How can you become a better communicator in a Product Design career?

As I've recently started working as a product designer, it's crucial to be confident in every decision regarding your product. It goes beyond just UX or UI—it involves understanding data, marketing matrix, and staying aligned with other departments and their goals. When prioritizing goals as a product designer and making design decisions, it's essential to understand your company's goals and the metrics it focuses on. as the eod company has to reach that matrix, you have to align your goals according to that.

To become a better communicator as a product designer, focus on refining your ability to articulate design decisions clearly, seek and incorporate feedback, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. Understanding your goals involves aligning design choices with user needs, business objectives, and team priorities. Practice presenting your work with clarity and empathy, emphasizing the impact on users and business outcomes. Regularly engage in open communication, actively listen to feedback, and adapt your designs based on insights. Cultivate a collaborative mindset to foster effective teamwork and ensure your design goals align with broader project objectives.

Comunicação é a chance do sucesso para fazer qualquer coisa. Pensando nisso, acho importante vivenciar o ambiente, o "meio" daquele nixo de atuação do produto, falar a mesma lingua que seus usuários. Tendo isso como base, a comunicação fica mais fácil, mais fluida, o que aumenta em muito o entendimento para as outras pessoas, garantindo o sucesso em sua comunicação e tornando seus objetivos mais claros.

What are you trying to achieve with your communication? Do you want to convince stakeholders of your design decisions, get buy-in for a new feature, or simply share progress updates? Having a clear goal will guide your message and ensure you're focusing on the right information.

Understanding your goals as a product designer is akin to crafting a design brief for your own professional growth. Start by envisioning the end user—the future, more accomplished version of yourself. Clearly define the features of this "upgraded" designer: enhanced skills, expanded knowledge, and a refined design philosophy. Just as you would iterate on a design, break down these features into actionable steps. Treat each project, challenge, or learning opportunity as a design sprint contributing to the evolution of your skills. Regularly test and refine your approach, staying open to unexpected insights and adapting your goals based on the iterative feedback loop of your own growth journey.

This is very vital. I remember during meetings my boss will say "explain it to me like I'm 5 years old" and I have found this to be one of the easiest way of passing across messages mostly when you are trying to get feedback from users. Using professional jargons may make your users amazed and sometimes confused at the same time, you may never get your required results- so keep it simple! No matter the audience, If you can't explain it simply, it could mean that you don't understand it yourself. Therefore understanding your audience goes a long way to know how to pass across your information.

Absolutely! Becoming a better communicator in Product Design is like tuning your instrument for a flawless performance. Highlighting the importance of knowing your audience is crucial. Adapt your communication style—simple and empathetic for users, precise for developers, and concise and persuasive for managers or clients. Emphasizing the use of language tailored to each group—empathetic with users, technical with developers, and persuasive with managers or clients.

É como nós filmes em que o investigador se infiltra num grupo, para pensar igual a eles. Para melhorar a comunicação, pense, fale e faça como seus usuários. Isso lhe garantirá uma comunicação acertiva!

Who are you talking to? Tailor your communication style and vocabulary to resonate with their needs and understanding. For example, you'll use different language when explaining a design to a technical engineer versus presenting it to an executive team.

Leverage tools like ChatGPT to do rapid research on what your key stakeholders care about, and what they'll be looking for in your work. It's a game changer and very few people take the time to do this. "GPT, can you tell me what [insert role] is primarily focused on in their role, what their KPI's are, and provide a list of tips for pitching to them?" All audiences appreciate executive summaries. Take the time to create a simple 1-page that explains the problem, constraints, opportunities, key metrics and a link to see the work or results. This acts as an important conversation piece when your stakeholders share your work. You've got this! 🙌

Practice conveying complex ideas visually, use tools like Sketch or Figma, and seek feedback to refine your communication skills in product design.

Uma imagem vale mais que mil palavras! Muitas vezes é difícil comunicar-se apenas por texto ou verbalmente. Nessas situações, uma imagem pode resolver toda a problemática do caso. Acho interessante que ao desenhar uma ideia, surgem novas ideias que podem ser até melhores para a comunicação objetiva do seu produto.

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in design! Mockups, prototypes, user flows, and data visualizations can effectively communicate complex ideas and bring your designs to life.

When you design, remember it's not just about your preferences but what works for others. Throughout the design process, focus on getting useful feedback from different people involved, from your team to the actual users. Keep in mind that not all feedback is equally valuable, as people have different perspectives. To evaluate feedback effectively: 1. Make sure it reflects what your intended users think. 2. Check if the suggested solutions are practical. 3. Ensure the identified problems align with your product's purpose.

Spot on! Seeking feedback in a Product Design career is like refining your composition for a better performance. Highlighting the importance of seeking feedback from various sources is crucial. It's like getting reviews from different critics to improve your musical composition. Describing the need for specific and open-ended questions is like fine-tuning your queries to extract valuable insights. Emphasizing active and respectful listening and expressing gratitude to feedback providers is key. It's like appreciating the different perspectives of your audience and thanking them for their input.

Como saber se você está bem arrumado para uma ocasião? R: Olhando no espelho! O feedback é bem relacionado a isso. Você tem uma ideia sobre aquilo que fez, mas será que outras pessoas pensam o mesmo? Para descobrir e até mesmo ter um direcionamento melhor em seu produto, é fundamental a busca de feedbacks.

Don't be afraid to ask for feedback on your communication style and content. Get input from peers, mentors, and even users to identify areas for improvement. Remember, feedback is a gift that helps you refine your message and connect with your audience more effectively.

Highlighting communication scenarios and challenges—pitching designs, conducting interviews, writing documentation, and giving presentations—is crucial. It's like practicing different musical genres to master your instrument. Describing the importance of learning from other communicators, colleagues, leaders, and role models is like studying different musicians to enhance your style. Emphasizing reflection on communication experiences to identify strengths and weaknesses is key. It's like reviewing your past performances to enhance future ones. Mentioning the need to seek opportunities for skill enhancement is vital. It's like signing up for masterclasses to elevate your musical proficiency.

Para ser bom em algo, é necessário repetição. Praticar, testar e validar sua comunicação diariamente é essencial. Ainda mais se tratando de um tema tão relevante e muitas vezes complexo que é a comunicação.

Communication is a skill that gets better with practice. Seek opportunities to present your work, participate in design critiques, and engage in discussions with diverse stakeholders. The more you communicate, the more confident and effective you'll become.

Active listening: Pay close attention to what others are saying and ask clarifying questions to ensure understanding. Empathy: Put yourself in the shoes of your audience and consider their perspective. This will help you tailor your message and build rapport. Storytelling: Weave a narrative around your design decisions to make them more engaging and memorable. Clarity and conciseness: Avoid jargon and technical terms that might alienate your audience. Get to the point quickly and efficiently. Body language and nonverbal cues: Maintain eye contact, project confidence, and use appropriate gestures to enhance your message.