Next Steps

After your product has been shipped into the world, 0:00 it's important to know that this isn't the end. 0:03 Now that it is out in the real world, you can gain valuable insight and 0:06 feedback from actual users who'll be using your product. 0:09 We don't want to assume everything is golden. 0:13 We want to get user feedback and data, and also continue to iterate. 0:16 There will be new discoveries and problems to solve, perhaps on a smaller scale. 0:20 And you'll continue to iterate on your product with your team. 0:25 Being aligned with your team throughout the process is crucial to the success 0:29 of your product. 0:32 You need to be in communication with those on your team and 0:34 outside of your team at every stage. 0:36 Group ideation sessions involving your whole team can be beneficial as it will 0:39 allow a place for everyone on your team to contribute their ideas, and it will 0:44 make it easy and quick for everyone to understand and buy into design concepts. 0:48 As a project continues, have constant check-ins with your team about 0:54 every decision or question that comes up. 0:57 Daily communication via group chats or stand up meetings 1:00 allow everyone on the team to stay up to date on everything that's going on and 1:04 to stay accountable. >> Make sure that your product team is 1:08 holding weekly or biweekly planning meetings. 1:12 These can also be known as Spring Planning Meetings, 1:14 where everyone plans their work in advance for the length of the sprint. 1:17 Especially as you work with engineers or developers to plan and 1:21 implement your design, communication and collaboration is very important. 1:24 There are online tools such as Jira, Trello or 1:29 Product Roadmap that are helpful for managing team projects. 1:31 Whether you find yourself in a company that values design and 1:35 has a large design presence, or whether you're one of the few 1:38 designers in your company, it's important to be a design evangelist. 1:42 Designers may struggle with being valued or 1:47 being heard, especially when we're faced with technical challenges, constraints or 1:50 tight timelines that may force teams to overlook the design process. 1:54 However, your role as a designer is to continue to elevate design, and 1:59 demonstrate the value of design thinking and 2:04 practices by educating others, especially those you work with. 2:06 If there are people on your team who don't understand the importance of user research 2:10 or their main focus maybe on reaching business schools, 2:15 it's important to communicate with them and help them find the balance 2:18 between user needs, business schools, and technical constraints. 2:21 Finding the middle ground is always a challenge, and that's why there's nothing 2:25 more important than keeping the team in the loop and being on the same page. 2:29 I hope that this course provided you with an understanding of product design, and 2:34 more importantly gave you helpful tips and 2:38 tools as you continue your journey as a designer. 2:40