An expert product designer will work closely with your product delivery team. They can also act as a natural conduit from product strategy to product delivery—possessing a clear understanding of both areas.
Most digital product delivery processes today are run using Agile software development methodology. Agile focuses on improving product delivery through the collaborative work of self-organising and cross-functional teams.
While product designers were not originally given much consideration in Agile methods compared with developers and engineers, today they can work highly effectively as integrated members of Agile product delivery teams.
An Agile team—and the product designers within it— will have distinctive priorities and values:
Championing individuals and interactions, as well as processes and tools
Quickly releasing working products with iterative improvements
Valuing continuous collaboration with stakeholders to achieve the desired objectives.
Responding flexibly to changing circumstances as required
In summary, the Agile product designer will work responsively, collaboratively, pragmatically—and with focus on user and customer needs.
Product designers undertake various key activities within Agile product delivery teams, as they move through regular work phases or sprints.
These include concept design for product features and releases, detailed product design of elements for the next sprint, design support to engineers for the current sprint—and design validation of work on previous sprints.
The activities may be performed by one multi-tasking designer—or shared among multiple designers with different areas of focus.
Expert product designers work closely with engineering colleagues in integrated teams to enable end-to-end product delivery capabilities.
They understand the fundamental principles and requirements of both design and engineering—so will never propose solutions that cannot be built.
