Developing a People-Centric Product

Addison Van Auken
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

A Conference Report

Dave and Andy exploring Utah, following the Front Case Studies Conference.

Dave Breske and Andy Gmitter are busy guys; they work behind the scenes to develop, design, and manage Galaxy Digital’s products. This week, I sat down with Andy (Head of Product and Director of Development) and Dave (Associate Designer and Tier II Support) to discuss their experiences with a recent conference, the importance of teamwork, and Utah’s wild bison population.

The pair travelled to Salt Lake City last month for the Front Case Studies Conference, an assembly of user experience (UX) designers and product managers. A panel of peers and product designers from several prominent companies (including the likes of Facebook and Airbnb) presented their solutions to organizational challenges.

“We’re always trying to maintain awareness of what’s out there,” Andy says. Staying up to date with product research is vital in the software industry. Conferences like Front offer an opportunity to learn from and network with peers who share a similar goal: to develop user-friendly products that address customers’ needs.

This year’s conference was especially geared toward design teams and helping them find better ways to work together. Speaker Cameron Moll, Product Design Manager at Facebook, talked about the importance of “gaining alignment.” His presentation outlined three keys to achieving alignment with team members:

  1. Unity over uniformity: Uniformity is important for speed and efficiency of design. Left unchecked, however, uniformity will place efficiency above all else. Unity, on the other hand, invites and facilitates conversations about why products are designed.
  2. Chemistry over culture: “Culture” tends to group and maintain similarities. In the workplace, differences are important to maintain checks and balances. Chemistry is about blending the similar and dissimilar, in regards to people or ideas, and allowing these differences to coexist. Moll suggests introducing this notion of “chemistry” in the workplace by talking about ideas that are considered outside the scope of a company’s “culture.”
  3. People over process: Processes are put in place to deliver consistent products efficiently. When obeyed rigidly, process can become “mechanical,” discouraging creativity. Creating time and space for team discussion encourages alignment, while listening to each individual empowers all voices in the room to contribute. Allow new ideas to emerge and flourish. Have strong opinions, but hold them loosely.

In other words, meaningful human interaction is just as important as company output. When developing Connect software, a people-centric approach helps the Galaxy Digital team to anticipate the needs of its users. UX designers have to think about not only what a customer needs, but why they need it. “We have to be proactive in anticipating needs,” Dave asserts. “We are a people-centric company,” which is especially important when designing for nonprofits and their volunteers.

According to Andy, working toward a shared sense of alignment allows space for progress, “We have to identify our goals and move forward together.” It’s clear the pair embody Moll’s idea that people drive change.

On the final day of their westward adventure, Dave and Andy joined fellow product managers on a hike to check out Utah’s extraordinary landscape — as a team, of course!

Check out Galaxy Digital’s people-centric Connect software!

Bison, one of the many perks of attending conferences.

Front Utah

A collection of articles related to Product Design, Product Management, UX, Entrepreneurship, and Technology, to collaborate, network, and inspire each other to create amazing products

Addison Van Auken

Written by

Addison writes for Galaxy Digital, the best volunteer management software for 2018.

Front Utah

A collection of articles related to Product Design, Product Management, UX, Entrepreneurship, and Technology, to collaborate, network, and inspire each other to create amazing products

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade