PR✿transformation of my perfect chair

How many awesome products that nail market fit have we already seen already? Really powerful, simplifying the lives of many users, equipped with artificial intelligence and supporting the intuitive user experience all of these are the definitions of the best technology-powered products have been created.Does it sound like a huge work has to be done? Yes, and behind every great product there is the product team that combines technology and designs to solve real customer problems.

The product team is truly the team of the right people that actually are missionaries, not mercenaries. Thanks to Marty Cagan’s “Inspired” I know it clearly now. I completely agreed with his quote “It’s amazing how many companies I encounter that just don’t understand why having strong and talented designers is so important. They understand the need for engineers, but often will waste significant time and money because they do not understand the need for design.” The missionaries team, typically, is comprised of a product manager, a product designer, and somewhere between two and about 10 to 12 engineers. But I would like to highlight that there are individual contributors with balance of skills needed to build product from idea and to build it correctly. 

So what is my perfect chair in this team? I literally mean my role in this team collaboration is the PROduct designer. After looking at my background, where I worked with the old structure of the team and I took requirements or specifications from the project manager, I used that to create my designs. I felt like I have only one point of view through someone’s perceptions. The bottom line is that the source of idea, building of a business case, researching, roadmapping, testing, deploying were beyond my involvement. 

What will happen to the product if the designer continuously collaborates with product managers and engineers—from discovery to delivery? Right, deep understanding of the product that works for business will be taken into consideration and used in the graphic design. And the designer as the part of the durable team will be also responsible for the outcome. 

The  PR✿duct designer’s chair is beside the product manager’s one as a full partner on product discovery and delivery. So my next significant challenging journey is building awesome user-facing product with team of missionaries for successful business✿.