Building a collaborative design culture: Prioritising progress over being right

As a collective, one of the most essential things we can do is to care less about "being right" and more about helping our product team move forward. To achieve this, we need to approach problem-solving and decision-making with an open and collaborative mindset. This may involve been willing to listen to the perspectives and ideas of others, and to consider different approaches and solutions. We should also focus on the goals and objectives of the project, and prioritise the success of the team over opinions or ego.

Another essential aspect of our work is being able to easily explain the rationale for our design decisions within the larger context of the problem we are trying to solve, the target audience, and the market. By having a profound understanding of these factors, we can provide context and relevance for our design decisions, and demonstrate how they align with the overall vision and strategy. We should also be able to clearly communicate our reasoning behind the decisions and provide evidence and data to support them.

To effectively share design work and directly involve cross functional team partners when necessary, it is important to have a consistent and organised process for sharing updates and progress with the team and stakeholders. This may involve using tools such as project management software or design documentation tools to track and share information and to provide regular updates and feedback. We should also be proactive in engaging with cross functional team partners and other stakeholders and willing to adapt and adjust the design based on their feedback and insights.

Lastly, to effectively document our thinking in a way that is accessible and easy for others to digest and provide feedback on, it is essential to have a clear and organised process for capturing and sharing information. This may involve using tools such as design documentation software or project management tools to track and share progress, and to provide detailed explanations of the reasoning behind design decisions. We should also be concise and clear in our writing, and use visuals and other forms of media to help illustrate and explain complex ideas.

In summary, to create a positive and open design culture that encourages feedback and collaboration, we must approach our work with a friendly and open-minded attitude and be willing to listen and learn from others. By caring less about "being right" and more about collaboration and progress, easily explaining rationale for design decisions, regularly sharing work and documenting our thinking in a clear and accessible way, we can create a culture of learning and growth.