued and motivated, which translated into better performance and job satisfaction.
- Effective Knowledge Transfer: Leadership and mentorship programs facilitated the effective transfer of knowledge and skills from experienced designers to their peers. This ensured that expertise was retained and disseminated throughout the organization.
