Summary
We have all heard the old saying “communication is key” but as the landscape of technology widens so do the options we have for communication tools using that technology. To talk about the challenges and opportunities that our organizations face when solving the communication conundrum, we have invited three people working in three different areas where communication is key for organizations with designers: research insights, workflow management and design systems management. Facilitated by Abby Covert.
Key Insights
-
•
Design operations suffer from too many fragmented tools and need unified systems.
-
•
Users want collaborative tools that filter noise and surface only what's important.
-
•
Collaboration in companies requires control mechanisms such as approvals and private comments, contradicting the idea of anarchy.
-
•
Integration between design and development is hindered by translation losses between design and code.
-
•
True agile and cross-functional collaboration are rare due to team turnover and lack of trust.
-
•
Collaborative tools have democratized feedback, increasing ownership across teams.
-
•
Different roles like designers, engineers, and business analysts have distinct needs from design tools.
-
•
Customization of collaborative tools and workflows is essential to fit diverse team processes.
-
•
AI and design systems combined with research can enable automated, smarter design decisions.
-
•
Future collaboration tools should respect users' focus time and reduce constant interruptions.
Notable Quotes
"There are too many things all over the place. I would like to use my magic wand for making them one system."
"A lot of these tools bring more noise into people’s day to day lives. It’s really hard to stay involved and still find time to get your own job done."
"Collaboration is actually not anarchy in companies. There’s always this need for control."
"Translation is a traitor because meaning is lost in translation between design and code."
"The dream of cross-functional agile collaboration is there, but it’s quite hard to realize that because teams don’t have enough time to build trust."
"With collaborative tools, feedback has become a democratic process, and people feel more ownership of the project."
"Design is not only limited to designers. Business analysts and engineers can design too, supported by designers."
"The hardest thing is knowing when to stop talking about something and start building it."
"Eventually, I expect AI to help create designs by combining patterns from meta design systems and research, making design more about crafting experiences."
"I want my collaboration tool to be like the Nest thermostat of my workday, knowing when I’m heads down and when I’m open to communication."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Users prefer the simpler and more delightful design even without usability testing."
How to Identify and Increase your "Experience Quotient"
June 15, 2018
"Making images and text more legible over complex backgrounds is both a tactical design and accessibility challenge."
Elizabeth ChurchillExploring Cadence: You, Your Team, and Your Enterprise
June 8, 2017
"Personalization at scale is made possible by capturing activity data and correlating it across millions of residents."
Angy Peterson Bob AinsburyMore Than Technology: Personalized Public Sector Experiences
December 10, 2021
"Sponsor sessions are optional but incredibly high quality content, not sales pitches."
Bria AlexanderDay 2 Welcome
September 24, 2024
"A tea party of one can really be very lonely, so we decided to seek out some friends to make our tea party more fun."
Carla Casariego Sarah SpencerDesignOps in Wonderland
October 24, 2019
"When you’re building a specific AI feature, you don’t want to make your user write their own prompt."
Trisha Causley[Demo] Complexity in disguise: Crafting experiences for generative AI features
June 5, 2024
"Transparency includes sharing your sources and even competitors' comparisons to build trust."
Margot BloomsteinFostering Trust in Your Brand and Beyond
March 12, 2020
"Making the business case begins by identifying the need and showing how strategic content adds value."
Natalie DunbarDesignOps and Content Strategy: Envisioning the Future Together
October 1, 2021
"OKRs are not one-size-fits-all; you have to shape them based on your organizational context and culture."
Bria Alexander Benson Low Natalya Pemberton Stephanie GoldthorpeOKRs—Helpful or Harmful?
January 20, 2022
