Summary
Product managers and designers, why don't we always get along? One side claims team ownership but often overrides team decisions, while the other longs for a seat at the table but remains quiet in high-stake discussions. Iain and IHan believe that building a genuine partnership begins with aligning leadership. They will share how they established this partnership and cascaded it down to the individual level. Additionally, they will discuss their methods for guiding teams in shifting their mindset toward cross-functional collaboration. Their goal is to cultivate a trusting relationship so that team members can navigate disagreements respectfully and move forward cohesively once decisions are reached.
Key Insights
-
•
Collaboration is key to overcoming misalignments between design and product teams.
-
•
Using a sports team metaphor fosters a shared goal mentality among teams.
-
•
Frequent communication reduces misunderstandings and enhances product development.
-
•
Empathy and understanding between design and product management can drastically improve teamwork.
-
•
Involving designers in business discussions helps them align their work with broader company goals.
-
•
Designers should embrace ambiguity and view it as a growth opportunity rather than a barrier.
-
•
The practice of sharing early drafts helps establish a culture of openness and collaboration.
-
•
Regular feedback and mentorship can promote continuous improvement in teamwork dynamics.
-
•
Building personal connections between team members can facilitate better collaboration.
-
•
Adopting a business language helps designers advocate for their work in a way that resonates with stakeholders.
Notable Quotes
"31% of people see design as an assembly line where designers just execute product vision."
"48% feel like a two-headed dragon where both teams have different visions and priorities."
"Only 21% feel they operate like a sports team working toward shared goals."
"Both teams wanted the same thing: to deliver a great product, but misalignments were stopping them."
"We created a better product faster with more eyes on the problem."
"We needed full commitment to resolve the existing issues in our collaboration."
"Designers shouldn't design in the dark; they need to share their process early."
"Embracing ambiguity is the best time to influence as people are open to new perspectives."
"If you are not embarrassed by what you share, you're sharing too late."
"Business language helps explain the 'why' of user-centricity to a broader audience."
More Videos
"Money is not an evil thing."
John MaedaMaking Sense of Enterprise UX
June 9, 2016
"Demographics don’t cause thinking; they can exacerbate discrimination, but for everything else, they've lost context."
Indi YoungThinking styles: Mend hidden cracks in your market
January 8, 2025
"Data scientists are sometimes thought of as the golden unicorns who can solve anything."
Chris ChapoData Science and Design: A Tale of Two Tribes
May 13, 2015
"We observed how cultural practices impact technology uptake."
Elizabeth ChurchillExploring Cadence: You, Your Team, and Your Enterprise
June 8, 2017
"We have to make sure that we are being mindful and inclusive."
Rusha SopariwalaRemote, Together: Craft and Collaboration Across Disciplines, Borders, Time Zones, and a Design Org of 170+
June 9, 2022
"What if we could have a system of accountability that includes a code of ethics?"
George AyeThat Quiet Little Voice: When Design and Ethics Collide
November 16, 2022
"Our mental, physical, and emotional bandwidth is like a battery that fluctuates between being fully charged and completely depleted."
Ariba JahanTeam Resiliency Through a Pandemic
January 8, 2024
"We have more demand for design work than capacity right now, which is a good problem to have."
Julie Gitlin Esther RaiceDesign as an Agent of Digital Transformation at JPMC
June 9, 2021
"Data per se are not the problem; it's the way we are using the data that can be problematic."
Matteo GrattonCan Data and Ethics Live Together?
October 1, 2021
