This project is under an NDA, and specific details are omitted. This case study seeks to communicate how I overcame challenges throughout conflict within a cross-functional team.
I was tasked with designing and prototyping an ‘Announcements Feature’ that would be an extension to Allegion's in-house order entry software. The purpose of this feature is to improve communication amongst teams, and provide announcements.
Roles
Interaction Designer
Information Architecture, Visual Design, A/B Testing, Problem Solving, Team-Building, Leadership
Front End Developer Back End Developer Business Analyst
This project involved working directly with three other interns: two developers and one business analyst. Together, we created a new feature for Allegion's back-end order entry software.
After we finished the initial design phase and started usability testing, we disagreed about the project's trajectory and vision. This was because we hadn't communicated well during the kickoff phase, and we still didn't know some important details. The whole team, including myself, was responsible for this miscommunication.
What Was Miscommunicated?
Defining Project Terms
When discussing the details of different design elements and interactions, our team realized that we had different understandings of what those elements and interactions were. By the time we realized this, we had missed our chance to test users, and we had research that was only relevant to some of our team's understandings.
Form Factor
Our team disagreed about whether the feature should be housed in a pop-out sidebar or a full-screen format. After we conducted usability testing on the sidebar design, several team members said that they thought it would make more sense to design and develop a full-screen feature.
Who is using this feature?
At this stage of a project, you don't want to be discussing who your users are. Because of unclear project requirements, we knew there were communication problems among the users of this order entry software, but we didn't know which specific sub-users to target.
Advocating for the User
It's my job is to speak up for the user, and I like to think of myself as the bridge between the user and the experience. Designers have a unique opportunity to advocate for the everyday person and put their needs at the forefront of a product or software. This can be challenging when working on a large team.
My mentor at Allegion taught me the importance of seeking feedback early and often, and this advice has become a core principle of my design philosophy. I learned from my experience that early feedback is essential for identifying and addressing potential problems early on, which leads to better outcomes for the team and the product.
Navigating Conflict
To understand this conflict better, I diagrammed our teams conflict styles using the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model. I identified myself under the 'collaborating' conflict resolution style, as I see myself as someone who wants the best situation for everyone.
As a collaborative conflict manager I found myself progressively taking initiative throughout this project. When miscommunication arose I knew trying to figure everything out by myself wouldn't work. The only productive and healthy way to get our team back on track was facilitate constant communication.
Initially, I tried to write lengthy messages to my team, thinking that if I could get all my thoughts out at once, they would be able to absorb the information and move forward effectively. However, this approach backfired.
What I discovered was that early and frequent feedback was essential to our success. I proactively scheduled meetings with my team to discuss our goals, progress, and challenges. This dedicated time for communication helped us to stay aligned and make informed decisions.
Cross-Functional Challenges
Working at Allegion was my first time working in a cross-functional team environment, and I ran into challenges along the way.
Finding my place in a team of managers, developers, and product owners was intimidating, especially as an intern. I had to overcome the challenges of navigating a hierarchy and communicating my ideas to team members with different backgrounds.
Humility and vulnerability allowed me to detach from my designs and ego to a renewed sense of purpose. As soon as I stopped worrying what people would say about my designs, they got better, and I was able to absorb criticism and frame it as a learning opportunity.
Moving Forward
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work for a company who values design at a high level, and gave me the autonomy and resources to be successful. By the end of this project, I can proudly say I designed a feature that is now used by 100s of users at Allegion.
Moving forward, I am excited to leverage my experience at Allegion to contribute to new teams and projects where I can continue to grow my skills as a designer, and as a human.
