Fostering Confidence and Consistency:
Defining Our Design Team's Values
As the Head of Product Design, I found myself navigating a newly remote team through an unprecedented time.
Our previously cohesive operation began to show signs of fragmentation and inconsistency due to the physical distance brought on by quarantine. Morale took a hit as designers grappled with a sense of uncertainty. The symptoms were clear:
Inconsistent quality.
The designers were simply unable to give each other quick ad-hoc feedback in person, creating inconsistencies throughout the portfolio.
Review sessions doubled in length.
The team's debate over clear-cut (but undocumented business and product) decisions was causing designers to lose focus time.
The definition of “good”
Designers were losing their confidence in selecting good ideas to execute, and what qualified as “good.”
Design cycles were lengthening,
Lengthy debates between the team, and prescriptive requirements jeopardized our speed to market and delivery timelines.
Product and Engineering teams were struggling to understand our design decisions.
Fragmented communication was evident, adversely impacting all teams and leading to flawed design implementation. across the portfolio.
Recognizing the need for clarity and shared understanding, I saw an opportunity to instill a sense of unity and direction.
The challenge was to address these issues head-on by providing a compass to guide our design team's decisions and actions.
The initiative aimed to craft values with the goal of not only maintaining quality and consistency but also fostering confidence, empowerment, and efficient decision-making. The process of defining these values was designed to be as collaborative and inclusive as the team it was intended to serve.