TDS recently wrapped up the second year of its unique Collaborative Design Studio (CDS), with four team members completing the 12-month program that began last fall.
“The goal of the CDS is to foster a collective environment focused on knowledge transfer and exchanging ideas specifically related to conceptual and schematic design,” explains TDS Managing Principal Damon Roby, who originated the program in 2022. “This is unique to our company, and it is a success because of the people here! I am constantly impressed by the level and quality of our team members. The willingness of these participants to make a year-long commitment – on top of their everyday work – to better themselves and grow their design muscle is impressive.”
By design, the CDS draws in individuals from different parts of the company who bring a variety of interests, experiences and expertise to the table. This year’s studio included Michael Blount, a Designer III in the component design department; Jason Cormeny, a Specialist in the architectural design department; and Marianella Mora and Dani Ocampo, both Production Associates in the production department.
When asked about their reasons for committing to this project, there was a clear theme of courage and collaboration among participants. Michael, who was ultimately the winner of this season’s design contest, says he had no architectural experience prior to the CDS: “I joined to learn about architecture, get out of my comfort zone and try something new. I saw it as a great learning experience and an opportunity to work with people that I may not interact with on a regular basis.”
As she approaches her fifth anniversary with the company, Dani says that the CDS seemed like a good next step in her professional development: “It was a great way for me to really push myself and put myself out there on what I’ve learned. Everything that I have worked on in other projects all came together.”
Originally from Venezuela, Marianella says she overcame some initial fears about stepping into the CDS and appreciated the encouragement she received from Damon and her colleagues: “I hadn’t done any design since I came to the U.S., so this was the first time I was able to design something in the imperial system. It was really fun and helped me to understand our focus on creating efficiency in what we do here.”
This season, the group was introduced to the design parameters early on in the program and then worked collaboratively on their individual designs for the remaining eight sessions, with real-time feedback from CDS leaders and others in the company. “The process really speaks to the core values of the team as they were willing to work together and ask really good questions,” he explains. “Even though this was a competition – and it was competitive – the overarching goal was to make everyone’s designs the best they could be.”
The group agrees that the CDS provides an incredible learning experience and opportunity to collaborate. From exploring different styles of architecture and discussing form versus function, to honing spatial planning skills and learning to work within budget constraints, participants highlighted a variety of valuable takeaways from the program and had lots of encouragement for their colleagues considering CDS: Season 3. Dani says that it’s a challenge, “but you never know what you’re capable of unless you put yourself out there.”
“It’s worth it because you have to think about and do things you don’t usually do when you’re focused on documentation,” says Marianella. “It’s nice to be out of your comfort zone, meeting new people and collaborating – speaking your ideas and listening to different ideas. That’s really nice.”
“Go for it!” says Michael. “If you’re at all interested in design, or just want to try your hand at something new, it’s a great experience.”
Damon says he and the CDS team are already planning for Season 3 and are always looking for ways to make the experience better: “At the end of the day, this is all about promoting the culture – it’s about getting everyone together and doing design and learning outside of our everyday work.”