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
"You need to believe what you’re doing is the right approach. You need to believe in your own skills and your team’s skills."
Megan KiersteadYou Are a Badass at UX: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
March 10, 2021
"Mural’s facilitation superpowers allow you to conduct workshops with 30 people divided into groups seamlessly."
Erika FlowersIntroduction to MURAL for UX
June 11, 2021
"We threw out the team structure and started to commission work based on the multiple skills needed for each project."
Catherine BlizzardUsing Integrated Insight to Drive Growth
March 10, 2022
"You can’t have a hackathon without free food."
Shelby SwitzerMaking Space for Community Knowledge-sharing in a Distributed World
December 10, 2021
"If Charlie has been tampered with, Alice needs a clear way to be alerted that she shouldn't trust it."
Heidi TrostWhen AI Becomes the User’s Point Person—and Point of Failure
August 7, 2025
"The chart controls were circular and confusing; users looked like deer in headlights not knowing where to start."
William Newton Jenny ChangHow to Lead With Data, and Without Data
June 7, 2023
"Flat Carol was a nearly life-size cardboard cutout of Carol."
Randolph Duke IIWar Stories LIVE! Randy Duke II
March 30, 2020
"Making sure your interview panel includes someone a candidate can identify with is a small but critical step."
Jackie Velasquez-RossTalent Acquisition and Our Responsibility
June 16, 2020
"It’s not that developers want to do design, they need to do it because they need to keep working on their projects."
Nora Tejeda Giovanna AlonsoScaling Design Capabilities at BBVA Through a Self-service Design Model
June 10, 2021