Pair Design Pitfalls
The advantages of pair design have been greatly advocated by tech gurus, yet not everyone in the tech industry fully understands this practice. I had the opportunity to pair with several brilliant designers in the past, and I would like to share some of those experiences with you, especially the tricky hidden pitfalls that I wished someone had told me before.
Pitfall 1: Everyone already knows the best practice of pair design and let’s just jump right in.
One major assumption about pair design is that everybody knows how to pair. “How difficult is that”, you may think. Truth is that it takes a bit more than sitting together to make pairing work. Spending time up front to set up expectations and to share experiences is worth it. Not everyone knows how to pair the right way. Communicating about any concerns / tips would reduce the chances of misunderstanding / false expectations.
One time, I paired with another designer on wireframing. We thought it would be helpful to tackle some of the most complex sections together. For those of you who have some experience with pair design, you would know that in order to get the most out of the pairing, it requires the two designers to be looking at the same screens while each has his/her own mouse and keyboard. It not only gives each person enough flexibility and workspace, but also supports shared ownership of their work.
In my story, however, despite my explanation of how this should be done (and is being done elsewhere), my partner insisted to use one of the dual displays for pairing and left the other one vacant. As I expected, it turned out to be sour for me: not only that I had a sore neck looking into his workspace, but also that I felt as if I lost my connection with our work (that I was pushed out of it and that it had become someone else’s).
Looking back on that experience, it started off on the wrong foot when I assumed that communication is not necessary with another designer. If it’s your first time pairing with your partner, grab a coffee before you start. Share your best and worst pairing experiences and, from there, work with your pair to figure out how you can make your paring most enjoyable and effective.
Pitfall 2: Pair design means that whoever has a good idea should take over the control and do it.
I’ve heard designers telling me that they feel weird about two people sharing displays / mice / keyboards. They think it is way too intrusive and the other person can easily interrupt them while they are working. There have also been times in my own experience when I find pairing unproductive and frustrating. As a matter of fact, it is quite common in pair programming as well. Through my observation of and discussion with many practitioners, I have come to realize that it is all about collaboration.
A lot of the tension in pairing is created by people trying to take over control whenever they have a good idea and / or ignore the presence / activity of the other person (although most of the time it is done unintentionally). Interruptions and dominance, in this case, are mistaken for collaborations.
A healthy pairing environment encourages individuals to bring their best to the table and allow for individuality while supporting partnership. That said, pairing collaboration truly means that the pairs are on the same page, recognize each other’s contribution and action, and share responsibilities and risks.
One useful tactic to reduce friction is to establish roles and responsibilities prior to pairing and stick to it. Each designer then wears one hat at a time and takes turns to “drive” and “navigate” (for more on role rotation, check out this blog). Again, communication is key. Let your pair know if he/she has been going too fast / taking over control all the time. Don’t keep your frustration to yourself when it could have been solved by a kind reminder.
Pitfall 3: “Pair design” rules all.
Unlike pair programming, there are times when sitting together working on the same task is not the best way to design. For example, pair design generates a significant amount of value in brainstorming / whiteboarding sessions where designers try to bounce ideas quickly off each other and achieve an optimal solution. On the other hand, however, it would be an overkill for tasks simple as cutting assets. Pair design is not one-size-fits-all. Figuring out when to double the resources would help the team avoid doing unproductive work and get the job done in a most efficient way possible.
Pair design is all about efficiency, knowledge exchanging and responsibility and risks sharing. Its goal is to maximize the gain with limited resources. As we practice it, it’s helpful to reflect on our experiences and share the lessons learned so that we continuously move forward. What have you learned from pair design? Share it with us today!
