How I work with product teams.

Design is a collaborative process, not a solo endeavour. I work closely with product and engineering teams to ensure visability and cross-functional insights, to ensure that we build the right thing for both the business and the users.

Design is collaborative

Product design is a shared process where designers, product managers, engineers, and others work together to shape the outcome. Decisions about the interface, system architecture, data, and APIs all influence the experience people have with a product. The role of design is to help bring these perspectives together so the final product works as a clear, cohesive whole for both the business and its users.

Successful design is transparent

Working transparently helps the whole team stay aligned and keeps the conversation around design moving smoothly. Rather than waiting for polished outcomes, I share work in progress with teammates and stakeholders to surface gaps, spot issues early, and avoid heading too far down the wrong path. This also gives everyone clearer context on what is being explored, why decisions are being made, and where the work currently stands.

Leverage AI tools and processes

AI speeds up thinking, exploration, and iteration within the design process. I use it to quickly test ideas, summarise information, explore alternative approaches, and generate early prototypes that the team can react to. This allows us to move from abstract discussions to something tangible much faster. The goal is not to replace decision making, but to reduce the cost of starting, so the team can focus more time on refining, validating, and delivering the right solution.

Remember the business objectives

Strong design starts with a clear understanding of the business objectives. Before exploring solutions, it is important to understand what the organisation is trying to achieve, how success will be measured, and what constraints exist. This context ensures that design decisions support real outcomes rather than just producing attractive interfaces. When I understand the commercial goals, I can shape experiences that create value for both the business and the people using the product.

Build for the users

People use the products we build, so their experience should guide every decision we make. I begin by understanding their needs, behaviours, motivations, and the problems they are trying to solve. This helps ensure I am designing for real situations rather than assumptions. Success is framed in terms of improving the user’s experience, not simply delivering more features. Each design decision should make the product clearer, simpler, and more useful, helping people achieve their goals with confidence and ease.

Design close to code

Design is most effective when it stays close to the product being built. Working near the code helps ensure ideas are practical, technically sound, and realistic to implement. It also improves collaboration with engineers and shortens the gap between concept and product, allowing designs to be tested and refined in the real environment rather than in isolation. I use Cursor and Claude Code to work directly with the engineers, help build react component libraries, and test complex prototypes for more insightful validation.