Prodity: Product by Design

Choosing the right things to work on is often the hardest part in any role, especially product development. Whether it is strategic initiatives, product features, or backlog items, we have to ensure we're saying yes to the right things and saying no to the wrong things. In this episode we tackle a framework for making those hard decisions and how to incorporate the various prioritization methods (...

Product roadmaps can be an extraordinary tool, or an extraordinary pain. It all depends on how we create them and use them. In this episode, we tackle product roadmaps, what they are, what they aren't, and how to get the most out of your roadmap. We also sprinkle in some pumpkin spice, because we all love pumpkin spice. Notes: What a roadmap isn't What a roadmap is What is its purpose What are the...

If you like Netflix, Audible, motorcycles, movies, or online shopping, we've got examples from all of the above and more. Join us for a thorough analysis of key usability principles and how many of the products you use incorporate them (or don't). Links from the episode: 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design Google slides from our show Slidesgo Templates

In this episode we have a great conversation about product strategy, where design fits in strategy, and how to involve your product team, including UX designers in the strategy and vision. Where does strategy fit? What are the major headaches for product managers? What difficulties are there in getting support for product strategy? How can we create the product vision, strategy and measure it to e...

Why don't teams have designers? What can you do if you don't have a designer? Get inspirations from wherever you can Find tools and libraries to leverage Utilize UI kits What if you have a little budget for contract work? There are some good options such as Upwork Understand and be upfront about your budget, timeline and scale Links from our discussion: Collect UI Dribble Adele UXPin Jakob Neilsen...

We cover an array of topics, including Jordan's background before design How he got into design How he moved into product design from graphic design How is background contributed to the move What he wished he knew before

What is inclusivity? How does it align with accessibility? Why is inclusivity important in product design and development? How can we begin to identify and overcome some of our own blind spots? References: Why does Siri sound white? Census Data

Very few of us take a straight-line path into product management, and Chris is no exception. He talks about how his background helped prepare him for a career in product management, and what he learned along the way to help him be successful. A few things Chris wishes he knew coming into product management: Product managers often make decisions without all the information. How can we better prepar...

What is product discovery? It is the process of building great products It is about building the right product and ensuring we build the product right Why is product discovery important? We need to address risks in product development How do we do product discovery? How does remote work impact product discovery? We need to think about communication What are some examples?

What is design thinking? Empathizing Defining Ideating Prototyping Testing Implementing Why is design thinking important? "Design thinking gets us out of our normal way of doing business and opens the door to numerous possibilities" How can we implement design thinking? What are the most important aspects? Links and mentions: Design thinking framework (Nielson Norman Group) Sprint (book) Lightning...

What is user research? A tool to understand needs A way to find out what you don't know What are types of research? Interviews Focus groups Field studies Usability tests Surveys Questionnaires many more... Why do research? To inform the design, the direction and gather insight "Be ready to be surprised" Tips Have a plan Do it often Doesn't have to be perfect Adopt the mindset of a scientist Have f...

How are we dealing with working from home currently? How has working remotely changed workflows for product managers? What are some tools and practices product teams are using to bridge the gaps? What are businesses doing to adapt now and in the future? Is this the new normal?

What is the ideal structure for product managers and product designers? What about scenarios when you can't have the ideal like when there are too few product managers or product designers? How should product managers and product designers combine forces? How can product designers better collaborate with product managers? How can product managers better collaborate with product designers?  What ar...

What is product design? Who is a designer? What's the difference between web design, visual design and product design? What makes a good product designer? How can you get into product design from other design fields? How can you get your company to buy into product design? Why is thinking about design important to save costs and work for your business?

What is product management? What makes a good product manager? What is the difference between a product manager and a product owner? What is the difference between product management and project management? Why is it important to know the difference? How can we incorporate the right mindset in order to avoid the build trap or becoming a feature factory? Break Free of the Feature Factory Escaping t...

In our first episode, we (Kyle and Eva) take a moment to introduce ourselves and talk about how we each got into product management and design. We also dive into various topics including our favorite moments in product, challenges in product management and design, how we define our roles, and where we see the industry going.