Bridging the Gap: Strategies for Collaboration Between Designers and Engineers
At Interwoven, we routinely collaborate with engineers to develop innovative products. The Apex Exosuit we developed with HeroWear is a great example of how powerful a design and engineering collaboration can be. They appreciate our commitment to creating a fantastic user experience, and we appreciate their expertise in developing a reliable product that really works. The line between design and engineering can be hazy, as demonstrated by this famously long and hotly debated Core 77 forum thread, “Do engineers really “design” anything?”
While some designers have a strong understanding of engineering principles, and some engineers have a strong understanding of design principles, it is rare to find professionals who are experts in both fields. Engineers specialize in engineering knowledge, designers specialize in design knowledge, and product development teams need both. In this Insight article we discuss what designers and engineers bring to the table and share key strategies for working with the other team. This article has two parts: part one contains tips for designers working with engineers and part two contains tips for engineers working with designers.
Value Added
We have found, with any collaboration, that the more each side appreciates the value the other side brings, and the more each side communicates with and invites the ideas of the other, the more successful the project is. In a product development team, synergy between designers and engineers is indispensable, with each discipline bringing distinct and complementary skills to the table. Designers play a key role in shaping the user experience, focusing on aesthetics, functionality, overall usability, and the big picture value of the solution. Their creativity and user-centric mindset contribute to crafting visually appealing and intuitive interfaces. Engineers serve as the architects who bring these designs to life, leveraging their technical expertise to implement and optimize functionalities. Their proficiency ensures that the product not only meets design expectations but also adheres to technical constraints and achieves optimal performance.
Part 1: Tips for Designers Working with Engineers
- Acknowledge the Role of Engineers
In the collaborative landscape of product development, designers and engineers form a dynamic partnership to transform ideas into tangible realities. Engineers, often regarded as the interpreters of conceptual visions, play a pivotal role in translating proposals into functional, scalable, and reliable products. Some of the most iconic products of the 21st century came out of collaborations between designers and engineers, like the Nest Thermostat, developed by Nest designers (who were formerly Apple designers) and Google engineers.
- Seek Their Contribution Early
Regardless of the abundance of engineers within a company, it is imperative to view them not only as useful resources but as the architects of foundational elements of a project. They are essential contributors to a product’s core functionality, speed, and scalability. Their innovation drives technological advancements and transforms a sheet of requirements into meaningful outcomes. Inviting engineers into the vision of the project at the start fosters excitement and ownership, keeping teams aligned and efficient. This tip works in both directions; having both teams on the same page from project inception results in powerful projects that develop efficiently. Each will see opportunities and potential pitfalls that the other might miss.
- Understand their Constraints Early
Understanding the constraints of the engineering team is related to the previous strategy but so critical that we felt we needed to call it out separately. Engineering-savvy designers can understand engineering constraints early in the process to avoid becoming attached to or spending too long on impractical designs. By consulting engineers before finalizing designs, designers can ensure that creative ideas align with technical and time limitations, preventing wasted effort on unfeasible concepts. Ask them questions, and respect their answers.
- Make Friends
To work seamlessly with engineers, designers can recognize the influential impact engineers can have on the development process. Convincing a small group of engineers can be the key to implementing a product idea. Establishing robust relationships and addressing design issues directly with engineers, rather than relying solely on formal channels, can expedite the problem resolution process exponentially. Quick, casual check-ins can catch major issues, clarify important constraints, inspire innovation, and more. Bonus: more friends.
- Foster Design Appreciation
The atmosphere of collaboration improves when engineers value good design. Designers can either recruit engineers with a discerning eye for design or cultivate an understanding of design principles among existing engineering teams. This involves explaining design decisions, sharing values, and educating engineers on aligning their implementations with design intentions. This strategy reflects a broader need for an understanding of what design brings to the table; not just a pretty shell but a careful consideration of the functionality and usability of a product. Engineers care about this, too!
- Communicate Design Evolutions
Designers can communicate the evolving nature of designs to save engineers from investing time in a solution that may undergo significant changes. Transparent discussions about potential modifications allow engineers to create more adaptable and flexible code. This means staying in close collaboration through the implementation phase to resolve issues promptly and to encourage a solution-oriented mindset in both teams. When communicating, consider adopting a format of modular workflows and roadmaps that will look familiar to engineers.
- Be Meticulous
Meticulousness and attention to detail in design are crucial aspects that help anticipate and address potential issues during implementation. Designers are famous for caring about details, and engineers, though they may be focusing on different details, are as detail-oriented as designers, if not more so. To win the hearts of engineers, designers can demonstrate that they also care about engineering priorities. Considering edge cases, such as error states, user extremes, and transitions, not only enhances the overall design but also aids engineers in planning and estimating project timelines.
Part 2: Tips for Engineers Working with Designers
- Learn the Lingo
As with navigating any new territory, learning a bit of the local language goes a long way. To effectively collaborate with designers, engineers can shift their communication focus from metrics to user-centric language. Instead of discussing optimizing conversion rates or increasing click-through rates, engineers can frame discussions around simplifying user interactions and ensuring a seamless user experience.
- Recognize Design’s Diversity
Engineers can acknowledge the diverse strengths of designers and apply these strengths to the right problems. Understanding that design encompasses graphic design, interaction design, product design, and more, is crucial. The specialities present within a team may not be immediately visible. Recognizing that different designers excel in various areas fosters an appreciation for those skills and ensures that the right designers tackle the right problems, contributing to a more effective and well-rounded design team.
- Understand Design’s Hierarchy
Designers operate at different levels, each with distinct responsibilities. From designing specific forms to crafting comprehensive systems, engineers can recognize the varying levels of design complexity. The more senior a designer is, the more likely they are to focus on abstract problem-solving, contributing to the overall vision and strategy of a product.
- Solicit Feedback
The collaborative aspect of design thrives on critique and feedback, which is the cornerstone of design education and the design process. Engineers can enhance their collaboration with designers by encouraging regular feedback sessions. During the developmental stages of a project, designers benefit from interacting with their peers to refine ideas, while collaboration with engineers becomes more prominent during the execution phase. See also Part 1, Strategy 4: Make Friends.
- Embrace Qualitative Data
Engineers need to understand that much of what designers value is challenging to measure quantitatively. A quality user experience, long-term sentiment, and overall delight are integral aspects that designers aim to achieve, and these elements may not be easily captured by short-term quantitative metrics. Engineers can recognize the qualitative impact of design decisions on the overall user perception and experience.
- Prioritize Consistency
Design-savvy engineers can appreciate the importance of consistency in design across different parts of an application or system. Recognizing that users engage with various features, engineers can avoid designing in isolation, ensuring coherence in user interactions. Consistency contributes to a seamless and less confusing user experience. This is part of embracing and leveraging the power of a design language.
- Value Design Details
Recognizing the significance of details is crucial for engineers working with designers. Implementing designs with precision, setting high-quality standards, and going the extra mile to perfect small details contribute to a positive collaboration. Valuing design details is a direct path to a designer’s heart and fosters a shared commitment to building exceptional and user-centric products. Engineers who demonstrate that they understand the importance and the value of these details will be in a powerful position to encourage designers to care about their own priorities and to build lasting relationships that can lead to future collaborations.
Get Collaborating!
It is no coincidence that Part 1 and Part 2 feel like mirrors of one another. Great collaborations involve respect and understanding between teams. Ideally, the collaboration between designers and engineers is a dynamic exchange, where innovative concepts are translated into tangible, functional solutions. Together they form a cohesive team that combines creativity with technical proficiency, delivering products that resonate with users and stand out in the competitive landscape. Here is a great article from Spotify outlining what a successful collaboration between engineering and design looks like for their teams.
Successful collaboration between design and engineering hinges on recognizing the pivotal role engineers play, building strong relationships, fostering an appreciation for design, understanding constraints, maintaining transparent communication, working closely during implementation, and delivering complete and detailed designs. These strategies form the foundation for a symbiotic and effective partnership in the realm of product development.
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