Summary
Teams Work How People Work 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
-
•
Conflict can be viewed as a zero-sum game where one team's win is another's loss, or as creative tension that fosters innovative outcomes.
-
•
Fostering open communication and collaboration between designers and engineers is crucial for effective product development.
-
•
Understanding different roles and their challenges can help mitigate conflicts and enhance teamwork.
-
•
Engaging stakeholders early in the design process can lead to better alignment and understanding of goals.
-
•
Improvisation exercises can effectively illustrate team dynamics and encourage creative thinking.
Notable Quotes
"We're going to explore those relationships through improvising around a fictional product."
"Think of a string on an instrument... it plays exactly the right note when tension is balanced."
"It's about having the right conversations at the right time to include everyone in the vision."
"Sometimes it’s about leading with empathy, learning about stakeholders' pressures."
"Content is the fuel driving the experience; leadership must acknowledge its value."
















More Videos

"You can advocate for doing things the right way."
Tanya SnookDesigning the team experience: Building culture through onboarding
November 4, 2021

"Designers play a key role in shaping the developer experience to enhance productivity in government agencies."
Ed MullenDesigning the Unseen: Enabling Institutions to Build Public Trust
November 16, 2022

"It's essential to build capacity locally, rather than parachuting in with preconceived ideas."
Tricia WangThe most popular design thinking strategy is BS
January 27, 2022

"When I thought about it, the metaphor that's best describing the skill sets necessary to turn research or understanding into advice and influence has to do with music."
Christian MadsbjergInfluencing Strategy
March 31, 2020

"I learned to speak the language of product people to bridge the gap between UX design and engineering."
Noreen Whysel Katie SaindonShort Take #4: UX/Product Lessons from Your Industry Peers
December 6, 2022

"Design leadership looks like a CEO promoting design as strategy."
Brianna SylverLead With Purpose
March 31, 2020

"Employees must decide when and how much time they take off as long as their job gets done."
Lavy Kumar Kat Temple Shan Sebastian Tara Jensen Jenn ChouFuture of Work
June 9, 2021

"Qualitative research helps set context and poses questions that can't be answered by numbers alone."
Joshua NobleCasual Inference
October 6, 2023

"I knew that we wanted to help communities thrive by simplifying the movement of goods."
Alana Washington(Remote) Service Design: A Transformation Case Study
June 8, 2022