Open Doors: Welcome to our Product Design practice
If you’re new here, Open Doors: Welcome to Our Practices is a series that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at each of our teams, what they do, what they value, and the skilled professionals who make it thrive. If you’d like to start this series from the very beginning, read all about our .NET and Java practice, the team working at the core of our software capabilities, or take a peek into what’s happening at our transformative Business Analysis practice. If you want to start by learning all about our Product Design practice, you’re already at the right place.
Designing with purpose
Great products don’t happen by accident; they’re designed with intention. At Emergn, we’re passionate about creating solutions that genuinely meet user needs and set our customers apart from the competition – and our Product Design practice is at the heart of making that happen. By putting users at the core of every solution, this team ensures we’re not just building products, but crafting intuitive, valuable, and meaningful experiences.
Turning complexity into clarity
One of the biggest challenges our Product Design team faces is ensuring that every solution meets both the needs of users and the goals of the business while being technically feasible. Balancing these priorities is not an easy task, but it’s one we tackle through continuous user research, feedback, and collaboration with stakeholders.
Insights from research are shared with business stakeholders early and often, helping us to prioritize features that deliver the greatest impact. This ensures that product decisions are always grounded in real-world needs and strategic value.
Learning and growing together
Collaboration is a core value for all our teams, and it’s easy to see that in our Product Design team. Product designers work in cross-functional squads, side-by-side with product managers, business analysts, developers, and other professionals. This structure fosters alignment from the early stages of a product’s life cycle, ensuring that everyone is building the right thing, in the right way.
Many of our team members work on different projects and industries, making continuous learning inherently part of our mindset and opening the possibilities for sharing different perspectives within the team. By sharing insights and experiences across engagements, we can grow stronger, expand our collective knowledge, and sharpen our approach.
A diverse and unified practice
What makes this team stand out is its unique mix of talent. The team is made up of UX researchers, product designers, and UI developers, all working together towards the same goal. We’re also spread across different locations – in Portugal and Latvia – with different nationalities, which allows for an enriching and valuable cultural exchange. This diversity of perspectives leads to more thoughtful design discussions and richer outcomes for clients.
The skills for a great design
Great design starts with great communication. We should listen to everyone’s input, but also explain our points of view and back them up with research. It’s not just about presenting ideas, it’s about asking the right questions, listening closely, and interpreting people’s behaviors to uncover what’s really needed. Curiosity, empathy, and confidence to challenge assumptions are key qualities that drive the team forward.
It’s not just conversational skills that help uncover the true pain points behind a need or identify the right feature to address it; it’s also about knowing how to frame questions effectively and interpret people’s behaviors and underlying thoughts.
João Ferreira, Product Design Practice Lead and Portugal Location Lead
Looking into the future
As the world of product design evolves, so does our team! We’re excited about growing our capabilities in areas like integrating AI into design processes, working with no/low-code platforms, improving product accessibility, and expanding Service Design activities in our projects.
Are you thinking about joining us?
Behind our work is an amazing team of curious, thoughtful, and collaborative professionals passionate about understanding people. Whether through research, asking the right questions, or challenging assumptions, they are committed to designing products that address user challenges and create a meaningful impact.
If you’re passionate about tackling exciting challenges and working with talented people from diverse backgrounds, our team might be the perfect place for you to thrive.
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