Your engineering and design teams are at odds over a new feature. How can you bridge the feedback gap?
When your engineering and design teams clash over a new feature, fostering mutual understanding is key. Here’s how you can bridge that gap effectively:
How have you successfully navigated conflicts between teams?
Your engineering and design teams are at odds over a new feature. How can you bridge the feedback gap?
When your engineering and design teams clash over a new feature, fostering mutual understanding is key. Here’s how you can bridge that gap effectively:
How have you successfully navigated conflicts between teams?
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➡️It’s crucial to first identify the root cause of misalignment. In my experience, this often stems from designs that are too complex or technically unfeasible with the current tech stack. ➡️To address this, we schedule collaborative meetings to discuss the challenges, where the engineering team highlights technical limitations and offers feasible alternatives. ➡️The design team can then adjust their approach without compromising user experience. ➡️Regular communication, clear prioritization, and fostering an understanding of technical capabilities among all stakeholders are key to reducing gaps and promoting seamless collaboration.
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1. Listen First - Hold separate meetings with each team - Understand core concerns without judgment - Document specific constraints and needs 2. Find Common Ground - Focus on shared user/business goals - Use data to make decisions objective - Identify where both sides agree 3. Structure the Solution - Break feature into smaller components - Prioritize must-haves vs. nice-to-haves - Create clear technical/design requirements 4. Facilitate Collaboration - Schedule joint problem-solving sessions - Use "How might we..." problem framing 5. Set Clear Process - Defined decision-making framework - Clear escalation path when needed The goal is to help both teams feel heard while moving efficiently toward a viable solution.
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Start by facilitating a shared understanding of the user needs driving the feature. Encourage collaborative brainstorming sessions where both teams contribute ideas and solutions. Establish clear, measurable success metrics for the feature that satisfy both engineering and design perspectives. Implement a transparent feedback system that allows for iterative improvements based on data and user testing. And... foster a culture of mutual respect and appreciation for the unique expertise each team brings to the project.
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To bridge the gap, I’d bring both teams together, focusing on the shared goal: delivering the best product for our users. We’d rely on user data and business priorities as the guiding principles, while creating space for each side to present their perspectives constructively. Prototyping and iterative feedback loops would ensure design aspirations align with engineering realities. Ultimately, my role is to foster collaboration, prioritize clarity, and ensure decisions are made with a balance of creativity and feasibility.
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When engineering and design teams clash, I act as a mediator by aligning both sides with the product’s goals and user needs. Facilitating collaborative workshops or joint user testing often highlights shared priorities. For example, involving both teams in a data-backed decision process reduced conflicts by 40% in a past project. Clear communication and mutual respect are key to bridging the gap. How do you handle team disagreements?
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I think if we get both teams on a call, it might turn into a debate rather than a healthy discussion. The PM should first clarify the objective and evaluate the pros and cons of proposed approaches without taking sides. Separate meetings can help dive deeper into each team’s thoughts. Once clear, align both teams so everyone is heard—engineers explain technical challenges, and design sharing user experience considerations and rationale. Iterative feedback should guide the exploratory phases, starting with a lightweight MVP. As we progress, identify areas to scale back designs or adjust technical solutions to balance outcomes. Breaking the feature into smaller milestones helps address concerns incrementally and thus celebrating progress.
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Disagreements between design and engineering teams are common, but collaboration is the key to solving them. Here’s how to make it work: 1️⃣ Align on Goals Early: Establish a shared vision that balances technical feasibility and design aspirations. 2️⃣ Feedback from Day 1: Involve engineers during the design phase to spot challenges early. 3️⃣ Leverage Tools: Platforms like Figma and Slack help teams collaborate seamlessly. 4️⃣ Foster Learning: Encourage designers to understand coding basics and engineers to explore design thinking. 5️⃣ Empathy is Key: Respect and understanding go a long way in building stronger partnerships.
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Bridging the Gap! When engineering and design teams clash, it often feels like a tug-of-war between technical feasibility and creative vision. To turn these conflicts into opportunities for collaboration, I’ve successfully used strategies like organizing cross-team workshops to foster open dialogue and uncover shared goals. By clearly defining roles, engineers focus on feasibility while designers prioritize user experience, reducing ambiguity. A data-driven feedback framework ensures talks are actionable, not emotional. Iterative prototyping allows teams to refine ideas collaboratively, balancing aspirations and constraints. Acting as a mediator, I aligned efforts around user needs and project goals, transforming conflict into innovation.
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-Start by setting common goals that can benefit both of the teams. With a shared understanding, establish regular meetings with both of the teams. -Share common vision among the teams related to proper technical feasibility and best design. -Using collaborative tools for fast track and continuous communication among different teams. This can bridge the gaps and avoid misunderstandings.
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1) Meet with engineering and design teams individually to understand their concerns and requests. Use these discussions to align both groups on the common goals and the customer problems you’re solving. 2) Bring both teams together for collaborative brainstorming. Encouraging joint ownership creates alignment and generates better outcomes. 3) Be transparent about limitations like technical feasibility or resources. Develop a roadmap that breaks the feature into smaller, iterative pieces to build and test incrementally. 4) Build a culture that encourages constructive feedback and open dialogue. Create psychological safety so team members feel comfortable sharing differing opinions.
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