Toxic management and poor work-life balance - Intermediate Designer workshop/apd Employee Review

1.0
7 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The junior staff all seemed super cool and welcoming, and the office itself was really nice and in a great location. I also thought the projects were strong

Cons

The biggest downside, in my opinion, was the overall office culture. While the junior staff themselves were generally nice, very few of them actually seemed happy. I worked in Studio 1, and there was a noticeable level of fear surrounding the studio leader. I genuinely have never heard so many people openly talk about feeling verbally mistreated by a manager, yet no one seemed comfortable enough to address it directly. It also definitely felt like a boys’ club. The office was outwardly LGBTQ-friendly, but leadership was primarily, if not entirely, white men, and the dynamic reflected that at times. The work-life balance was also rough. The project manager I worked under regularly expected people to work at all hours with little warning. It was common to receive non-urgent assignments late on Friday afternoons that were suddenly expected by Monday morning. There did not seem to be much respect for personal time or the idea that employees have lives outside of work. From talking to others, it sounded like experiences varied somewhat depending on the project manager, but everyone working under the manager I had seemed consistently unhappy. Overall, I would not recommend the office based on my experience, and the general atmosphere felt unusually negative and burnt out.

Explore other reviews about workshop/apd

5.0
9 Dec 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great design projects and opportunities

Cons

A lot of work and long hours

2
1.0
9 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Workshop/APD does provide exposure to high end residential work. If you’re early in your career, having the firm’s name on your resume can be helpful. While the design approach can feel repetitive, there are some projects that are portfolio worthy.

Cons

The biggest issue is the toxic studio leadership. Despite frequently promoting “people first”, the number of employees who have been let go over the years shows how disposable staff are treated. Leadership shows little hesitation in firing people abruptly, often without clear reasoning. This creates extremely high turnover and a constant sense of instability regardless of performance. Even when you are doing well, expectations continuously shift, and it never feels like your work is good enough. Micromanagement is the norm, with even small decisions needing approval from multiple levels of management. This slows everything down and puts unnecessary pressure on production staff to meet tight deadlines. The same design solutions are reused across projects, making the work feel more like an assembly line than a creative studio. Over time, the work becomes exhausting and tedious, especially for designers hoping to grow creatively. If you value your mental health and career growth, I would recommend AVOID this firm. There are far healthier and more respectful design studios that produce inspiring work without tearing their staff down in the process.

5
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