Collaboration is a work in synergy. There are various professionals from many spheres who can create a product in collaboration. For example, SaaS product development requires the teamwork of developers, marketing managers, product managers, and designers.
Each party at the development must perform their tasks perfectly. There are so many tools and management systems for these purposes, so it is hard to pick the right ones. There are two types of collaboration:
- Synchronous. Here the teammates collaborate in real-time. They have online meetings, message each other, and get responses;
- Asynchronous. The interaction here is time-shifted, and the team usually works with a mutually shared workspace such as a wiki, whiteboard.
What Is Collaborative Project
Design collaboration is a design-first environment. It is not just two or more people working together, it is more. Before starting the collaboration all the participants of the process should have the right mindset. There it can be determined how to work, how to estimate success, and where the project ends.
Collaboration Product is Universal
Collaboration brings many people together: marketers, designers, product managers, and business people. The best thing about that is that all the ideas brought up in collaboration are equal.
All the perspectives and thoughts considering the project impact design and overall product. By involving more and more people in the project, you gain more perspectives which means a bigger picture and a better product.
Keep It Contextual
Collaborative product is based on the concept that is given to all the collaborators. It is a crucial feature for the basis of collaborative work. Let's take a look at some points to keep up with the collaborative project:
- Before starting the project, give the context to your colleagues
- Always tell in details what kind of problem your product will solve
- Explain your ideas and vision
- Be available for all kinds of feedback
Why collaborative product has to be contextual? The context underlines:
- The main points of the product development
- Key factors of research
Take into account that collaboration is conventional: you have to agree on a certain amount of things before doing them.
Collaboration Is Emotional
Collaboration is not just about pure data and its pragmatic processing. It is also about the feeling of the projects a team works on. Designers can't create separately from techs, product managers, and marketers, that is how the best pieces come together.
When creating a logo design, keep up with the emotions that this logo has to deliver. Think about them and make your design speak to the feelings of the products' users.
Collaborative Product Is the Product of Synergy
Getting collaborative feedback is one thing and work on these ideas in another. This skill doesn't come easily, it comes with practice only. achieving this synergy is all about listening to each other.
When you decide for yourself that you will listen to the person and then give your opinion on the project, it means you are ready to work together. If you want more ways to look at the project you all are developing, listening to each other is crucial. After that, you will be able to use that perspective against the challenges. Use them and win.
Bottom Line
Collaboration is the key to all of the great products that we know. It is appropriate when there is no perfect solution for a particular problem or lack of structure. When you create something new to the market and unfamiliar to the users, include some of them into the process to get the most relevant and perfect collaborative product.
