👋 Welcome to Designing Teams

Exploring what makes creative teams click — from Dan Thomas, a Creative Director with 20 years experience in design, improv, and collaboration.

Hey, I’m Dan.

I’ve spent the last 20 years working across design, improv, and creative leadership — running studios, leading projects, and helping teams work better together.

One thing I keep coming back to is this:

The way a team works is just as important as the work they do.

Designing Teams is where I explore that idea.

This is a newsletter about how creative teams actually function — the messy, human stuff that affects collaboration, communication, leadership, and momentum.

You’ll find thoughts on:

• Collaboration (and why it breaks down)

• Communication (and how to make it clearer)

• Creative process (and how to support it)

• Practical ways to shape stronger teams

Some posts will be short. Others will dig a bit deeper. All of them come from real-world experience — on the studio floor, onstage, or inside teams trying to make things work.

If you lead a team, work in one, or just care about how people create together — this is for you.

Thanks for being here. I’ll send the first proper post soon.

— Dan