If you’re a product designer, at some point, you must’ve been part of projects involving multiple teams, only to find that miscommunication and misalignment slowed everything down?
Silos — those isolated workflows and mindsets — create barriers that block collaboration. The consequences are clear: projects get delayed, products don’t align with user needs, efforts get duplicated, and innovation takes a hit.
In this blog, we’ll discuss practical steps to break down these silos and build stronger connections between teams. By tackling the underlying issues and having an effective strategy, organisations can improve collaboration and achieve better results.
Let’s get into it.
1. Diagnose the problem, the silos in your team
a. Analyse the flow of work between teams:
Start by mapping out the flow of work between teams.
Take a typical project and trace how it moves from one team to the next — design to engineering, engineering to marketing, etc.
- Where are the delays?
- Do handoffs stall because of unclear responsibilities or miscommunication?
Document these bottlenecks to see where work gets stuck or slowed down, and pinpoint areas where teams operate in isolation.
b. Identify misaligned goals:
Examine the KPIs and objectives that guide each team. Are designers prioritizing aesthetics while engineers are focused on technical constraints?
Is marketing aiming for quick product launches while product teams want to refine features?
Analyze whether teams are working toward the same overarching objective or if they’re pulling in different directions, creating friction rather than collaboration.
c. Review the timing and quality of feedback loops:
Healthy collaboration requires consistent feedback at key stages — not just at the end.
Evaluate how early and often feedback is exchanged between teams, and whether it’s enabling improvements at the right moments or leading to last-minute fixes.
- Are designers getting input from engineers only after designs are finalized, leading to costly rework?
- Are product managers providing feedback too late in the process to make meaningful changes?
2. Establish a shared vision and common KPIs
a. Joint OKR setting:
Hold a meeting to set shared OKRs that include design, engineering, and product teams. For example, a joint goal like “reduce user friction during onboarding by 20%” ensures all teams work toward the same outcome, rather than conflicting priorities.
b. Define success metrics across teams:
Align on shared success metrics, such as “time-to-ship a feature” or “user engagement.” This ensures teams are accountable for both quality and delivery, keeping everyone on track.
c. Data-driven decision making:
Base decisions on real data rather than opinions. Share user insights, analytics, and performance metrics across teams so everyone’s working with the same information. Keep discussions grounded in facts.
3. Build better communication channels
a. Create cross-functional Slack channels:
You can set up project-based channels (like #onboarding-feedback). This keeps everyone — design, engineering, product — on the same page, giving input as needed without long email threads or miscommunication.
b. Daily standups involving all teams:
Keep daily standups short and focused, with reps from each team. Rotate the lead between design, product, and engineering so everyone knows what’s happening and can flag any roadblocks quickly.
c. Adopt open design reviews:
Involve developers, product managers, and other stakeholders early in design reviews. It helps avoid surprises later and makes sure all angles are covered from the start.
4. Leverage collaboration tools effectively
a. Figma for real-time collaboration:
Use tools like Figma to let engineers and product managers comment directly on design files. Encourage engineers to flag feasibility concerns and product managers to review copy/UI alignment in real-time.
b. Integrated workflow platforms:
Use Jira, Trello, or Asana to track design tasks alongside development. Ensure tasks from different teams are clearly linked, so no design or feature is built in isolation.
5. Create continuous learning opportunities
a. Cross-functional design sprints:
Run design sprints that include members from every function. Instead of just designers brainstorming, include engineers, product managers, and marketing to ensure well-rounded solutions.
b. Informal workshops:
Host casual sessions where team members from different roles share their workflows, tools, and challenges. A designer might demo their Figma designs, while an engineer explains their prototyping process. These workshops help teams understand each other better and improve collaboration.
6. Design systems to keep distributed teams centralised
In many growing companies, design teams are often split into smaller, dedicated groups working on different products or areas of the business. This can lead to the silo effect, where each group operates in isolation. However, successful teams prevent silos by establishing central points of connection, such as a shared design system.
A design system acts as a hub where all teams — regardless of their individual focus — come together to discuss what they’ve used, what needed adjustments, and what had to be created from scratch. These discussions, whether weekly or at the end of a project, offer insight into how other teams are using the system and where it can be improved.
Breaking down the silos
Start by focusing on one area where collaboration could improve, and see how your efforts impact workflow and communication. You’ll gain valuable insights that can guide your next steps.
Once you see some wins, think about how to apply those strategies across the organisation. Use what you’ve learned to tweak your approach and keep the momentum going.
This way, you’ll help your teams work better together and drive real results.
Breaking through siloed roles in design was originally published in Muzli – Design Inspiration on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.