Partnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design
Summary
As product designers and product managers, working with each other can be confusing, frustrating, and sometimes causes conflict, especially as corporate expectations evolve and our roles increasingly overlap. How do we each play to our strengths, and still find a way to meet at the focus of our product; our users? In this talk, we will learn how our disciplines are both the same and differ, and how to become trusted partners towards our common goals, at any stage of our career.
Key Insights
-
•
The transition from waterfall to agile shifted focus from outputs to outcomes, profoundly changing how designers collaborate with product managers.
-
•
Early in her career, Asia experienced design as a constrained role, limited to polished deliverables and strict chain of command.
-
•
Product management centers on business value, metrics, and prioritization, involving deep work long before design involvement.
-
•
Design and product management overlap in research, user understanding, and vision, but maintain distinct responsibilities and skills.
-
•
Common conflicts include late involvement of designers, limited decision-making power, and balancing subjective design goals with objective business needs.
-
•
Involving designers early in sprint planning and stakeholder meetings improves design estimates and scope clarity.
-
•
Establishing team rituals like kickoffs, sprint planning, retrospectives, and bonding activities enhances alignment and morale, especially remotely.
-
•
Protecting designers' time and insisting on meeting agendas help maintain focus and enable effective iteration.
-
•
Documenting design decisions in multiple linked tools (like Figma and Jira) fosters transparency and cross-functional understanding.
-
•
Assuming positive intent and practicing curiosity over ego cultivate healthier collaboration between designers and product managers.
Notable Quotes
"Project management was focused on outputs, assuming the correct feature was already defined."
"At General Assembly, I learned that product management is focused more on outcomes and iterative discovery."
"Design is not just aesthetics; it’s about what the product feels like, sounds like, and how it differentiates in the market."
"Accessibility isn’t just a checklist; it changes moment to moment for any individual."
"Product managers mean business — they have their hands in multiple pots long before designers join the team."
"Designers are often seen as bottlenecks because our work is harder to estimate and track than engineering’s."
"Collaborate and involve design early and often to better align on user goals and reduce friction."
"Building rapport and rituals helped our remote team foster camaraderie and trust."
"I learned to be relentless about prioritization and to hone in on specific details and use cases."
"Assume positive intent, practice a service mindset, and curiosity over ego — remember we’re all in this together."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The research team is embedded within product squads, working closely with designers, engineers, and data analysts."
Saskia LiebenbergStart Small for Big Impact
May 15, 2019
"Physical remotes have a lower power draw and are often more purpose-driven than phones, which are sources of stress."
Cheryl PlatzDemystifying Multimodal Design: The Design Practice You Didn't Know You're Doing
April 4, 2024
"The first thing your eyes see is usually the highest-contrast or largest element, then you flow downwards."
Billy CarlsonPro-level UI Tips for Beginners
September 9, 2022
"Simplicity rarely loses to complexity in the public square—it’s about meeting people where they are."
Steve ChaparroBringing Into Alignment Brand, Culture and Space
August 13, 2020
"Ethical technology governance means anticipating the long-term social impacts of technology today and acting to protect essential public goods."
Ilana LipsettAnticipating Risk, Regulating Tech: A Playbook for Ethical Technology Governance
December 10, 2021
"My last job outside this field was as a furniture salesman — flipping burgers or wrangling children, many started outside tech."
Chelsey GlassonExit Interview #3: Same as It Ever Was: What Leaving Tech Taught Me About Change
December 17, 2025
"A design ops career ladder can look like a step stool unless you create multiple tracks for growth and specialization."
John Calhoun Rachel PosmanTwo Sides of the DesignOps Coin: Teams Ops and Product Ops
January 8, 2024
"Everyone contributes to conflict; it’s not about right or wrong, but what each person is trying to protect."
Laura WeissTurn Down the Heat: 3 Ways to Handle Conflict in the Moment
November 20, 2024
"Starting small with local meetups or internal talks helps you test and improve your material before bigger stages."
Louis Rosenfeld Jemma Ahmed Christian Crumlish Uday Gajendar Chris GeisonCoffee with Lou #3: What Makes for a Successful UX Conference Presentation?
May 2, 2024
