Collaborative design: What is it and why does it matter?

Ever wondered how some of the best products, services, or even marketing campaigns come together? Spoiler alert: it’s not just one genius locked in a room with a whiteboard.

The magic happens through collaborative design — a process that brings together different minds to share their unique perspectives. By breaking down silos and fostering open communication, your projects become much more creative, innovative, and user-centered. Let's see why this process can lead to products and services that really connect with customers.

What is collaborative design?

Collaborative design is an inclusive method that invites all the key stakeholders of a project to give their input during the design phase, instead of waiting until launch. That way, all the players on your team work towards the same goal right from the kick-off. It’s a method that values teamwork and blending ideas from people with different skills, backgrounds, and experiences to solve your design problems.

Think of it as co-creation where everyone gets a say, from designers and developers to project managers and marketers. Collaborative design is about making sure whatever you create is functional, innovative, and pleasing to the eye.

At its core, this process revolves around a few key principles:

Co-creation: Everyone involved in the project — from product and development teams to end users — contributes their insights and ideas.
Open communication: No idea is too wild, and no tweak is too small. Regular check-ins and feedback loops ensure everyone stays on the same page.
Iteration: You don’t get it perfect on the first try. Instead, you revise and refine based on feedback.
Customer-centricity: The user experience is at the heart of every decision. The focus is on creating something that people will love to engage with.

How the collaborative design process works

So, how does the collaborative design process work? Here’s the breakdown of a typical journey from idea to launch:

Problem identification and definition of goals: First, nail down the problem you’re trying to solve and set clear, shared goals. This step involves leading a project kickoff meeting to set the direction for the whole process.
Research and discovery: At this step, you analyze user data, conduct interviews, and look at trends to understand the landscape and user needs better. Take advantage of research notes to document your findings and share them with the team.
Ideation and brainstorming: Get those creative juices flowing. Bring your team together for some brainstorming sessions where everyone can throw their ideas on the table without judgment.
Design and prototyping: Get your wireframe tools and start sketching or building prototypes. This step is where ideas start taking shape, and you can see what works and what doesn’t.
Testing and validation: Test early, test often. Get your designs in front of real users or collect feedback from stakeholders to refine your approach.
Implementation and rollout: Time to prepare for your product launch! Move from the prototype phase to the final product, getting everyone aligned and on track for a successful release.
Evaluation and learning: After launch, take time to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. This step requires running a sprint review meeting to learn from the process and do even better next time.

Related: How to run a retrospective meeting in 6 steps

Project Kickoff template in Mural. — Use the project kickoff template in Mural.

Benefits of collaborative design

Spending more time at the beginning of the design process to ensure every voice is heard saves both time and money in the long run.

Benefits of collaborative design include:

Improved problem-solving: Different viewpoints help identify potential issues early on and come up with out-of-the-box solutions.
Enhanced creativity and innovation: More brains mean more ideas. Bringing together diverse perspectives leads to unique solutions and fresh thinking.
Strengthened collaboration: When everyone feels seen and valued, you get a more motivated and engaged team. Knowledge workers who collaborate intentionally are nearly twice as likely to be happy with the way their team works together, according to Mural’s 2024 Teamwork Research Report.
Increased productivity: Better collaboration means less wasted time and getting more done.
Accelerated time-to-market: With clear communication and teamwork, you can move from idea generation to launch more quickly, outpacing the competition.

Collaborative design strategies to get started

Ready to jump into some collaborative design strategies but not sure where to start? Here are four best practices to kick off your next project:

Run cross-department design workshops: Get everyone in the same room (or virtual space) early on to get on the same page, share insights, and co-create solutions. Use cross-functional collaboration frameworks to facilitate productive discussions with your teams.
Choose collaboration tools that empower real-time teamwork: Use an online whiteboard to create a virtual workplace where team members can brainstorm, draw, and iterate together, no matter where they are.
Schedule structured brainstorming sessions to guide creation: Keep your brainstorming meetings focused with clear objectives and time limits. This structure helps in generating more actionable ideas.
Establish feedback loops with users and stakeholders: This step involves collecting data to iterate on prototypes and conducting a team meeting to discuss findings, make necessary adjustments, and align on the next steps.

Related: How to collect feedback from stakeholders effectively

Manage your projects with the best collaborative design software

Need collaborative design tools to streamline your projects? Mural is a visual work platform that makes collaboration easy with interactive features designed to engage your people and get work done.

Mural brings design and collaboration together with:

Project collaboration software: A platform that helps your team stay in sync, share ideas, and keep track of progress in real time.
Online design canvas: Sketch out wireframes, gather cross-functional feedback, edit prototypes — all from your browser.
Library of templates: From kick-off meetings to retrospective sessions, Mural’s templates streamline every step of the creative process.
Integrations: Connect unlimited murals with all of the tools and apps your team already uses, like Slack, Jira, and Microsoft Teams.