32 - The Product vs. Design Battle Isn’t a Bug—It’s a Feature

A PM once told me, “We don’t have time for this design-thinking nonsense.”

I remember that moment vividly. I had spent weeks crafting a research-backed, user-centered approach to a problem, only to be told—flat out—that it wasn’t a priority. My first instinct? Frustration. My second? Doubt. Maybe they were right. Perhaps we didn’t have time for it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this Tension wasn’t a flaw in the system. It was the system.

And honestly? Living in that Tension is one of design leadership’s most complicated and vital lessons.

When Product and Design Collide (and That’s Okay)

There’s this illusion that product and design should always be aligned, that if we just worked better together, we’d eliminate the friction. That’s a lie. The friction is what makes the work better.

The product’s job is to ship. They deal in execution, roadmaps, and business viability. Design’s job is to imagine. We deal in user needs, long-term vision, and creative risk. At some point, those priorities will collide. And when they do, it’s easy to assume that one side needs to “win.” But the real magic happens when neither side wins—when we use that Tension to push each other forward.

The Temptation to Make Design an Afterthought

I’ve seen this play out in all kinds of ways. Sometimes, design is brought in too late—after key decisions have been made when the only thing left is to make the UI look “cleaner.” Other times, design tries to drive the conversation too early, pushing big ideas before product and engineering have figured out what’s possible. Neither of these approaches works.

The best teams don’t sideline design, and they don’t let it run unchecked, either. They integrate it from the start, not as a last-minute polish but as a core driver of how things should work.

But let’s be honest: this is easier said than done. Integrating design early means fighting for our seat at the table. It means constantly advocating for the user, even when business goals feel more urgent. It means facing resistance—not just once, but repeatedly.

And that’s exhausting.

Making the Tension Work for You

So, how do you navigate the constant push and pull? Here’s what I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way):

1. Reframe the Tension as a Catalyst: Stop trying to eliminate the Tension. It’s not a problem to solve—it’s the secret ingredient to exceptional work. The push-and-pull between the product’s focus on execution and the design’s focus on vision keeps teams from settling for “good enough.” As a leader, your role is to model this mindset for your team. Show them that Tension isn’t a sign of dysfunction but healthy collaboration.

   Actionable Tip: Regularly remind your team that friction is a natural part of innovation. Share examples of how Tension has led to breakthroughs in your work or in well-known companies.

2. Build Bridges, Not Walls: Product managers and designers aren’t enemies but partners with complementary strengths. To foster collaboration, learn to speak the language of business. Translate design goals into measurable outcomes that resonate with product leaders. For example, frame user-centered design to reduce churn, increase customer lifetime value, or drive the adoption of new features.

   Actionable Tip: Create a shared glossary of terms with your product counterparts. For instance, define what “user-centric” means in the context of business goals and align on how to measure success.

3. Choose Your Battles Wisely: Not every disagreement is worth fighting for. If you spend all your energy resisting, you’ll burn out before you make real change. Learn to distinguish between battles that are critical to the user experience and those that are less impactful. Sometimes, incremental progress is better than no progress.

   Actionable Tip: Use a framework like the “Impact vs. Effort Matrix” to prioritize where to focus your energy. Focus on high-impact, low-effort wins to build trust and credibility with your product partners.

4. Prototype to Align and Inspire: Prototypes are your secret weapon. They speak a language everyone understands—whether it’s a product manager, engineer, or executive. A conversation that would take hours in a meeting can be resolved in minutes when there’s something tangible to react to. Prototyping also helps bridge the gap between vision and feasibility, making buying into bold ideas easier for product teams.

   Actionable Tip: Dedicate time for rapid prototyping sprints. Even low-fidelity sketches or clickable wireframes can spark alignment and move conversations forward.

5. Make space for future thinking. Execution is critical, but so is exploration. Not every idea needs to ship immediately, but teams risk getting stuck in the now without space for “what if” scenarios. As a leader, it’s your job to advocate for this balance. Dedicate time for blue-sky thinking, even if it’s just one afternoon a month.

   Actionable Tip: Host regular “future vision” workshops where product and design teams collaborate on long-term ideas. Use these sessions to align on shared goals and explore opportunities beyond the current roadmap.

The Tension Isn’t the Problem—It’s the Journey Towards Something Greater

There will always be friction between product and design. And honestly? There should be. The goal isn’t to make the Tension disappear—it’s to use it. To challenge assumptions, refine ideas, and build something better than either side could have created alone.

So, if you find yourself in yet another debate with your PM, wondering why they don’t “get it,” take a step back. The Tension isn’t the problem. The way you navigate it is.

As a senior IC or design manager, your role is to model how to navigate this Tension with grace and purpose. By reframing friction as a catalyst, building bridges, and advocating for design’s strategic value, you can transform the push-and-pull into a powerful force for innovation.

Remember, the best products aren’t built by one function dominating the other. They’re built by leaders who embrace the mess, lean into the Tension, and figure it out together. So, step back the next time you are in a heated debate with your product counterpart. The Tension isn’t the problem—it’s the path to something greater.

Because at the end of the day, the best products don’t come from one perspective winning over the other. They come from the messy, frustrating, necessary process of figuring it out together.