Kumo Kudo Cards: How We Bring Appreciation Into 140 Remote Home Offices
In a 100% remote company, appreciation can easily get lost between tickets, stand-ups and video calls. From now on, at iits-consulting the Kumo Kudo cards are our way of making it feel personal, tangible and human. That is why our orga team Feedback Culture created something new this year: a set of Kudo cards featuring our mascot Kumo.
These cards are our way of bringing honest, positive feedback from our screens into each other’s home offices. Therefore, we turn spoken appreciation into something you can literally pin to your wall.
In this article, you will learn why we created the cards, how they will be used, what each variant stands for, and how you might even get your own set in the future.
Innovation as a team – even for feedback
At iits-consulting we live “Innovation as a team” in everything we do. Instead of just selling individual efforts, we sell full software development teams. Consequently, our customers do not have to assemble a team first. They get cross-functional teams that already work smoothly together and excel in cooperative consulting. Most importantly, that is how knowledge transfer and collaboration become part of the service.
Inside our company, we work in a very similar way. For example, we are about 140 people from more than 20 nations and we have been working 100% remote from the very beginning – even before the Corona years. Moreover, apart from our two founders, there are no classic hierarchies or managers at iits-consulting. Instead, the company is run by orga teams that take responsibility for topics, e.g.:
- Ambassadors (conference speakers)
- Education
- Marketing
- Recruiting
- Salary
For instance, the Feedback Culture orga team is one of those groups, and it plays a key role in how we handle feedback at iits-consulting. Therefore, the continuous improvement of our feedback process made the introduction of Kumo Kudo cards a logical next step.
From spoken feedback to physical Kumo Kudo cards
The Feedback Culture orga team was founded about three years ago. Initially, the driver was simple: senior colleagues wanted to know how they were really doing. Most importantly, they wanted feedback that was honest, concrete and helpful, without the hidden agenda of salary negotiations or performance ratings.
No hierarchies revealed: feedback is a need
Because we do not have managers, there was no “manager feedback process” that we could just reuse. Therefore, a couple of employees came together and started Team Feedback Culture. Today, this orga team organizes feedback sessions for everyone – including the two founders.
For example, here is how our feedback process works:
- We collect feedback once a year for each candidate.
- We ask the direct project team.
- We involve the orga teams, if the candidate is active in one. Alternatively, if the candidate has a single position, we’re asking colleagues that work together with the candidate to some extend.
- We sometimes even ask external customers, especially for roles like Product Owners or Scrum Masters.
Initially, the raw feedback is collected non-anonymously, but it is then anonymously summarized and rephrased. Consequently, the feedback can be delivered in a professional and constructive way.
One important aspect: our feedback has no link to salary surveys. In other words, we do not connect our sessions with compensation decisions. As a result, the collected feedback is often constructive and these conversations are perceived as very valuable. The focus is on behavior, collaboration and soft skills, not on monetization or negotiation.
Making exceptional feedback memorable and tangible
In the past three years, we have seen some truly exceptional feedback in our sessions. More than once, we thought:
“This deserves to be written down on a card and sent to that person.”
Consequently, we wanted a way for people to keep that moment of appreciation. Furthermore, we wanted them to be able to pin it to their wall, stick it to their monitor, or place it next to their favorite mug. In other words, we wanted the appreciation to outlive the meeting.
That is why we came up with the idea of a family of physical Kudo cards featuring our mascot.
They are designed to:
- Make appreciation visible and tangible
- Bring something personal into each other’s home offices
- Celebrate small and big wins equally
- Strengthen relationships in a fully remote environment
To turn this into reality, we teamed up with our Merchandize orga team. Together, we worked with our mascot Kumo to create eight different designs. In addition, each card has its own color, its own emotion and its own message.
Meet Kumo, the face of our Kudo cards
Kumo is our company mascot and a very familiar face inside iits-consulting. Therefore, for the Kumo Kudo cards, we asked the Merchandize team to create eight different mimics and gestures, each in a male or female variant. Firstly, these illustrations became the visual heart of our Kudo cards. Secondly, we’ve placed them on a background that follows basic color psychology.
As a result, every card expresses a different flavor of appreciation. In the following sections, you will find all eight designs.
Card #1 – “Level up!”
Focus: progress, growth, skill improvement.
The first card is called “Level up!”. It celebrates people who have noticeably improved, taken the next step in their skills, or gone out of their comfort zone.
- Card title: Level up!
- Color: Yellow (energy, optimism, growth)
- Kumo: Female Kumo making two fists with elbows at hips, slightly leaned back in a victory pose
- Use case: When someone clearly grew in their role, pushed themselves, or took a skill to the next level.
This design is perfect for celebrating learning, new responsibilities and personal development. In addition, it serves as a constant reminder that growth is noticed and valued.
Card #2 – “Great job!”
Focus: solid performance, reliable excellence.
The second variant is “Great job!”. This is the card for moments where someone has simply done something really well.
- Card title: Great job!
- Color: Blue (trust, reliability, honor)
- Kumo: Female Kumo making a strong fist with the right arm in front of her chest
- Use case: When someone delivered high-quality work, solved a tricky bug, or kept a project stable under pressure.
With this design, we recognize steady excellence and great craftsmanship. Moreover, it reinforces the message that consistent quality matters just as much as big one-time wins.
Card #3 – “We miss you!”
Focus: connection, presence, belonging.
Remote work can sometimes feel distant. The third card is designed exactly for that: “We miss you!”.
- Card title: We miss you!
- Color: Red (love, affection, emotional warmth)
- Kumo: Male Kumo lying in bed, looking a bit sad at a framed picture
- Use case: When someone has been away or is on a longer leave – and their absence is truly felt.
This motif says more than “see you soon”. Instead, it says: you matter to this team. Consequently, it strengthens the sense of belonging in a fully remote environment.
Card #4 – “You can do it!”
Focus: encouragement, confidence, potential.
The fourth card is special, because it has no printed title. Here, the meaning is carried 100% by Kumo’s pose: “You can do it!” and allows us to fill in custom titles.
- Card title: (blank) – implied message: You can do it!
- Color: Purple (creativity, inner strength, self-belief)
- Kumo: Female Kumo showing her right biceps to the viewer and feeling the lump on it with the left hand
- Use case: When someone is facing a challenge, doubting themselves, or stepping into something new and scary.
This card is a gentle nudge and a powerful reminder that we believe in each other. In addition, it helps normalize talking about fear and self-doubt in a supportive way.
Card #5 – “You made my day!”
Focus: gratitude, everyday kindness, small big moments.
Sometimes, it is the small things that matter most. The fifth card, “You made my day!”, is perfect for these situations.
- Card title: You made my day!
- Color: Cyan (balance, understanding, empathy)
- Kumo: Male Kumo with hands in sweater pockets, head slightly tilted to the side, bright smile
- Use case: When a colleague helped you out, surprised you with a nice gesture, or turned a stressful day into a better one.
With this design, we highlight the everyday interactions that make remote work more human. As a result, gratitude becomes more visible and more contagious.
Card #6 – “Chuck Norris looks up to you!”
Focus: legendary performance, heroic impact.
The sixth card is a bit bolder and definitely more playful: “Chuck Norris looks up to you!”.
- Card title: Chuck Norris looks up to you!
- Color: Red (strength, power, intensity)
- Kumo: Male Kumo styled like Chuck Norris, with beard, hat and outfit, giving a thumbs up with the right arm
- Use case: When someone achieves something so impressive that “great job” just does not feel big enough.
This is for legendary bug fixes, heroic incident responses, or truly outstanding contributions. In addition, it adds a bit of humor and storytelling to our feedback culture.
Card #7 – “You rock!”
Focus: energy, attitude, pure enthusiasm.
The seventh card brings rock energy into remote work: “You rock!”.
- Card title: You rock!
- Color: Orange (enthusiasm, creativity, high energy)
- Kumo: Male Kumo in Alice Cooper style, raising his right arm in a rock gesture
- Use case: When someone brought incredible energy to a release, a workshop, a conference talk, or a tough sprint.
This one is all about celebrating vibe, stage presence and team spirit. Moreover, it shows that fun and personality have a place in professional work.
Card #8 – “You are indispensable!”
Focus: long-term value, reliability, core contribution.
The eighth and last card is one of the most powerful ones: “You are indispensable!”.
- Card title: You are indispensable!
- Color: Green (stability, growth, trust)
- Kumo: Female Kumo with stars in her eyes, both hands with fingers leaned together in front of the belly
- Use case: When someone is a steady pillar in the team, when their presence, knowledge and attitude are truly critical.
It expresses deep appreciation for people who hold teams together or keep projects running over time. In the long run, cards like this can shape how we think about loyalty and contribution.
How we intend to use Kumo Kudo cards at iits-consulting
These Kudo cards are now becoming part of our daily work at iits-consulting. Primarily, they’ll support our existing feedback culture in several ways.
After feedback sessions
In feedback sessions run by Team Feedback Culture, sometimes exceptional feedback can be identified. Consequently, with those Kudo cards we can now:
- Highlight very positive, recurring themes
- Visually summarize a key message for the candidate
- Turn a piece of feedback into something that can be kept and displayed
In this context, they act almost like little awards that are shaped by the team and by the conversation.
In everyday collaboration
On the other hand, we assume that we will also see Kumo Kudo cards spreading beyond formal feedback sessions. Therefore, teammates may use them:
- To thank someone after a tough sprint
- To welcome someone back from leave
- To celebrate learning a new skill or role
Because we are fully remote, these physical pieces create a reminder that sits in the background of video calls. Over time, they tell the story of someone’s journey inside the company. Consequently, they become part of each colleague’s personal narrative.
Kumo Kudo cards as merch – coming to conference booths
We will not keep this idea only inside iits-consulting. As a result, some sets of the cards will be available as merch on conference booths where iits-consulting is present.
If you meet us at a conference, there is a good chance you will see them on our table. Eventually, you might even walk away with a set of your own. In this way, Kumo can inspire feedback cultures far beyond our company.
We would love your feedback on our Kudo cards
Right now, the cards exist primarily as physical appreciation tokens inside iits-consulting and quite likely as merch for conference booths. However, we are already thinking about what their future could look like.
Here are a few possible directions we are considering:
- Merch shop:
Would you like to see these cards in an online merch shop?
Would your team use them in your own office or remote setup? - Digital versions:
We are thinking about a digital version of the cards.
Would you prefer a web app, integrations into tools like Slack or Cendo, or something else? - Different designs:
Would you like to see other Kudo card designs with Kumo artwork?
Are there types of appreciation that you feel are missing in our current set?
If the idea of these Kudo Cards resonates with you, we would love to hear from you.
- Which design is your favorite and why?
- In your team, how do you celebrate appreciation today?
- How would you want to use something like this in your company?
Share your thoughts with us in our social media channels. Certainly, your feedback will help us decide whether to add them to a merch shop, build digital tools, or design entirely new variants.
At iits-consulting, innovation does not stop at technology. In conclusion, with these Kumo Kudo cards, we are extending our motto “Innovation as a team” to something deeply human: how we see each other, how we recognize each other, and how we say:
Level up!
Great job!
You made my day!
You rock!
You are indispensable!
