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IntercomExplainer
How we do product design at Intercom – Inside Intercom
Summary
In a 2014 email to Intercom’s design team, Paul Adams shares a deliberate ten-step process focusing on deep problem understanding. Designers must first read all research and customer feedback, consult the Customer Success team for clarification, and use product instrumentation to avoid assumptions about user behavior. They are instructed to generate at least three or four different solutions, research how other products solve similar problems, and iterate through feedback from multiple designers. Work proceeds systematically through four design layers: outcome, structure, interaction, and visual, with the principle of not mixing levels and always optimizing for simplicity. After shipping, designers must proactively measure success against defined metrics, talk to the Customer Success team, and learn from mistakes, as truly great designers are dogged in understanding problems even after a solution ships.
Context
Mills Baker’s post criticized design-led organizations for superficial problem-solving, a phenomenon Intercom calls ‘The Dribbblisation of Design’. Paul Adams responded by sharing the deliberate ten-step design process he emailed to his team, emphasizing deep problem understanding to create effective products.
Approach / What changed
A ten-step design process: 1) Understand the problem through research and customer feedback, 2) Define measurable outcomes, 3) Never assume user behavior—use data, 4) Research existing design patterns, 5) Evaluate unique requirements, 6) Generate at least three to four solutions, 7) Iterate through feedback from multiple designers, 8) Work systematically through four layers (outcome, structure, interaction, visual), 9) Optimize for simplicity, 10) Continue learning after shipping by measuring success.
Takeaways
Intercom’s design process starts with thorough problem understanding through research, customer feedback, and data, avoiding unverified assumptions about user behavior.
Designers generate at least three to four solutions, research existing patterns, and iterate with feedback from multiple designers, working through four design layers sequentially.
After shipping, designers measure success against defined metrics, consult the Customer Success team, and learn from mistakes to improve future work.
FAQ
How does Intercom measure design success?
Intercom defines measurable outcomes before starting design work. After shipping, designers check metrics against those definitions, look at dashboards, and talk to the Customer Success team to evaluate if the problem was solved.
What are the four layers of design at Intercom?
The four layers are outcome, structure, interaction, and visual. Designers work systematically from the conceptual outcome down to visual design, without mixing levels during reviews.
How does Intercom avoid assumptions during design?
Designers use product instrumentation to get usage data, consult the Customer Success team, and read customer feedback. They never assume feature usage; they check dashboards or ask engineers for data.
Source and freshness
- Source
- intercom.com
- Published
- Added to Yomu
Summaries are generated from the original by a language model. Check the original before relying on it.
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