Managing Design Across Multiple Departments

When it comes to managing design teams operating across these boundaries, there are certain commonalities regardless of industry or product. The most important one, change is constant. Between the workplace changes due to the pandemic and the standard rate of change in organizational processes, partnerships, and more, it's becoming increasingly important for department heads to establish frequent communication, a culture of trust, and a common language to translate the ROI of design up and downstream.

There is not a full understanding of what it means to invest in product development. Alright, they think it’s something we should have, but is there an understanding that there is some work we need to do to keep the lights on.Aaron Irizarry

Nearing the end of Q4, ROI is on everyone’s mind. Add to that the financial scrutiny that COVID-19 has caused, and it’s no surprise that stakeholders are looking for ways to mitigate financial risk and understand how every team and individual are contributing to the overall success of the company. In a space like design, where most metrics tend to be qualitative, how can you latch on to what stakeholders want to hear and present the right KPI’s to show success and alignment to organizational goals?

Learn to speak the language of the business, not so we can be fluent in business but so that we can better understand.Aaron Irizarry

Host: J Cornelius

J Cornelius has been building digital products since 1996 and has helped countless startups and corporate product teams create products and services you probably use today. He is the Founder and President of Nine Labs, a digital product strategy, design, and experience consultancy operating in Atlanta and New York City.

He speaks at conferences and leads workshops around the world, and serves on the Advisory Board of multiple venture capital groups, accelerator programs, and private companies. He loves to speak about the intersection of business, design, and technology. A serial entrepreneur with multiple exits, J started his first business in high school and never looked back.

Twitter: @jc // Personal Website: https://jcornelius.com/