Design Office Dynamics 
The organizational culture of a design office is an 
important indicator as to its likely long-term success 
and to the quality of its output. Attributes shown by 
successful design offices include: 
• professional and ethical behavior at all times and in 
all relationships 
• a spirit of technical collaboration, both internally 
among office members and externally between firms 
and professional peers 
• effective mentoring of all staff members to develop 
and transfer skills and experience 
• a commitment to CPD and staff development 
• a culture of questioning and challenging assumptions, 
“givens” and set procedures 
• building enduring relationships with clients, other 
designers and industry stakeholders 
• self-review and assessment of individuals and the 
office or practice as a whole 
• encouragement of external peer review when 
appropriate (it encourages collaboration and CPD) 
• a desire to keep up with the latest technical 
developments 
• a process of continual design optimization and value 
engineering 
• conscious risk identification and mitigation (not 
transfer) 
• a commitment to innovation.