two designers meet over mood boards and samples
July 10, 2025

July Co-Working: Would Your Design Firm Still Run if You Stepped Away?

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Summary

In July’s DesignDash Co-Working session, designers tackled one essential question: Would your firm still run if you stepped away for two weeks—no email, no calls? Together, we unpacked what makes true freedom possible: thoughtful onboarding, structured delegation, and a team culture that doesn’t require micromanaging. Members assessed their internal systems, pinpointed where their business relies too heavily on them, and committed to strengthening one key process this month. Small, intentional changes now = more ease, trust, and flexibility later.

Reflection Questions

If you hired someone today, would you be ready to onboard them with clarity and purpose?

What decisions in your business still require your direct input—daily or weekly?

What’s one internal system that, if improved, would give your team more autonomy?

Journal Prompt

Imagine you had to step away from your firm for two full weeks. What would fall apart? Write a “While I’m Away” guide outlining who’s responsible for what, how communication flows, and where you need to create more clarity before that break can feel possible.

Every month in the DesignDash Community, we gather for focused co-working to reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next inside our businesses. In July, our conversation centered around a question many studio leaders don’t ask until they have to.

What if you had to step away for two weeks (no email, no calls); would your business still run?

Our theme this month is “Onboarding, Delegation & Culture—So You Can Vacation.” We explored the internal systems that support freedom as a firm owner: onboarding new hires with confidence, building teams that don’t rely on micromanagement, and creating a company culture that keeps growing even when you’re offline.

Highlights from our July DesignDash Community Co-Working Session

builders and design team members meet to discuss blueprints

We started our time together by checking in on the “One Thing” commitments members made in June. Designers shared wins and works-in-progress around client communication, internal documentation, and hiring support. Our community members…

  • Drafted employee handbooks
  • Completed intern onboarding processes
  • Finalized client welcome packets
  • Took month-long vacations while their teams handled firm operations
  • Explored the feasibility of support roles like design assistants

Whether members were energized, overwhelmed, or somewhere in between, we all showed up with intention and gained some momentum in June.

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Discussion Point #1: Are You Ready to Onboard Right Now?

a designer pins fabric samples to a mood board

One of the most illuminating prompts from this month’s session was, “If you hired someone today, would you actually be ready to onboard them?”

At first, you might answer with a resounding “yes,” but when we dug deeper, many studio leaders realized that the operational groundwork wasn’t as solid as they thought. Hiring is often seen as the finish line in a search for help, but in reality, it’s just the beginning. Without clear systems in place, a new team member can quickly become overwhelmed, underutilized, or unsure of how to contribute.

As we worked through this question, members took inventory of what was in place and what was missing in their onboarding process: NDAs and contractor/employee agreements, payroll systems and state/IRS compliance, onboarding checklists, task backlogs, and more. Some recognized gaps in forecasting workload, while others admitted to guilt around not having “enough” for a new hire to do during slower stretches.

Co-Working Insight

Map your new hire’s first two weeks of tasks before they start. This eliminates guesswork, sets clear expectations, and makes the onboarding process far more intentional, for you and for them.

Discussion Point #2: Where Does Your Business Need You Too Much?

a designer stands with a partner in the foyer of a transitional home

Our second prompt was, “If you stepped away from your business for two full weeks, what would fall apart?”

Many firm owners thought it would. They pointed to bottlenecks in communication, stalled decision-making, or team members being unsure how to proceed without direct input. Many firms are overly dependent on the founder or lead designer being available and involved in every decision, which means that owners simply can’t step away.

Some shared that team members weren’t always clear on which decisions they were empowered to make. Others noted that clients or builders were conditioned to wait on one point of contact, even when the rest of the team was capable and ready.

Co-Working Insight

Clarity beats control. Creating structured delegation and clear decision pathways empowers your team to function with confidence (without you).

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Discussion Point #3: Which Internal System Can You Strengthen?

an in-progress shot of a transitional living space, with views to the backyard

After those initial group discussions, we moved into “deep work mode.” Laura challenged our Community members to pick one internal system to strengthen that would create more clarity, structure, or freedom for them.

Each member chose a system they knew needed work and committed to improving it this month. They chose…

  • Drafting or refining a Team Onboarding Checklist
  • Writing a “While I’m Away” guide for the team
  • Preparing a client-facing Out-of-Office Plan
  • Defining or refreshing Core Values focused on ownership and initiative
  • Mapping out Mid-Year Review conversations or frameworks

Our Community members didn’t try to overhaul everything; they picked one thing. No one can transform the way their studio operates overnight; it takes intentional, bite-sized changes.

Co-Working Insight

Small systems, clearly communicated, can create big freedom. Identify and start with the one that would matter most if you stepped away tomorrow.

Key Takeaways from July Co-Working

three women (all designers) stand together at High Point Market

This month’s co-working session reminded our Community members that freedom as a firm owner doesn’t come from stepping away but from preparing to. Whether you’re building an onboarding system, reworking team communication, or clarifying your role as a leader, these small but meaningful shifts create space for rest, trust, and long-term growth.

If you’re craving more structure, accountability, and community support as you build a design firm that doesn’t rely solely on you, we’d love to have you inside the DesignDash Community. Join us for our next co-working session, connect with fellow firm owners who get it, and take the next step toward running a business that actually supports the life you actually want to live.

The Mart where Design Chicago is hosted each year

And don’t forget to save the date for our Team Growth Intensive at Design Chicago on October 8th. We’ll take a look at design firm org charts, team structure, and what it really takes to build a firm that can grow without burning you out.

Written by the DesignDash Editorial Team
Our contributors include experienced designers, firm owners, design writers, and other industry professionals. If you’re interested in submitting your work or collaborating, please reach out to our Editor-in-Chief at editor@designdash.com.