Brad Frost and Dan Mall: Rethinking Agile and how designers collaborate with developers

Shared Language

Brad Frost and Dan Mall emphasize the importance of a shared language in design and development teams. They discuss how developing a common terminology can bridge communication gaps and foster better collaboration. Dan mentions how Brad's atomic design methodology helps teams build consensus on language, ensuring everyone understands each term's meaning.

If we can build consensus around the language, then it doesn't matter. We're going to call this a gobbledygook, but now we know that when somebody says that word, that we all know what that means.

--- Dan Mall

This collaborative approach extends to creating glossaries of terms and values, which guide the team's work and align their efforts 1 2.

   

Common Goals

Establishing common goals is crucial for the success of any design system. Brad and Dan highlight the importance of getting all stakeholders to agree on the project's main objectives. This consensus helps maintain focus and ensures that everyone is working towards the same outcomes.

Remember when we decided that color was going to be the driving force of this? Remember when we decided that more revenue was the highest goal here?

--- Dan Mall

They also discuss the role of collaborative exercises in aligning the team, such as using references and examples to ensure everyone is on the same page 3 4.