Leading Across Functions. Uniting Across Locations
Lessons from three years of building a multidisciplinary team that worked as one, across cities, skills, and personalities.
For three years, I led a multidisciplinary design team at Nykaa, spread across Bangalore, Mumbai, and Gurgaon — product designers, a UX writer, and a UX researcher. While the structure has since evolved, many of the habits and systems we built together still shape how I lead today.
It wasn’t about managing from afar — it was about leading with presence, even without always being in the same place. Most of our conversations happened over screens, calls, and the occasional, tightly-packed work trip. That setup nudged me into taking a few conscious steps I might not have otherwise.
Those years made me more emotionally attuned, sharper as a leader, and deeply invested in building a team that didn’t just work together, but thrived together. Here are some of the systems and rituals that helped us stay connected, grow with intent, and do great work together.
The shared growth vision
is the backbone of long-term performance
I’m a type-A person — I like a good plan, clear direction, and defined goals. So creating a growth path for my team felt natural. But it wasn’t just about craft or performance — it was also about who they were, what drove them, and most importantly, where I could gently push them.
We co-created individual growth visions that were motivating and realistic. They acted as our year-long compass — helping us align actions with aspirations, manage expectations, and stay focused.
I liked to imagine 80% of what they knew they could do, 20% of what felt just out of reach — and 100% of what I knew they were capable of, especially with the right support.
Habits that made us feel like a real team
- Small talk → Big connection
Being spread across cities meant no watercooler chat. But those “How was the weekend?” or “Ooh, I like that outfit?” moments mattered more than we admitted. They created openness, which was the foundation of trust.
I started every call with a little bit of life: asking, listening, sharing. It wasn’t forced. It was just how I showed up. Over time, it made a visible difference. When your team feels safe enough to share their failures with you, that’s when you know the relationship is working.
2. Keep the conversation going
Not every update needed to wait for a standup. Thoughtful, asynchronous messages — a follow-up to a chat, a thread that extended an idea — did more than inform. They showed that I was actively thinking, building, and supporting. They showed I cared.
It wasn’t about visibility. It was about momentum. Those timely nudges went a long way in showing the team I was present — even when I wasn’t in the same room.
3. Micro moves that matter
Individually, we were walking on different paths, but building mechanisms to support the team was often the seasoning that elevated the recipe.
One that worked wonders for us: a dedicated space for sharing references.
Think screenshots from real products, WIPs, inspirations, stakeholder decks — anything worth capturing. It removed the “where do I share this?” hesitation and made sharing feel effortless.
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This tiny habit paid off in two big ways:
- It became a cross-referencing goldmine — especially in parts of the journey I led, like cart, checkout, payments, and post-order, where details shifted fast.
- It gave us a visual record of progress over time — collectively, in context, and at a glance.
Rituals that built togetherness
Some of the rituals I introduced began as ways to define my team — to shape who we were, how we worked, and how we showed up for each other. What I didn’t expect was how much they would give back.
Over time, something deeper emerged: a strong sense of togetherness. It wasn’t just about bonding — it sharpened how we collaborated, made feedback more natural, and built real ownership across the board.
Turns out, when people feel part of something, they do their best work. And that togetherness? It quietly became our superpower.
- Virtual Coffeeshops
I love coffee shops. And I love the conversations they spark. So, I recreated that vibe with a recurring 45-minute virtual “coffeeshop” — no agenda, no work talk. Just idhar-udhar ki baatein.
It became our most loved ritual. People dialled in from home, holidays, airports — it didn’t matter. What mattered was the sense of ease and connection it created. In a world of calendar fatigue, this one never felt like a meeting.
2. Design Crits
Every three weeks, we hosted design crits. WIP work, open feedback, diverse thinking. The setup was simple — but the discipline was powerful.
I always let the team go first, and shared my feedback last. It created space for every voice, encouraged ownership, and taught designers to think and articulate more clearly.
Over time, this ritual made our work sharper, more fortified, and far more resilient to failure. We didn’t just design in silos — we sharpened each other.
3. Vision decks
This one’s still close to my heart.
In a high-speed product environment like ours, everyone’s chasing go-lives. Designers often end up helping others define success, while their own ideas stay stuck in “improvement backlog” limbo.
I wanted my team to be more than doers. I wanted them to lead.
So, we created Vision Decks: evolving slides where each designer logged one idea per slide — visually illustrated, clearly explained, and freely added anytime. No deadlines. No pressure. Just a safe place to think boldly.
Impact:
These decks didn’t just visualise ideas — they helped define my team. They became a quiet nudge to aim higher. They circulated within product teams, and before long, found their way into roadmap planning discussions.
This was no small shift. Traditionally, those conversations were product-only territory. But our decks opened up space. They gave us the tools to enter the room earlier — not just to respond to plans but to shape them.
The format helped: visual, concise, easy to absorb. But the real impact? It redefined our role. From designers executing briefs to thought partners influencing the brief itself. From participating in the solution to co-owning the opportunity.
The ideas weren’t just designed — they were believed in across the table and that’s when we stopped being just a design team. We started becoming design leaders.
If you have some rituals that help your team belong, I’d love to know.
Let’s chat!
At Nykaa, I led the design for high-impact funnels across Beauty and Fashion — from Cart and Checkout to Payments and Post-order. My team worked across platforms and cities, covering not just journeys, but the decisions, behaviours, and systems that powered them.
