Abstracts

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Features ship, but outcomes define success. In this talk, we’ll explore how applying design thinking principles helps product leaders align teams, balance business and user needs, and redefine “done” as measurable outcomes instead of tasks.

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In product development, teams juggle competing demands: business requests, user feedback, A/B test results, release cycles, and technical constraints. It’s easy to lose sight of what success really means.
This talk explores how design thinking can anchor teams around outcomes & impact, not just outputs. We’ll cover how to reframe challenges, define “done” and quality in measurable terms, and foster collaboration across design, engineering, and business. Attendees will learn how processes could be designed to transform noise into clarity, ensuring that what gets built aligns with both user value and business goals.

Description

Modern product teams face constant tension: business and operations push requests, engineering balances delivery pace, users generate feedback loops, and analytics produce endless signals. In this chaos, features can get shipped without clarity on whether they drive real impact.
Design thinking provides a way forward, not just for UX, but for product leadership. By focusing on empathy, reframing problems, and co-creating solutions, product managers can guide teams toward outcomes that matter.
In this talk, we’ll explore how to apply design thinking to product delivery and organisational alignment. From redefining “done” as measurable outcomes, to designing quality as a team standard, you’ll learn frameworks for cutting through the noise and focusing on results.

Outline
- The challenge: outputs vs. outcomes in modern teams
- Where team dynamics break: business pressure, user feedback, release pace
- Applying design thinking to product leadership
- Redefining “done” and quality with outcomes in mind
- Tools for aligning business, design, and engineering
- Examples of outcome-driven product success
- Closing: shifting culture from delivery to impact

Key Takeaways
- Design thinking isn’t just for UX - it’s a product leadership tool
- Teams often confuse outputs (features) with outcomes (value)
- Defining “done” around quality and impact improves alignment
- Empathy + reframing helps balance business, user, and team needs
- Outcome-driven practices create clarity and lasting success