Apart, but More Connected—How redpepper Gets More Out of Remote Collaboration

The last four years have completely changed the way our teams work together. Through some ups and downs and a few sideways motions here and there, we’ve noticed that remote collaboration can go a bit off the rails without the right facilitation and environment. It often gets the bad rap of being the “next best thing” to in-person work. At redpepper, we’re firm believers that not only can we reach the same level of creative output as in-person work, but that we do it faster and more effectively than ever before. We’d like to tell you a bit about it.

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At our shop, we use Miro, a virtual whiteboarding tool that we’re pretty fond of, but these principles can be applied with a variety of collaboration tools. It’s not about the tool or program, it’s about how you use it that makes or breaks the work.

With that, let’s get into it.

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It's All About Being Human

We get it. Brains are like a box of chocolates—full of ideas, emotions, and chaos—and you never quite know what you’re gonna get. That's why we make sure everyone has room to spill those thoughts without getting lost in the shuffle. With a little pre-work in structuring our boards, we can give each person their own scratch paper and can turn what can be chaos into creativity. 

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Less Presentation, More Conversation.

Ever nodded off during a particularly boring presentation? Been there. So, we switch things up a bit. Our meetings feel more like a structured house party than a lecture. It's all about chatting, laughing, and pushing each other to think bigger. And guess what? It’s working.

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Five Ways We Rock It.

• Discovery: Think of these as get-to-know-you chats where we listen, ask, and note down all the goodies.
• Workshops: We bring more heads together because more input = more ideas = more magic.
• Ideation: This is where the brainstorming happens, with our team and yours, cooking up something awesome by mind-mapping and meme-wielding.
• Progress Shares: We show off our work, scribble on it together, and tweak it till it shines.
• Status Updates: Keeping everyone in the loop so there are no surprises. We actually hate surprises (and most clients do too).

A Safe Place to Get Weird

We operate under the assumption that we all care deeply about the work we do. So, we're all about being comfy and letting the creative weirdness flow – more tuxedo t-shirts than tuxedos. When our teams and clients feel comfortable and safe, we’re better at getting all the ideas on the table, no matter how out there they may seem.

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Honesty is Our Policy

We're huge fans of being open and honest. Clear is kind, as Brené Brown says. Got feedback? Let's hear it. The more we talk, the better the work. “What’s next?”, “Anything left in the tank?”, and “Yes, and…” may be our favorite catchphrases.

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Jumping In is Easy

Worried about getting started? Don't be. The tools we use are super user-friendly and we'll walk you through it, so you're ready to roll in no time. Think of it as PowerPoint but way more fun.

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Why We Love This

This way of working has totally changed the game for us and our clients. We can point at the same things, drop suggestions, mark it up, and make it better. It's all about pushing the work, together.

So, if you're ready to ditch the boring meetings and dabble in the controlled chaos of a conversation, we're here for it. Thanks for tuning in. We can't wait to make something amazing with you.

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