Collaboration Across Functions

Design managers typically operate at the intersection of multiple functions within an organisation, including product management, marketing, and engineering. Effective collaboration with these departments is essential to ensure that design is not just aesthetically pleasing but also feasible and aligned with market needs. This cross-functional collaboration is especially important when defining a product’s roadmap, as design decisions directly influence the strategic direction of the product. The design manager ensures that design outputs contribute to the broader objectives, such as increasing market share or improving customer retention, through close coordination with key stakeholders.