Summary
Re-orgs are inevitable, where the first pain point people encounter is terminology clash. It may feel trite to discuss labels when there are bigger issues to tackle, except that words matter. Words represent processes, methodologies, philosophies, and our values. In this talk I’ll share our story of two multi-disciplinary design teams merging into one. Our pain points, and the exercises we used to break down barriers and create a new team framework for talking with each other about what we really do. Learn how to lead your team from affinity diagram to building a bespoke skills wheel self-assessment.
Key Insights
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Differences in definitions of core terms like 'prototype' can cause significant team friction and slow progress.
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Merging distinct design disciplines without addressing language and identity leads to misunderstandings and frustration.
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Banning loaded terms in early conversations forces more precise and meaningful communication.
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Affinity diagramming bottom-up helps build a shared team language and mental model collectively.
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Visual, tangible artifacts enable productive dialogue, transforming defensiveness into engagement.
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Digitizing and analyzing sticky notes from affinity exercises can reveal team frameworks and workflows.
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A customized skills wheel tied to team-defined work areas encourages honest self-reflection and peer support.
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Having team members share their skill assessments fosters vulnerability and strengthens relationships.
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Inspirations from related design leadership thinking, like Jason The Suits’ Shape of Designers, help shape effective tools.
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The real value lies not in visual diagrams but in the quality of dialogue they generate within teams.
Notable Quotes
"That's not a prototype, said my manager, showing how words can have very different meanings across disciplines."
"We were spending time defending the meaning of words rather than discussing the content of the work."
"Words matter. Words are how we express our values, our philosophies, and why we do what we do."
"We had to make everybody feel safe to participate in this exercise."
"Before we started, we banned words like designer and prototype to force clarity in how we describe our work."
"The first time our director saw the team working together and facing the same direction was a profound moment."
"Those sticky notes are design-obsuser data — crowdsourced definitions of what we do as a team."
"It's not about the diagram. It's about the dialogue."
"After filling out their skill wheels, people had vulnerable conversations they normally wouldn't have with teammates."
"Forget about labels is asking people to ignore the pain. We had to treat the blister in our shoe first."
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