Embracing Design Early On: How Collaboration with UR/UX Supercharges Product Success
“Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it. Think of it like a room’s air conditioning. We only notice it when it’s too hot, too cold, making too much noise, or the unit is dripping on us. However, if the air conditioning is perfect, nobody say anything and we focus, instead, on the task at hand.” — Jared Spool
The pressure was mounting. The team stressed. The market was ripe for us to introduce a new product. Yet our competitors were closing in, and we needed to move fast.
Then in strolls the design team, telling us to step back. Calling us out for not investing time to understand our buyer, let alone our user.
What!? We needed to deliver, not discuss. What didn’t they understand?
Another blocker in my path preventing me from moving the product team into action. Then I questioned myself… should I feel that way? What if they were right?
Have you ever been in a situation like that? Pressure mounting, a need to move quickly, and faced with a choice to do things the right way, in this case partnering with design, or taking a shortcut.
High-pressure situations always tempt me to take the shortest path. However, I’ve learned that cutting corners early in product strategy development leads to significant hurdles later on.
Sure, it will be tempting to move without design. However, involving the design team from the outset will help you avoid common pitfalls and streamline product development. Without their engagement, contribution and participation in the strategy, product build and launch will move significantly slower.
So what did I do in this case? User, what user? I skipped ahead. I went right into vision development, then the market assessment, and zoomed ahead to answer how we would win. And then it happened. The head of design stormed into my office, face red, looking to fight and let me have it.
He asked, “Why? Why had I ignored him?”. I calmly told him I didn’t have time and, as a result, forged ahead — wrong answer.
It led to a walk and a heart-to-heart. I took time to understand his perspective. He acknowledged that his team often slowed the momentum. And then he said something to the effect of, “Take it slow in the beginning. The early thoughts you form will stick with you.
If you don’t base the strategy on an actual user (or buyer) need that you understand deeply, your strategy will be flawed, product development will wander, and development will take more time than you gained.” Or at least that is how I remembered it.
The bottom line — I was wrong. And I hate being wrong. While I knew the design team’s approach was right, reality finally sunk in.
Design and product strategy are alike in many ways
As a product strategist, it’s crucial to recognize the value of the design team. They bring unique skills to support, challenge, and refine your vision. By embracing design early on, you’ll create a stronger product strategy and foundation for development.
Why? Design as a discipline requires creativity, problem-solving, vision, and storytelling. Designers share many characteristics with product strategists.
In fact, if you look back at the post on what makes a rockstar product strategist, you will have better insight into why I say this. Design is strategy mixed with art and execution. The design team always aims to create differentiation and competitive advantage, just like product strategy.
Yet, in other ways, design complements product strategists:
- Design puts the user at the center. While product strategists consider the user one of many dimensions, design treats the user as the most critical dimension. Design will be the constant voice of the user, while product strategists must balance the other dimensions (e.g., organizational objectives, market opportunity, sustainable value, etc.). A well-designed product offers a seamless, intuitive, and enjoyable user experience, creating unique differentiation and advantage. Design can bring strategy back down to the reality of the user.
- Going deep with user research. Seeing how people operate in the real world adds color and depth to the problem. User research can inform significant aspects of the product strategy and drive innovation. Research also keeps it real when it comes to actually solving real-world problems. The product strategy team does not typically have time to do these activities.
- Telling stories visually. Often product strategy focuses on storytelling through words (or slides). Design complements the story through visual expression. I can’t overstate visual storytelling’s effectiveness as you ‘sell’ the product strategy. Visuals, storyboards, and flows are equally important to data and analogies.
- Making it real through prototyping. Putting ideas down in sketches, videos, clickables, and models. Not only do these help with user feedback, but they also help to communicate the strategy tangibly. A ‘real’ product prototype goes a long way to support the strategy visually.
While I could go on into greater depth, these areas highlight where design complements and supports product strategists. Beyond capabilities, I’ve also found that the design team is often the most open and direct team. They aren’t afraid to tell you you are wrong, making them great collaborators.
Design as a superpower for product strategy
I’ll start with a ‘mea culpa’ — don’t think about design like I did earlier in my career. Design doesn’t exist to pretty up the product — to put lipstick on the pig. They are not an impediment that slows the strategy down. Instead, the design team represents a unique superpower that compliments and enhances the product strategy function in many ways, including:
- Problem space exploration — Given different experiences, tools, frameworks, and focus, design brings a diverse viewpoint to the vision and north star development. In vision formation, you need differing opinions and partners with experience willing to debate with you. Let design be your balancing force.
- Loveable products — Given the focus on the buyer/user, design always looks toward creating a loveable product — not just a passable product. This focus will significantly improve strategy development while raising the bar on the product to be developed.
- Advocate for the delivery teams — While product should have a seat at the table partnering with you to develop the product strategy, architecture, and engineering often do not. Since design works closely with engineering to create the flows and screens (or models) required to build the product, they understand how product build works. As a result, they can represent engineering throughout strategy development, testing your assumptions. Side note, I have learned it’s helpful to have architecture or engineering at least engaged in the strategy process.
- Story testers — Design teams are excellent storytellers. They will test the story behind your strategy, calling out weaknesses and ensuring it is clear and compelling. Make sure you test the storyline for your strategy with them, get their feedback, and let them help in the creation.
- Bridge from strategy to development — Just as product strategy is a bridge between the company’s goals and products, design acts as a bridge from product strategy to delivery. They play a crucial role in making the strategy real, ensuring your dreams become a reality.
How to bring your design partners in
Just do it as Nike would say. Make them your first call. Then, bring them in to help you set the table, don’t just invite them to sit at it. And don’t worry about being prepared. Design likes shaping the chaos characteristic of the early days of strategy development. So leverage them as a partner. Don’t wait until you have a well-formed plan — designers thrive in the early stages of strategy development and can help shape the outcome.
A closing thought for my friends on both sides
You may be thinking I over index in my love for design. I do, but it’s for a good reason. If I can leave you with one thought, don’t view design as a downstream function that makes the product look good. Think of design as a true partner who should be there before you set the table and invite other guests. While you will lose some initial inertia engaging design, they will help you accelerate quickly and easily slip through the sound barrier as you bring your product to market.
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