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
"I don’t know what I do day to day to make anything happen, and maybe that means I have to do less."
John TaschekMaking People the X-Factor in the Enterprise
June 15, 2018
"Your fresh eyes are actually an asset. Question why things are done a certain way and what jargon means."
Jessamyn EdwardsSurviving Your UX Career in Enterprise Design
December 2, 2021
"Running AI categorization on 2000 posts took 38 hours, $19, and as much carbon as driving a 1998 Chevy Malibu from Philly to Brooklyn."
Karen McGrane Jeff EatonAI for Information Architects: Are the robots coming for our jobs?
November 21, 2024
"Being a product boss isn’t about the tools you use. It’s all about the people and relationships behind those people."
Wendy JohanssonBe a Product Boss!
December 6, 2022
"Combining deep usability studies with site intercepts gives you both step-by-step insights and a moment-in-time view of user pain."
Mike Oren Janice WiitalaDesign Research Strategy & Strategic Design Research
February 3, 2022
"Humans remain essential for evaluation, especially to interpret cultural nuance that AI often misses."
Patrick BoehlerFishing for Real Needs: Reimagining Journalism Needs with AI
June 10, 2025
"It’s impossible to be angry with a warm cup of tea in your hand."
Dave GrayLiminal Thinking: Sense-making for systems in large organizations
May 14, 2015
"Notion really became a single source of truth where you can go for any context around the work."
Scott StephensThe Next Generation in DesignOps Toolsets
July 28, 2022
"Single sign-on was going to be really important because I didn’t want any barrier entry for people."
Michael PolivkaScaling Design through Relationship Maps
November 7, 2017
