Design collaboration can be difficult. There’s the messy process of going back and forth with the client for input, which can engender a convoluted email chain with input from multiple players. Then there’s the prototyping and user research, all challenged by the need to move quickly to devise a solution.

Product Design Collaboration

(Pixabay / halejandropmartz)

As you tackle product design, here are some tips for collaborating more effectively:

Gather team members

Start by getting all players together in a welcoming atmosphere in one place. These initial idea-sharing sessions can get everyone on the same page and eliminate disagreements down the road. Encourage people to share their ideas and doubts without fear of embarrassment or criticism. Make sure that the needs of your target audience stay at the forefront of your discussions. Once all ideas are on the table, narrow them down to an actionable plan. Address pain points and transform them into solutions. You should emerge with an explicit vision for the future that all team members stand behind.

Collaborate with users

Don’t get so caught up in developing the perfect product for you that you forget about developing the perfect product for your users. Rely on test groups and user collaboration at every step of the design process.

Work quickly

If you can subdivide a project, you’re likely to be more agile, and speed is the name of the game in today’s manufacturing world. Give each team the autonomy to flesh out its respective portion of the final product. Hit the project hard at the beginning, devoting all necessary resources to getting it off the ground.

Don’t skimp on prototyping

If you can be very thorough in your prototyping, testing all kinds of scenarios and tackling problems as quickly as they arise, you can eliminate bigger and costlier failures down the line.

If you need an experienced partner in your collaborative product design efforts, EMS can help you solve complex problems, make critical decisions fast, develop a clear and actionable plan, slash through bureaucracy, and appeal to your users. Along with design collaboration, EMS specializes in electronic manufacturing services, including printed circuit board assembly.