The Famous 'Product Trio': A Team for Successful Digital Products
The term 'product trio' refers to the core team involved in creating a digital product. This concept was explored by Teresa Torres in her book 'Continuous Discovery Habits'.
Hello UXers, Designers, and Product folks.
Today, I find it crucial to discuss the concept of the "product trio" — something I emphasize constantly when talking about creating and developing digital products. This trio forms the foundation for a product's success.
What is a product trio
The term "product trio" refers to the core team involved in creating a digital product. This concept was explored by Teresa Torres in her book "Continuous Discovery Habits." Typically, this trio is composed of a Product Manager, a Designer, and a Developer.
Responsibilities of each member
Despite having great admiration for Teresa Torres, I partially disagree with the description of the trio she presents in her book "Continuous Discovery Habits." Torres suggests that the Designer's role in this trio is primarily focused on visual and system materialization, facilitating customer interaction with the product. In my opinion, this view is limiting.
Therefore, my description of this trio aligns with the team structures I've encountered and with what I believe to be most valuable in design teams — being the advocate for user value.
Especially in companies with low design maturity. In other words:
Product Manager
Responsible for conveying value and vision to the business.
Developer/Programmer
Responsible for validating the technical feasibility of what will be proposed.
Designer
Responsible for being the voice of the user, showing what the value looks like for the user.
The importance of a good trio
There is a direct relationship between a strong trio and the value of your product or service. In other words, we can also describe this trio as the well-known "sweet spot" of innovation, which sits between business viability, technical feasibility, and the desirability of the people who will use it.
It is therefore important for this trio to have a clear understanding of each member's role and, more importantly, to adopt a human-centered approach. By primarily using qualitative research methods, they can discover user needs and bring the expected value into the discussion.
In summary, a mindset based on the following points should be adopted:
Focus more on impact (outcome) than just output.
Human-centered: Put users' needs and experiences at the forefront.
Collaboration: Work together as a team and leverage diverse perspectives.
Visual communication: Use visual means to convey ideas and concepts effectively.
Experimentation: Embrace a culture of exploration and learning through prototyping and testing.
Iteration: Continuously refine and improve the product based on feedback and insights.
By adopting this mindset, the trio can enhance their ability to create products that truly meet users' needs and deliver meaningful outcomes.
Suggested reading
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58046715-continuous-discovery-habits