The ZURBlog is where we discuss interaction design and strategy.

Creativity happens when it happens, right? Wrong. When working with a team, design in a business setting needs to be structured to get the best results. Learn to write a good agenda to make your project meetings go smoothly and set the team up for a win.

We've had our share of bad meetings at ZURB and the worst are the ones that drift around and produce only mediocre results. Why is it that the longer the meeting lasts, the less results you'll have in the end? It's because there's no roadmap for how the meeting will go, and collaboration works best when people are prepared.

Creating a Plan

When you're putting together a meeting agenda, make sure there is homework tied to it somehow. Indebt every participant to prepare their homework ahead of the meeting and involve only those who've done it in decision making.

During the meeting, write down goals on a whiteboard. Make your agenda a performance, not just a bulleted list of points to read aloud. Don't be afraid to act a little silly to keep everyone's attention — making a meeting feel lighthearted will keep people motivated and energized.

To keep the meeting's length under control, timebox each part of the agenda. Leave time, however, to build in a fun surprise or two— perhaps an impromptu visual sketch supporting a new idea.

Wrapping It Up

Make sure you have a set of assignments to hand out at the end of the meeting. Keep them in your pocket until the meeting is over, because they're meant to be future homework, not problems to solve during the meeting.

The final key to a productive, agenda-led meeting? Finish early! Nothing gets people more excited than leaving a meeting early!

When it comes to project development, is your team focused on the why or the how? Just like individuals, teams need to constantly improve their efficiency and learn new skills. One way to do that is hone your team's ability to answer "how and why" questions about their work.

"How" questions establish processes and methods, and the answers are very important to a growing business. "Why" questions are just as crucial, though, because those answers empower employees to make decisions that could potentially keep the business from flat-lining.

"How" questions are about learning: Inexperienced and new employees may not know all the answers, but it's okay to help them along. Conversely, a great worker will figure out most answers on their own. Beware: too many "how" questions will slow the rest of the team down, so businesses need to have methods in place to reduce the number of "how" questions that could bog down the development process.

"Why" questions are about empowerment: Employees looking for "whys" will create value with their time without direction, and that's the reason these types of questions are important— they lead to greater job fulfillment and satisfaction. Interestingly, when the group has a similar understanding of the "why," the "how" questions get magically sorted out.

Some creative personalities are naturally drawn to "why" questions, while others gravitate toward the "how." Make sure there's a steady supply of both types of questions, and good answers to go along with them.

ZURB has worked with over one hundred start-ups to date. One of the biggest things we've learned over time is that passion and structure are often at odds with one another. It's the experienced business person that realizes the balance between the two is what creates a successful outcome.

Passion drives an entrepreneur and team to push beyond common solutions, however structure keeps the team focused in one direction. Structure is a subtle but important way to mitigate risk, but passion is the driving force behind the most successful outcomes.

Most designers are extremely passionate about their craft. Unfortunately, that means they also find themselves wedged between their love of work and responsibility to their family. How can you find a good balance between the two? Frankly, you really can't.

Fortunately, designers tend to go through cycles of high creativity followed by a calmer period of rejuvenation. Just let things unfold naturally and see where the flow takes you. Mix up the project work whenever you can so that natural cycles don't disrupt projects that require a higher degree of creative vision.

Of course, most business situations don't come in "waves of creativity" so designers must learn to work within the constraints of time. Use those constraints to your advantage— learn to use chunks of time effectively and give you focus, whether you're at work or spending time with your family.

There's a notion that professional designers need to show only one version of a concept to clients or stakeholders. At ZURB, we don't think that's the best rule of thumb. Although sometimes having only one version can be good for moving a project along, overall this methodology is flawed for a few reasons.

Multiple ideas create better ideas

A new spark can emerge in the process, so keep those concepts flowing. Collaboration is a great way to open up new ideas, and it helps create lots and lots of new ideas. Soliciting input from others allows you to get great ideas from numerous team members.

Focus, don't give them a buffet of options

Worry less about how many you are accumulating, and more about how you're focusing the design problem. They can be pared down later. If you're not careful developing multiple design concepts can get you into trouble. You run the risk of offering too many choices without a clear sense of direction. Showing three focused solutions is far better than showing 10 "choices." Design doesn't work like a vending machine, so if you're presenting your ideas like a snack bar, you're going to get a client selecting whatever looks tastiest at the time.

Designers need to build relationships to help clients work through decisions they may not understand. Revealing your design process with the three-concept rule builds trust and helps those who aren't design specialists understand how things will unfold.

The idea of showing three focused concepts to a client may take some getting used to, but it's the best way to help your client meet their end goals. Remember, a client or stakeholder may not understand your choice of puce green, but if it helps her solve a problem, then you're doing your job.