Communication as a Catalyst for UX Innovation

Hey there, and welcome to the blog! This post is a summary of the YouTube video above, where I dive into an essential topic for digital product teams: communication.

Whether you're leading a small group or managing a larger team, getting communication right is a must—and it's often trickier than we expect.

Here, I share two real-life examples of how we tackled communication challenges at Dinghy by thinking outside the box.

The Communication Challenge Link to this headline

Have you ever been in a group where everyone knows the goal, but things just don’t seem to move forward? If so, you're not alone. This sluggishness stems from poor communication—a problem not limited to specific industries or team sizes.

Communication issues go far beyond the obvious barriers of different spoken languages like English or Spanish. In the workplace, each team—whether it’s marketing, development, or customer success—has its own way of talking about goals. As a decision-maker, your vocabulary differs from that of other teams, leading to gaps in understanding. It’s crucial to acknowledge and address these communication barriers to avoid costly delays and misalignments.

Beyond Static Designs: Bridging the Gap Between Design and Development Link to this headline

One of the toughest communication hurdles we faced at Dinghy was between UI designers and developers. In a recent project for SmartFit , we encountered a classic issue: our static designs in Figma didn’t fully capture how the app should behave across different screen sizes. The developers were left filling in the gaps, which led to endless back-and-forth and frustration on both sides.

The turning point came when we created interactive demos instead of just static designs. These demos allowed stakeholders and developers to interact with the product and see how it would function on various screen sizes—without needing endless meetings. This "fluid" design communication helped everyone get on the same page faster, and developers could see and even use the code directly to implement flexible designs.

Collaborative Jam Sessions: A Real-Time Solution for Complex Projects Link to this headline

Our second example involves our work with SumUp, where we were tasked with unifying data from various platforms into one mobile-friendly app. Even though many stakeholders were familiar with the existing workflow, when it came to developing the new feature, it became apparent that no one was aligned.

After several meetings that yielded little progress, we realized the problem: no one truly understood how their part fit into the bigger picture. Our solution? A collaborative jam session where key stakeholders, including developers, designers, and decision-makers, worked together on wireframes in real time. This hands-on approach ensured that every team understood what needed to happen, reducing friction and aligning the project.

Key Takeaways Link to this headline

• Communication is critical: Clear, transparent communication can make or break a project.
• Use interactive tools: Moving beyond static designs with demos can bridge the gap between teams and improve understanding.
• Collaborate in real time: Bringing all stakeholders into a room to collaborate can be incredibly effective for complex projects.

1. Why is communication such a challenge in digital product development?

   Every team—whether design, development, or customer success—speaks a different “language.” Misalignments happen when those vocabularies clash.

2. How can interactive demos improve communication?

   Interactive demos offer a hands-on way for developers and stakeholders to understand the final product’s functionality, reducing miscommunication and costly iterations.

3. When should we use a collaborative "jam session"?

   For complex projects with multiple stakeholders, real-time collaboration helps ensure that everyone’s concerns are addressed and that the team is aligned on the project’s direction.