Theme 2: Enterprise Team Journey
Summary
You’re part of a cross-functional team dedicated to creating an amazing product experience. You’re an essential piece of a larger puzzle. But how does your piece mesh with all the others? This first-of-its-kind interactive session will blend improvisation, audience participation, panel-style discussion, and more to explore the inner dynamics of cross-functional enterprise teams. We’ll illustrate a few best (and probably a few worst) practices, and you’ll walk away with a new found understanding for your colleagues and a renewed sense of ways to make the fit between your different roles clearer and more effective.
Participating in this session:
- Christian Crumlish, Head of Product, 7 Cups
- Jacqui Frey, Director of Design Operations, MailChimp
- Kristina Halvorson, Founder, CEO, Brain Traffic
- Jamie Janssen, Research Manager for Shared Rides, Uber Technologies, Inc
- Ramya Mahalingam, Associate Design Director, McKinsey & Company
- Adam Penly, Lead Frontend Architect, Capital One
Key Insights
-
•
There are two kinds of conflict in cross-disciplinary teams: zero-sum tug-of-war and creative tension that creates new outcomes.
-
•
Dog Business and Dog Company is a fictional B2D (business-to-dog) enterprise exploring innovative technology like blockchain for dog-to-dog secure communication.
-
•
Product management often leans heavily on business priorities but must balance design and technology to succeed, as Christian highlights.
-
•
Design teams at the company are stretched thin and lack enough time for prototyping and thorough validation, impacting confidence in shipped products.
-
•
Project management sits at the intersection of brand experience and business strategy, requiring cross-team alignment as noted by Jackie.
-
•
Engineering excels at execution but struggles with deeper engagement in design and user experience processes, limiting collaboration.
-
•
Research teams are centralized and large but face unique challenges of representing non-human users (dogs), demanding specialized expertise.
-
•
Content strategy is undervalued and fragmented across the organization, leading to inconsistencies; leadership must elevate content’s role.
-
•
Interactive improv exercises and role-playing hiring games foster understanding and reveal real-world team dynamics and collaboration challenges.
-
•
The invocation improv game helps teams build empathy by exploring their connection to the product at increasing emotional and spiritual depth.
Notable Quotes
"There are two kinds of conflict: one is a zero-sum tug of war, and the other is creative tension that creates something unexpected."
"We are a B2D company – business to dog – making technology so dogs can speak English to people and each other."
"Having a business background is almost the oldest form of product management, but great product requires balancing design and tech too."
"Designers want more time to prototype and really ensure what ships is successful, but we just don’t have enough people or time."
"Project management is the ecosystem connecting everyone to deliver the best branded dog communication technology."
"Engineers are great at executing code but often lack connection to user experience and design processes."
"Content is created all over and inconsistently; leadership needs to see content as the fuel driving the experience."
"When product leaders ask for research just to validate ideas, the best response is to say, ‘fuck this group,’ then do real user interviews."
"We need to sequence activities carefully so we innovate while also keeping code shipping without stopping progress."
"Thou art community, connection, and meaning – the product is not just code or design, it is a shared experience between humans and dogs."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Public sector work is about broadening your reach and delivering outcomes to everyone, not winning market share."
Louis Rosenfeld Lashanda Hodge Senongo Akpem Chris HodowanecBecoming a Civic Designer: Making the Move from Private to Public Sector
November 17, 2022
"Relational power requires empathy and curiosity about a wide range of stakeholders, not just the users."
Robert FabricantShifting dynamics: The evolving relationship between researchers, participants, and organizational systems
March 11, 2025
"We don’t promise that every piece of feedback will show up in the product, but we keep partners informed about how their input influences development."
Tracy McGoldrickIBM User Experience Program—The What, Why and How
October 15, 2021
"Artifacts didn’t happen if they’re not documented; they’re decision-making points in the product process."
Erika Kincaid Brenna Heaps Jessica TsukimuraConnecting the Dots: How to Foster Collaboration and Build a Strong Design Review Culture
June 8, 2022
"An accessible product is not only the right thing to do, it’s also good for business."
Erin WeigelReal-world lessons to improve your conversion rates
June 26, 2024
"The biggest mistake in any implementation is ignoring the emotional side of change management."
Sofia QuinteroBeyond Tools: The Messy Business of Implementing Research Repositories
March 10, 2022
"Covid proved people can work from anywhere, the real challenge is trust and managing that well."
Jennifer Bolduc Diane Gregorio Emily DayWhat's involved with getting people back to work?: A panel discussion
July 1, 2021
"I thought I had this whole being a designer thing figured out until I touched 2,000 images and saw giant black bars across all my buttons."
Dan WillisEnterprise Storytelling Sessions
June 8, 2016
"41 percent of non-Western names are autocorrected into something else."
Samuel ProulxDesigning for Disability, Innovating for Everyone
March 11, 2025
