Over the last three years, Forward Design has been the driving force behind innovation in pre-construction at Grupo Hermosillo. Since its creation, this multidisciplinary team has worked to help developers and national and international companies visualize and optimize every detail of their design projects. However, a human team brings each idea to life beyond technology and advanced processes.
We sat down with Arturo Flores, Colette Durazo, Erick Almejo, Fernanda Acero, Miguel León, and Valeria Estrada, key members of Forward Design, to understand what day-to-day life is like on this team. We talked about their challenges, the creativity they inject into every project, and how they collaborate with other departments to ensure everything they do aligns with Grupo Hermosillo’s vision and values. In this interview, you’ll look at the human heart driving innovation behind Forward Design.
1. What is the day-to-day dynamic like at Forward Design?
At Forward Design, our day-to-day revolves around developing executive projects. Depending on the type of project, whether simple or complex, we divide into different work groups. We have a core team that leads specific topics and provides support to the rest, ensuring that everyone is aligned and collaborating to meet objectives.
In addition to operational tasks, we constantly review daily priorities, attend meetings with clients and collaborators, and continuously look for ways to optimize the projects to meet requirements. Every day, we monitor progress, manage deliveries, and address requests or questions that arise, ensuring that we communicate any relevant observations to the team.
Outside the work dynamic, we strengthen team bonds through social events, such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, or Independence Day celebrations, and even fitness challenges that motivate everyone. We also hold general meetings every one or two weeks to discuss departmental issues or resolve questions. In short, we have a great balance between teamwork and camaraderie, which makes everything flow better.
2. How do you ensure all team members are aligned with the project’s vision?
We ensure this in several ways. First, we communicate the department’s vision and each specific project. Everyone must understand what the client expects from us, from the quality we must deliver to how we meet their expectations as a team and individually. Additionally, we constantly reinforce this vision during reviews and remind the team of the values and qualities we strive for in each project.
The process starts with the leaders, like Arturo and Erick, who coordinate the team working on each project. Then, the coordinators, like Colette, Miguel, and Fernanda, organize and transmit the vision. Throughout the development, we maintain continuous communication to ensure everyone is on the same page.
It’s also crucial to remind the team of the vision during “catch-up” meetings, where we discuss the progress of each project, mistakes, challenges, and lessons learned. This fosters a culture of growth, transparency, and communication, where we don’t fear making mistakes but instead learn from each experience. Ultimately, the most important thing is that we all know we’re here to grow together and work as a team.
3. How do you collaborate with other departments during the process?
We collaborate with other departments consistently throughout the process, depending on the project and its stage. For example, we work with departments such as budgets, purchasing, and construction from the pre-construction phase, where they often consult us about models and specifications to ensure everything is aligned. We also collaborate directly with the construction teams to resolve questions about blueprints and specifications, always keeping open communication to ensure the project flows smoothly.
In some cases, the projects we develop are executed by other departments or business units, which requires ongoing coordination to meet deadlines and quality standards. Additionally, when doubts arise, or we need support with processes we aren’t familiar with, other departments are always willing to help, which has been crucial to our progress as a team.
Ultimately, this collaborative work is internal and with the client, maintaining constant communication to ensure that deliveries meet their needs and expectations.
4. How do you ensure your projects align with the company’s values and vision?
We ensure that our projects align with the company’s values and vision by maintaining constant communication and reviews within the team. As leaders, we convey commitment and motivation and ensure everyone participates in meetings with clients to understand their needs and the importance of each project. We practice values like teamwork, honesty, loyalty, and respect daily, which allows us to maintain a high-quality standard and focus on client satisfaction.
5. Which projects do you consider had the most significant challenges, and how did you solve them as a team?
Some of the most challenging projects we’ve faced include the Prologis Lerma Industrial Park in Estado de México, where the ground conditions were far more complicated than anticipated, requiring us to find solutions that wouldn’t increase the client’s costs. In Mexico City, strict sustainability and water reuse regulations also posed challenges, which we overcame by implementing new technologies like solar panels.
Another common challenge has been project standardization, which involves aligning client requirements with constant changes during the process. We’ve learned to handle this through detailed analysis and collaboration with suppliers. We’ve also worked on interior design projects in preexisting buildings, which presented new challenges, as the client requested multiple fronts beyond traditional design, pushing our team’s capabilities.
Lastly, projects in extreme climates and those requiring sustainability certifications have been complex, as finding the right materials and meeting client standards is critical. Regardless of the scale, each project has brought unique challenges we’ve resolved through communication, collaboration, and constant adaptation.
We invite you to watch a video where members of the Forward Design team share why they are proud to be part of it:
