The Design All Hands Format That Worked for My Teams

People ask me how I like to run a design all hands, and for me the purpose is clear. Bring everyone together, give the team context, celebrate the work, and remind people why the work matters. A good all hands strengthens the team without adding weight.

I always structured mine like building blocks. Each part stood on its own. I could add or remove pieces depending on what the team needed. The shape changed, but the rhythm stayed familiar, and that helped people feel steady.

The cadence depends on how often the team needs clarity and connection. Monthly works well when the organisation is stable and people are meeting regularly in smaller groups. Weekly or biweekly makes more sense when the pace is fast or when priorities shift often. I found Wednesdays and Thursdays to be the best days to host them. Wednesdays break up the week and bring everyone together in a way that lifts the energy. Thursdays give anyone presenting enough time to prepare their content and build their slides without feeling rushed. The goal is to match the pace of the team and give people the space to prepare and contribute.

I opened every session with a quick greeting to get everyone grounded. Then I shared strategic updates about the organisation and from my leadership team so everyone understood the context behind decisions. We showed real work, talked about wins, and shared what we learned from the misses. I closed with design events and wider organisation updates so people always knew what was ahead.

Here are optional segments I used that added value:
• Guest spotlight with a partner who brought a new view
• Product deep dive to walk through a flow or experience
• Elevating our Craft: where someone shared a practical skill
• Principles in action to show how decisions were made
• New joiner intros to welcome people properly
• Behind the scenes to show how a tough problem was solved
• Research insight of the month
• Design ops updates
• Leadership AMA
• Peer recognition
• Metrics snapshot

I also ran special all hands focused on a single topic when the team needed deeper alignment. One session was all about strategy for the next quarter or year. Each senior design manager walked through their area, what they wanted to achieve, and introduced their teams. Another session focused on our design culture and who we wanted to be as an organisation. Each senior design manager shared the area they were taking on and how they planned to measure success. These sessions helped the team see the bigger picture and understand how their work connected to it.

I always tried to close the session in a way that matched the focus and clarity we built throughout. I took a moment to thank the team, recognise the effort that often goes unseen, and leave everyone feeling supported. Ending on a warm and steady note helped carry the momentum into the rest of the week!

Here We Go!

I’ve been wanting to start writing again. Not about process or frameworks, but about the real stuff that happens when you work in design. The things that teach you something because they went right or because they didn’t. I’ve spent years collecting those lessons quietly, and it feels like time to share them.

I’ve had wins that made sense only in hindsight and failures that taught more than any training ever could. Along the way, I’ve noticed small patterns about what makes teams click and what makes them stall. I want to write about those moments: the things that worked, the ones that didn’t, and what they showed me about leading, creating, and figuring things out as you go.

I’ve realised this isn’t about giving advice. It’s about reflecting out loud. If something I share reminds you of your own experience or makes you think differently, that’s enough for me.