6-Mar-2023 by Joe de Lange
Taking Ownership as a Product Designer
Getting More From Service Design Iniatives
As a product designer, your role in the success of your company is vital. Your expertise and insights can make or break a project, and it's up to you to take broad ownership of your work in order to contribute meaningfully. This means speaking up and challenging decisions that may negatively impact the customer because ultimately, it impacts the bottom line.
It's not enough to simply execute a task in isolation. Most tech jobs now overlap the entire organization and interconnect with a golden thread that leads back to the end user. As a result, you must take ownership of your work and contribute meaningfully. This means sticking your neck out and being vocal about decisions that may not align with the goals of the company.
The word has been thrown around so much, its power has been lost in the void of empty business lingo, joining other once useful words like 'empower', 'value', 'leverage', and 'impact'. I can’t think of a better term, so I’m just going to lean into it. Innovation is the process of implementing new ideas or improvements that create value, are profitable, and meet customer needs. Implementation requires that innovation can be maintained, replicated and scaled.
For product designers, it is crucial to develop the skills that allow you to take ownership of your work and challenge decisions that may negatively impact the customer.
If you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of disagreeing with product decisions yet lacking the confidence to speak up, it's often because you're afraid you may be wrong and choose to defer to those whom you assume understand something you do not.
We have an obligation to ensure that we do work that aligns with the goals of the business, especially when we feel that our company might be making mistakes.
Taking ownership starts with understanding the big picture, the reasons behind decisions, knowing exactly who the work is for, and having a clear understanding of the intended outcome and how this will be achieved. It means having a firm grasp of the industry you work in, including the competitive landscape, the risks, and the potential rewards.
If you still have concerns after putting in this work, but feel that you are not sufficiently qualified or informed to articulate them, then you have more work to do. Do what it takes to muster the confidence to make yourself heard. Make sure you understand the underlying technical or business concepts that underpin decisions so that you are able to defend your views and identify those in the business who share them.
Collaboration is key. Success depends on the collective result of individual effort, and it's essential that you equip yourself to participate as broadly as possible. Reach out to those colleagues who share your views and work together on alternative solutions to problems. When presenting your proposals, it's important to maintain a positive approach. You want to persuade, not alienate. Outline your concerns and why they are important, but also come prepared with a point of view that contains alternatives.
As you find your voice and broaden your expertise, you'll find that your influence within the business will also grow. If you're unable to persuade others to see things your way, at least you can sleep well knowing that you actively lived up to your responsibility to the business and customers alike.
Failure is a team sport, but so is success. As a product designer, it's your duty to speak up and challenge decisions that may negatively impact the customer, and ultimately, the bottom line.
