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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.