Summary
Product managers and designers, why don't we always get along? One side claims team ownership but often overrides team decisions, while the other longs for a seat at the table but remains quiet in high-stake discussions. Iain and IHan believe that building a genuine partnership begins with aligning leadership. They will share how they established this partnership and cascaded it down to the individual level. Additionally, they will discuss their methods for guiding teams in shifting their mindset toward cross-functional collaboration. Their goal is to cultivate a trusting relationship so that team members can navigate disagreements respectfully and move forward cohesively once decisions are reached.
Key Insights
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31% of teams see product and design as an assembly line, but shifting to a sports team model improves outcomes.
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Designers often feel squeezed between product and engineering, leading to frustration and lack of pride.
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Mutual commitment and daily communication huddles help align design and product teams.
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Including designers in all business conversations enhances their understanding and contribution.
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Designers must learn to embrace business language to resonate beyond design.
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Ambiguity in early product stages is an opportunity to influence direction before strong opinions form.
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Designing in the open, sharing early and imperfect work, fosters dialogue and shared ownership.
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Building personal connections across teams improves engagement, especially with quieter members.
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Continuous coaching on communication style helps teams respect each other's contributions.
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Cross-functional exposure (e.g., designers interning with implementation) broadens understanding and confidence.
Notable Quotes
"Our teams were more like an assembly line or two-headed dragon before we became a sports team."
"Designers felt like they were just serving Figma files and their voices were ignored."
"We mutually committed to resolve issues ASAP because product would suffer otherwise."
"Including designers in every business conversation was tough but necessary."
"Using business language doesn’t diminish user centricity; it helps explain why to broader audiences."
"Ambiguity is like a 3000-piece puzzle without knowing the picture — you start with edges and patterns."
"If you’re not embarrassed by what you share, you’re sharing too late."
"Shared ownership is the best way to ship meaningful products efficiently."
"Building strong personal connections helps engage shy or quiet engineers."
"Leadership modeling vulnerability encourages teams to share work early, even if it’s messy."
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