Suas equipes de design e engenharia estão em desacordo. Como você pode preencher a lacuna para garantir o sucesso do projeto?

Having this mindset that we both want the same thing and that is the success of the project helps a lot. Then listening and repeating what you heard is crucial. Then actually saying that I'm willing to change my mind and find a solution that works for both of us. Don't forget to appreciate and complement the dev team that you are working on what they are good at. If you can't find anything to say out loud try harder. You will find many things.

Cross-Pollination Day": Bridging Teams for Success Role Swap: Designers and engineers switch roles for a day to gain empathy and insight. Fusion Squad: A mixed mini-team tackles a small, creative project together. Storytelling: Each team shares a key challenge and its resolution, building mutual respect. Celebrate Wins: Recognize collaborative successes to encourage teamwork. A day of cross-pollination can transform friction into synergy, ensuring project success.

Your eng team only cares about 3 things: 1. is this "thing" going to save us costs? 2. is this "thing" going to drive revenue? 3. is this "thing" going to make us more efficient? Bridge the gap by speaking to your audience. "If we implement this design, we'll save 40M in eng resources for FY25." "If we codify this design, we'll scale web experiences and reach new customers and drive growth." "If we invest in this design, we'll save 1,000 hours of dev time every 6 months."

Having a common goal and transparency (including vulnerabilities) has worked for me almost every time. This helps the teams to trust each other and become supplement to eachother.

I believe it's important to emphasize that we're all part of the same team, working towards a common goal, rather than focusing on individual objectives. Ensuring that everyone is aligned from the start and consistently updated with any changes will help keep everyone on the same page.

Bring teams together. Get on the same call, talk about what you're working on. Even better than that, make sure you have a Project Manager present. Doing this will ensure that everyone understands the goals.

Do a cathartic session with the team so that they respect each other, they respect each other's duties and can do a team work towards a common goal.

In my experience, developers are motivated and energized when they understand why they are asked to implement something. A few strategies that I have seen working are: - play back bits of user interviews or observation sessions so see or hear for themselves what users like about the product and what they struggle with - take the time to share the results of usability sessions with direct quotes from users who tested a prototype or the working product itself - organize brainstorming sessions where everyone on the product team has an opportunity to contribute ideas - explain the problems that users have before sharing the design solution that has to be implemented - involve developers in early design reviews to provide their input

Advocating for an open-door policy helps to establish easy discussions and clear communication. Designate explicit channels for regular updates and feedback. Use tools like Asana, Slack, Trello, or Jira to keep everyone informed and aligned. Encourage open dialogue where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. For example, hold weekly stand-up meetings where designers and engineers can discuss progress, roadblocks, and upcoming tasks. This transparency helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of collaboration, especially between design and engineering teams. I often act as a translator, ensuring that the language of design (aesthetics, user experience) and engineering (feasibility, performance) are understood by both sides. Regular sync meetings, where each team can voice concerns and provide updates, have been crucial in my experience. In one case, a misunderstanding about a design requirement led to a week of wasted work. After that, we implemented daily stand-ups, which not only improved transparency but also fostered a sense of teamwork. Clear, consistent communication can prevent small issues from becoming big problems.

Para resolver conflitos entre equipes de design e engenharia, foque em estabelecer uma comunicação clara e frequente, definindo objetivos comuns centrados no usuário. Crie um ambiente de respeito mútuo onde cada equipe compreenda os desafios da outra. Estabeleça um escopo de projeto bem definido e incentive a colaboração na resolução de problemas. Quando surgirem divergências, use as necessidades do usuário como critério de decisão. Valorize as contribuições únicas de cada equipe, lembrando que o sucesso do projeto depende da harmonia entre design e engenharia. Com empatia, objetivos claros e foco no usuário, é possível superar diferenças e criar soluções inovadoras.

I used to build product teams and functions. Forget process integration. Think org design instead. Processes exist only in flow charts and when people follow them. How you put teams together influences how closely people work together. If you have cross-functional squads with engineers and designers on a squad, they’re more likely to work together, but different squads might find it hard to maintain design or engineering consistency. If you have functional engineering and design teams, you’ll have more consistency; but you’ll have handover and dependency problems which affects speed. Every org structure has tradeoffs. The key is to be conscious about what we’re choosing.

To resolve conflicts within the design & engineering team, start by identifying the root cause— whether it's technical disagreements, communication issues, or misaligned goals. Ensure a process is in place for seamless integration of work and a clear plan to handle differing opinions. Regular cross-functional discussions with leadership can help resolve issues early on. If conflicts persist despite these efforts, consider involving department heads to manage conflicts directly, escalating only unresolved issues to top executives. Address underlying ego challenges carefully to foster a collaborative environment.

To ensure project success, improve workflow efficiency, and reduce friction between the design and engineering teams, develop a streamlined process that will help connect the two. For example, implement an Agile methodology to help align design and development sprints. This ensures design assets are available if the engineers need them and should address any technical constraints early in the process. Next, adopt a unified project management system using tools such as Asana, Trello, or Jira. This approach will allow you to manage your entire process to maintain effectiveness and efficiency.

🤝 Start by organizing joint meetings where both teams can discuss their priorities, design aesthetics and engineering feasibility. 🛠️ As an industrial designer, I focus on finding common ground by aligning design intent with practical constraints like material strength and manufacturing processes. Encourage both sides to approach the project from a collaborative perspective, ensuring that each voice is heard. 💬 Using tools like prototypes or CAD models can help visualize compromises and clarify misunderstandings. A shared goal of creating a functional, beautiful product will keep the project on track, improving both teamwork and outcomes. 🎯

Building Empathy between the people designing the product and building the product is essential, which should be done way before a conflict arrises, because to build a good product it should both teams mission to build the best product for the user and not to build the best product in their opinion, this is just good ideology to build as a good engineer or a good designer.

Empathy is the key to bridging that gap. By openly sharing struggles, goals, and benefits, you can help engineers understand your vision. But it’s equally important to listen and appreciate their technical constraints. Mutual understanding leads to smoother collaboration and better project outcomes. - Share project goals transparently to build trust. - Take time to learn about technical challenges. - Encourage open communication between teams. - Foster a culture of mutual respect and empathy. When teams support each other, everyone excels.

Empathy should be a part of the underlying principle when building any project. Start by implementing empathy-building activities that allow each member to step into the other’s role. For example, designers can attend coding workshops to grasp the technical intricacies engineers encounter, while engineers can participate in design critiques to appreciate the creative process. These initiatives boost mutual respect and empathy, ultimately enhancing collaboration and support among team members. When you align each team with this founding principle, they begin to recognize and value the unique challenges of their team members.

By fostering empathy and understanding that both teams share the same goal—product success—acknowledging each other’s perspectives with respect and maintaining a positive atmosphere can help resolve any arising conflicts.

In my experience, getting teams aligned around clear, measurable goals is key to closing the gaps, especially between design and engineering. It helps everyone stay focused on the same outcomes, which naturally boosts collaboration and cuts down on misunderstandings and conflicts. Focusing on unified objectives leads to better communication, smoother integration, and more successful projects overall.

Bringing transparency across the teams in terms of the design specs and requirements will help in unifying the objectives. If each team member is aware about the end goals and how his/her contribution will lead to attaining or Missing that goal, they will be more focused and will also try to avoid any conflicts.

Estabelecer objetivos unificados para as equipes de projeto e engenharia é fundamental para garantir o alinhamento e o sucesso do projeto. É importante que ambas as equipes não apenas conheçam suas metas individuais, mas também compreendam como essas metas se encaixam no sucesso global do projeto. Quando cada membro da equipe entende como sua contribuição afeta o resultado final, isso promove a colaboração e cria um senso de propósito compartilhado, fortalecendo o trabalho em equipe e a eficácia do projeto.

Aunque los ejercicios de empatía pueden ayudar a mejorar la comprensión entre equipos de diseño e ingeniería, tienen sus limitaciones. Asumir temporalmente otro rol ofrece una visión superficial de los desafíos, sin capturar toda su complejidad. Además, el tiempo invertido en estos ejercicios puede no ser práctico en proyectos con plazos ajustados. En algunos casos, enfoques más directos, como mejorar la comunicación o utilizar herramientas colaborativas, pueden ser igualmente efectivos para resolver conflictos y fomentar la innovación sin depender únicamente de la empatía.

Acredito que se envolvidos desde o inicio, os times tendem a conversarem mais e focarem nos mesmos objetivos. Time de engenharia não é apenas executor de tarefas, eles precisam ser envolvidos para tomar decisões estratégicas e técnicas e precisam se sentir parte de um processo para que isso se torne algo em comum. São eles que tornam ou não algo técnicamente viável então precisam saber do que se tratam as coisas.

The success of an innovative product that breaks boundaries is a result of the push-and-pull between design and engineering. The first step is to embrace this healthy push-and-pull. In the end , both parties want to develop the best product - let’s realize this common end goal and work as a team. There should also be an open learning feedback loop. Design has a challenging concept — Engineering makes prototypes to study feasibility — Design iteration — Engineering validation — and the iteration goes on Trust and mutual respect are key elements that will ease any heated arguments

🤝 Bridging the gap between design and engineering teams is like aligning gears in a complex machine. Each gear (team) has its own rhythm, but they must sync to drive the project forward. The key is to create a shared language, translate design vision into technical requirements and vice versa. 🌐 Facilitate regular cross-team meetings to clarify goals, identify constraints, and address concerns. 🛠️ Encourage open dialogue, emphasizing collaboration over competition. By fostering mutual respect and a unified focus on project success, you can harmonize the efforts, ensuring both creativity and practicality move in tandem.

Cross-Disciplinary learning strategies are the clear-cut ways for achieving success since they allow both the parties to learn basics of their counterparts field of expertise. This will also allow for better and effective communication among the two teams and also develop empathy for each other all along the way.

To bridge the gap between design and engineering teams: Promote Interdisciplinary Learning: Arrange seminars where team members learn each other's basics, improving understanding and communication. Establish Regular Meetings: Set up frequent check-ins to discuss goals, progress, and issues, fostering open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving. Set Shared Objectives: Align on common goals and ensure both teams understand how their work impacts the overall project. Encourage Empathy: Use role-playing exercises to help team members appreciate each other’s challenges and constraints. These strategies will enhance collaboration and streamline project execution.

Como líder de design, tenho visto o impacto direto da aprendizagem interdisciplinar nas dinâmicas que conduzimos, como a Matriz CSD com o time de negócios. Mesmo que uma pessoa não esteja diretamente envolvida em determinado projeto, essas sessões proporcionam uma visão do que está sendo criado na empresa, permitindo conexões valiosas entre produtos já desenvolvidos e aqueles que estão por vir. Essa troca de conhecimento fortalece a colaboração e permite que todos aprendam e contribuam de forma significativa para a inovação e o sucesso do negócio. Acredito que essa abordagem se aplica a qualquer organização que valorize a integração de equipes e a inovação coletiva.