Originally Published on VMware Design Medium
In the dynamic landscape of modern enterprise, the challenges of achieving alignment and progress between teams are all too familiar. In this article, I would like to take you on a journey of VMware’s Tanzu design team, a journey marked by ambiguity, setbacks, resilience, and the ultimate discovery of the transformative potential of design vision stories and prototypes in steering product success and fostering team cohesion.
From Waterfall to Product Design Vision: A Paradigm Shift in Enterprise Innovation
Once referred to as the “waterfall” approach, the idea of design vision has transformed into a driver of innovation. Unlike conventional methods, design vision doesn’t confine itself to a linear path; rather, it ignites innovation by providing alignment and an efficient and flexible roadmap ahead. In an era where organizations are embracing agility, the demand for clear guidance and a shared purpose has never been more essential. This is particularly significant as According to the Journal of Engineering Design, it is often more efficient and cost-effective to modify a design prior to development rather than iterating on an already-built product. Once a product is translated into code, making fundamental changes to its underlying structure or altering its trajectory becomes significantly more challenging and resource-intensive.
Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world,” resonates in the enterprise context. Aligning diverse minds and departments requires more than words — it necessitates a visual representation that transcends individual interpretations.