The Importance of Collaboration: Parsons BFA x KEDS Workshop on Team Building with Alex Helander
The fashion industry has always been driven by creativity and innovation. However, with the fast-paced nature of the industry, it is essential for fashion designers to work well in teams and collaborate effectively to achieve success. Recently, Alex Helander hosted a Parsons BFA workshop on team building and the value of collaboration with Y2 students. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of collaboration and team building in fashion design, focusing on the value of the workshop in creating a sustainable mini-collection and creative designs for the iconic American footwear brand, KEDS.
Effective and Professional Team Working
In fashion design, effective teamwork is crucial in every aspect of the process, from initial concept creation to the final production stage. Collaborating with team members helps generate new ideas, evaluate and improve designs and identify areas of development. In the workshop, the students learned techniques to identify their strengths and weaknesses and how they can work on their collaboration skills in a professional team working environment.
Understanding Self and Team Members
Understanding oneself and the team members is essential to work well in a team. During the workshop, Alex Helander guided students to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, understand their role in the team dynamic and build relationships with others effectively. This focus on building self-awareness and establishing a team bond was vital in creating a positive, productive, and successful environment.
Determining Roles within the Team
In fashion design projects, determining the role of each team member is a critical aspect to accomplish the specific goals of a team. The workshop gave insight into the way team members can be designated roles based on their preferences, expertise, and strengths. This can ultimately lead to higher productivity levels and efficient time management.
Team Building Projects
The workshop included some exciting team building activities such as the Marshmallow Challenge and Paper Chains. These activities taught valuable lessons in teamwork, ideation, and problem-solving capabilities. Such induced activities led to innovative ideas and collaboration in a natural environment. It created a sense of belongingness amongst team members and fostered strong relationships with others.
Successful fashion designers know that they cannot do it alone. They need a team that works well together, communicates effectively and shares a common vision. In Alex Helander's workshop, students learned these vital skills. By collaborating with their peers, students discovered the collective power of ideas, which expanded their creativity and enabled them to generate more significant innovations. They learned to respect different perspectives, opinions, and ideas, which honed them in crucial soft skills such as empathy, active listening, persuasion and negotiation. Through teamwork, students fostered a positive work culture, which allowed everyone to work in harmony towards a common goal, leading to a more meaningful outcome. The students gained hands-on experience of teamwork, and it helped them explore and improve their abilities, which would aid them immensely in their future projects. With an efficient team, there are endless possibilities, and nothing can stop us from achieving our goals.
