Trilingual Product Designer
Communicating Design Decisions
Effective visual communication helps build better products faster.
Focus
Goal
Agile / Data Validation / Teamwork
Collaborate with developers and stakeholders to quickly build a better product.
You’ve probably seen countless portfolios by now. Many either:
overload you with unnecessary details, or
show the final design without the thinking behind it.
Let’s be real—no one has time to go through every single detail. What matters is how it applies elsewhere.
A good portfolio, like good communication in a cross-functional team, should be clear, concise, and easy for anyone to understand—not just designers.
Agile isn’t just a buzzword; it’s about finding what works best for your team, fast.
So, I’m keeping it simple. In this case study, I’ll focus on what truly matters—how to collaborate with developers and stakeholders to build better products, faster.
No fluff. No BS.
What's next?
I offered two options and asked the developer:
Which one do you prefer for the next step?
This example shows a user selecting 'Other' in the selection box. This feature helps the user and our contribution team communicate faster by reducing emails.
Option A
Go back to the previous step to the selection box. ☝️
Option B
Add an input box in the same step.
Strong communication leads to faster, better product delivery.
In product design, there’s rarely a “best” solution, but often a better one. That’s why offering 2-3 design options can be helpful—it improves the design and makes working with developers easier.
I often say, “I’ve created two options, but I don’t have a strong preference. Which one works best for you?”
In this case, we chose Option 2 because it was easier to build—just adding an input field below the selection box.
Option 2 also had these benefits:
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Faster: Users can make changes without going back.
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Simpler: It keeps users on the same page, reducing confusion.
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Smoother: Fewer steps make the process easier.
Some might argue Option 2 feels cramped with too much information, making it hard to focus. While there might not be a “best” option, there could be a better one.
No one likes a “know-it-all.” Asking for feedback from developers shows you value their input and makes you more approachable.
The developer helped me identify an edge case that I hadn't considered in the design.
The Best Products Are Built Together, Not Alone.
Know your limits—you don’t have to be great at everything. That’s why teamwork matters. The best products come from collaboration, so don’t do it all alone. Involve your team and build something better together.
As a product designer, your job is to understand both the user and the product. That means thinking through all possible scenarios and making sure your design covers them.
But no matter how thorough you are, it’s easy to miss edge cases.
That’s why collaborating with developers is so valuable—they can spot gaps you might have missed and help refine your design.
I can't imagine the trouble I'd face if this data were incorrect. So, validate, validate again, and validate once more.
Designing With Accuracy: Why Validation is Non-Negotiable
Validate, then validate again—then validate once more. The worst mistake a product designer can make? Presenting incorrect data.
This sets off a chain reaction of problems: developers must revisit the code, make edits, or, at worst, completely rewrite the logic. Timelines are pushed back, resources are wasted, and users lose trust in the product.
A small oversight can lead to significant setbacks, so data validation isn’t just a best practice—it’s a non-negotiable part of the design process.
So, how do we validate?
This literally saved me at least one meeting!
Simplifying Data Validation
How can we validate data during the product design process? Thankfully, it's easier than ever. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others make data validation quick and accurate.
That said, it’s crucial to stay vigilant about the security of these tools. Never share sensitive information—such as addresses, names, financial details, or passwords—to safeguard your privacy and data security.
And, of course, always validate your data with stakeholders. As I always say, validate, then validate again.