Team Retreats
A week of design and culture in NYC
Trip Highlights
When View Source, a design studio founded during the pandemic, planned their first in-person gathering, the goal was more than logistics. This was a milestone: uniting their New York headquarters with their Taiwan team after two years of virtual collaboration.
Spots designed a 7-day retreat that blended the city’s icons with curated experiences tailored to their team. From guided visits through landmark neighborhoods to intimate dinners in hidden venues, every detail balanced discovery with connection. For many, it was their first time in New York, and the trip ensured they experienced the city not as tourists, but as welcomed guests.
Our Role
- Coordinated flights and transfers for a bi-continental team
- Negotiated group rates and secured central accommodations
- Blended NYC icons with private, curated experiences
Day 1: A Classic New York Welcome
The retreat opened with brunch at a storied New York diner, chosen for its place in the city’s history as a gathering point for locals and newcomers alike. It offered the ideal first meal together, informal enough to feel natural, yet significant as the opening of their first in-person chapter.
From there, the group explored the financial heart of Wall Street before boarding a ferry across the harbor. For international team members, the Statue of Liberty held more than symbolic value. It was their first direct encounter with the United States, a powerful moment that set the tone for the days ahead.
Dinner celebrated the city’s culinary identity with New York pizza. Selected not as a cliché but as a shared table that brought everyone together without pretense, it embodied the spirit of accessibility and comfort. The evening closed with a twilight walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, the skyline stretching ahead as a reminder of the scale and energy of the city they had finally gathered in.
Eat & Drink
Day 2: Art, Nature & Nightlife
The day was designed to reflect the city’s cultural breadth while allowing for personal exploration. Some of the team chose the Guggenheim for its bold modernism and iconic architecture, while others were drawn to the classical richness of The Met. Both experiences reflected the team’s balance of innovation and tradition.
At midday the group reunited in Central Park for a curated picnic prepared with bagels from a landmark bakery. Set beside the lake, it slowed the rhythm of the day and created space for informal conversation. Time on the water added a restorative pause before the evening program.
Dinner in Koreatown brought the team together over Korean barbecue, a vibrant communal meal that mirrored the diversity and dynamism of New York itself. It was an interactive and high-energy setting that reinforced the sense of connection the retreat was designed to build.
Our curated spots
Day 3: Design at the Core
Design sat at the heart of the retreat, beginning with a private visit to the Herb Lubalin Study Center at Cooper Union. Lubalin, celebrated as a pioneer of modern typography, left a legacy that continues to shape contemporary design. With the Center closed exclusively for the team, they were able to handle original archives, uncover stories behind seminal works, and connect design history directly to their own practice. This kind of tailored access is the detail we curate to transform inspiration into lived experience.
The afternoon was designed for balance: a walk through the High Line, quick bites at Chelsea Market, and time to explore the neighborhood’s galleries. The evening drew the group into the West Village, where dinner was curated for intimacy and atmosphere. The setting encouraged conversation in smaller groups, reinforcing the bonds that had grown stronger since their arrival.
Our curated spots
Day 4: Manhattan in Perspective
The fourth day allowed for independent exploration, giving team members the chance to follow their own interests across the city. By late afternoon, the group reconvened at Summit One Vanderbilt, one of New York’s most striking observation decks. Their entry was timed to span both daylight and golden hour, ensuring they experienced the city’s panorama in shifting light, from the architectural clarity of day to the glow of sunset.
That evening, the team immersed themselves in Broadway. More than entertainment, it was framed as a collective initiation into an essential New York tradition, offering a shared cultural touchstone to mark their time in the city.
Day 5: Creativity & Connection
Midweek, the retreat shifted focus to legacy and memory. To mark the milestone of their first in-person gathering, we arranged a professional studio photoshoot. The session captured not only portraits but also the spirit of collaboration that defined the week, an investment in both team identity and storytelling for years to come.
The evening brought something especially personal: a private dinner hosted at the founder’s home. Designed as an intentional alternative to restaurants, the setting created space for deeper conversation and reflection. Sharing a meal in this intimate context blurred the line between professional and personal, reinforcing the bonds that had grown throughout the retreat.
Day 6: Final Toasts
The retreat closed at Bar Blondeau, a rooftop overlooking the Manhattan skyline. The venue was reserved for a private gathering that extended beyond the immediate team. Guests included past collaborators, current partners, and close friends of the studio, a constellation of people who have shaped, and continue to shape, View Source’s journey.
With the city lights shimmering in the background, the evening was more than a farewell. It marked the beginning of deeper connections and renewed momentum, positioning the retreat not as a conclusion, but as the launch of the studio’s next chapter.
