Exploring the barriers to collaboration between the domains Branding, Communications and Technology at Total Design

Abstract

This report describes the graduation project in collaboration with Total Design (TD), a creative agency specialised in Branding, Communications and Technology. The primary objective of this thesis is to enhance the internal collaboration between these three domains. To achieve this goal, the study explores the barriers to collaboration, using co-creation sessions with TD employees as a key method to gather insights. The process follows a general approach consisting of four phases, Exploring the Current Context, Reframing the Problem, Creating Opportunities to Improve Collaboration and Catalyse Synergy Creation at TD, each described in its dedicated chapter.

Leveraging co-creation sessions and interviews with employees of TD, the study shows that the internal team’s focus is seen as the main barrier to multidisciplinary collaboration within TD. This focus stems from team-specific targets, that discourage collaborative efforts between teams and cause each team to prioritise their own proposition to clients. As a result, clients are unaware of other services offered by TD and employees under-utilise the expertise of their colleagues. This internal team focus comes from TD’s existing organisational structure. Therefore, a new organisational structure is proposed as the final solution for TD. The proposed organisational structure introduces dynamic, project-based teams that replace traditional, static teams, facilitating fluid cross-domain collaboration and enabling a more agile response to client needs. The expected positive impact of the final design for clients is a broader service offering and improved client satisfaction, and enhanced learning and innovation for employees of TD.

The report concludes with recommendations for the adoption of the new structure and recommendations for future work. The first aim to mitigate the reorganisation’s potential challenges, like coordination & communication and a loss of team identity and include involving employees for successful implementation. The latter suggested areas for further research, including broadening the focus group, incorporating diverse research methodologies and conducting follow-up studies to assess the impact of the changes implemented.

The findings provide valuable insights into employees’ perception of the current situation, the barriers to collaboration and the desire for engaging employees in decision making. To align with employee demands and enhance multidisciplinary collaboration, TD is recommended to transition towards the proposed organisational structure that facilitates dynamic project team configurations.