From Solo Designer to Leading 40+ - Steve Packham on Building Design Culture

This week on All Things Design, I sat down with Steve Packham — Chief Design Officer at Macquarie Group — to dive deep into how to build a thriving design team from the ground up.

 

We explored what it takes to scale from a solo designer to leading a 40+ person team, the mindset shifts required to lead with empathy, and how to embed feedback, play, and psychological safety into your team’s culture.

 

Whether you're just starting out in design leadership or scaling a team in a complex organization, this episode is packed with insights on what makes design teams truly thrive.

 

🔍 Key Topics Covered

 

• Growing a design team from 1 to 40+

 

• Leading without a traditional design background

 

• Using design thinking to guide leadership decisions

 

• Building a culture of play, safety, and feedback

 

• Overcoming impostor syndrome

 

• The power of iteration over perfection

 

🔗 Resources

 

— Connect with Steve Packham on LinkedIn:

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-packham-63a82999

 

 

— Connect with Joe Woodham on LinkedIn:

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-woodham-torii-uxdesign/

 

 

⏱️ Timestamps

 

(00:00) — Introduction - Steve’s journey into design

(01:25) — Building a strong culture in a design team

(03:57) — Prototyping everything: a mindset for leadership

(05:14) — The leadership is facilitation in slow motion

(05:50) — Embracing Imposter Syndrome: Why It Means You’re Growing

(07:40) — Why Feedback Culture Is the Backbone of Great Design Teams

(17:54) — Why a Culture of Play Drives Creativity and Team Bonding

(20:29) — Building Inclusive Team Culture and Fostering Collaboration

(21:42) — Fostering a Collaborative Team Environment

(26:49) — Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning & Growth

(34:08) — Balancing Excellence with Progress & Building Culture from Scratch

(36:31) — How Designers Can Drive Change Without Authority

(40:16) — Earn Trust First, Evangelize Design Later

 

 

 

🏷 Hashtags

 

#DesignLeadership #TeamCulture #UXDesign #FeedbackCulture #CreativeLeadership #AllThingsDesign #JoeWoodham #StevePackham #ProductDesign #DesignThinking #PsychologicalSafety