Laura Fish - The Designers Guide to Product Vision: Learn to build your strategic influence to shape the future

Im a quirky creativesomeone whose reality is only slightly augmented by an overactive imagination, and a junkie for those highs that come with the spark of a promising idea. Layer on top of that, I set high standards for myself, and by extension, those with whom I work. Admittedly, I have to check myself at times. I channel my nonconformist nature to challenge status quo thinking and inspire change. While my intentions are always good, that nonconformity has led to my losing jobs. I learn big lessons the hard way but am always optimistic about the future. I know what Im made of, what Im capable of, and what I stand for. Thankfully, these qualities have helped to elevate me professionally as a designer and serve vision work well.

Im passionate about creating visions. I have been fortunate, for the entirety of my career, to be able to do just that. At each past job, I entered a company to fill a predefined tactical role. It would only take weeksonce hoursto break free of my designated box. Like a heat-seeking missile, I could see how to move what existed in the present into tomorrows bigger picture possibilities. Id find value where no one else was bothering to look, illuminate experience cracks begging to be filled, inspiring everyone from my peers to the CEO with my innovation-minded vision proposals. As long as I completed my weekly list of tactical responsibilities, I was granted the privilege of working on vision proposals as a side hustle.

Of course, the difference between my visions at the beginning of my career and those of recent years wasof coursestrategic viability. In hindsight, my earliest vision work as a young professional didnt have a chance of becoming real offerings. I was naive to think so. As I matured with professional experience, I became more invested in seeing my vision work actually make it to real users.

In 2014, I was fortunate to find a stellar partner-in-design (crime) and mentor to work with: Scott Kiekbusch. Together, albeit unknowingly, we embarked on a design pilgrimage that would be a transformative experienceespecially for me. Our partnership clarified how, as a designer, I could better make use of my innate skills. Then together, we learned how to harness strategic thinking to drive bigger, better vision work.

Our journey began at a large company on its highest-profile, most visionary endeavor: figure out what was next, beyond its long-standing flagship offering. This ask was right up my alley. At the time, I was a decade into my career. I had established myself in Boston as someone who could straighten out a tangled mess to visualize tomorrows big-picture possibility. I also had a preference to work as a sole contributor (a bit diva like, I know). This project would be the first time I was officially paired with a design partner. Scott meet Laura, Laura meet Scott. Id eventually learn the importance of creatives working in pairs, but at the timeas we were completely consumed with this mega projectI was just thankful I wasnt in it alone.

From the get-go, the work was in constant jeopardy of catastrophic collapse. The chaos was caused by all the usual suspects: impossibly demanding stakeholders, business stepping on design, design stepping on business. And all the while our gung-ho development team frantically coding with no strategic plan in sight. The stress was off the charts, leaving a trail of casualties and panic attacks in its massive wake. But what was unique about the project was the setup: absolute collaboration and co-location. Our continuous, close proximity afforded us the opportunity to regularly work within a few feet of the assigned digital business strategists.