Pelayo Couceiro
May 16, 2023
Last February, I reached 4 years at Cabify as a Product Designer. During this time, I’ve faced many situations and projects. So, I wanted to put into words some of the main learnings:
Navigating ambiguity: The decision-making challenge.
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned during this time is that moments of uncertainty are great opportunities for growth and learning. Those moments when you are not sure what is going on and you try to adapt to the playing field in search of which direction to take. They foster decision-making for specific problems in a particular context, which teach you to design solutions that provide immediate value and also solutions that will lead you to long-term goals. Both are essential and as a designer, you must know how to identify the best option at each moment. Adopt a mindset of continuous discovery, knowing that there is no perfect design proposal.
Thanks to this mindset, I’ve had the opportunity to work on many projects within the company, with completely different audiences (Passengers, Drivers, and Businesses), alongside very talented colleagues (Product Directors, Engineers, Product Managers, Data Scientists, etc), and with the motivation to learn as the main driving force. All these elements have allowed me to acquire a global vision of the business and evaluate market opportunities in a constantly changing sector, such as mobility.
I could give many examples related to this learning, but I’ll highlight the building from scratch of Bive, an app that offered a subscription to city bicycles. This project was developed during the pandemic, in three months and with very few resources. Unfortunately, it didn’t have the expected market fit, but in which the team learned important takeaways that are now applied in Cabify.
Building bridges: The power of cross-disciplinary collaboration.
In the process of developing a digital product, it’s common for the design team to work with multiple disciplines. However, this process can be very frustrating when factors such as lack of alignment, or the lack of communication from the beginning. These scenarios lead to each team working in separate workflows, tasks being understood as deliverables and the final solution not being the desired one.
During these four years, and after dozens of initiatives I’ve worked on, I’ve been able to confirm that involving all disciplines from the beginning of the project has really positive results in terms of efficiency and quality of the product delivered to the user. You can establish action points and rituals that make the difference, such as a space to discuss the status of the project (Slack, Loom, meetings, etc), brainstorming sessions to imagine the paths to explore, and specific sessions to gather feedback, even if the designs aren’t the final ones.
It’s gratifying to see how problems are significantly reduced when different disciplines work while understanding the limitations of each when communication flows, and everyone understands the situation they want to solve. In summary, collaboration and communication from the beginning of the development process are essential to ensure project success, reduce costs, and improve the quality of work in a digital product.
From questions to growth: The impact of asking questions and sharing knowledge.
Often, the fear of appearing unqualified or the lack of time, we hesitate to ask questions when we don't know something and prefer to deal with uncertainty on our own. However, this attitude can be unhelpful both for us as individuals and for the team. Throughout this time I’ve learned about the power of asking questions or asking for help when we don't know something, and communicating your skills to empower the rest of the team.
We are all human beings with limitations and cannot know everything. By asking questions, we acknowledge our willingness to learn and improve. In addition, we encourage our teammates to share their experiences and knowledge, creating an enriching environment for mutual learning. The team is a valuable source of knowledge and experience; each member has unique strengths and skills that can help us overcome obstacles and learn something new. Because of this, I have forged good relationships with many teammates with whom I am truly grateful for helping me become the designer I am today.
It's not just about asking questions, but also about sharing our own knowledge with the team. Every time each member shares their knowledge, the team becomes stronger and better prepared to face complex challenges in an ever-changing work environment. By doing so, we not only help the team, but we also push ourselves to organize and articulate our knowledge clearly and concisely, which helps solidify what we know. Additionally, by sharing our knowledge, other team members can also contribute valuable perspectives or alternative approaches, further enriching our understanding of the subject.
Active listening: The key to designing successful digital products.
When it comes to building a digital product, it’s essential to understand that the customer is at the center of the entire creative process. By adopting a mindset of empathy and understanding, we can immerse ourselves in their emotions, motivations, and experiences, allowing us to create designs that establish a meaningful emotional connection between the digital product and the user.
Within our audience of drivers, spanning across +10 countries, we offer multiple channels for them to send us their concerns, questions, and suggestions. We greatly value their feedback as it helps us constantly improve the service we provide.
One of the ways in which I’ve learned the most is through face-to-face interactions with them, either through video calls or during car rides as a passenger. These interactions give me the opportunity to have open and honest conversations, placing them at the center of attention. During these encounters, I can uncover unresolved issues, identify opportunities, find creative solutions, and validate hypotheses. This feedback provides us with remarkable agility as a team and guides us in the right direction to continue delivering value. In addition to the practical benefits, it’s rewarding to observe how a personal bond is formed between the drivers and the company. The designer understands firsthand the needs of the audience they are designing for, and the drivers see the company as something more human.
What do you think? All these lessons I’ve learned are based on my personal experience and do not apply to the rest of my colleagues.
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