Kate Syuma, Former Head of Growth Design at Miro, shares insights on designing for business impact, overcoming imposter syndrome, asking better data questions, and the importance of designing for emotion. The podcast also explores user onboarding, user activation, and the unique qualities of a growth design team. Plus, the guest discusses their departure from Miro, experiments in career and podcasting, and creating better user experiences.
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Quick takeaways
User onboarding is a continuous journey that requires constant attention and improvement, not just a one-time checklist.
Embracing a growth mindset, being open to feedback, and continuously improving can help navigate steep learning curves and build trust within a team.
Deep dives
User Onboarding as a Continuous Journey
User onboarding is not just a one-time tutorial or sign-up flow, but a continuous journey inside the product. Many companies make the mistake of treating it as a checklist, rather than guiding users through the necessary steps within the product. For complex B2B products, the activation process can take weeks. It is crucial to understand that user onboarding is a sequential experience that requires constant attention and improvement.
The Importance of Feedback and Learning in Early Months
In her early months at Miro, Kate Siyoma faced the challenge of transitioning from the agency world to a SaaS startup. She emphasized the importance of honest communication with her manager, highlighting her willingness to learn and receive feedback. This openness and vulnerability allowed her to navigate the steep learning curve and build trust within the team. Kate also mentions the value of reading books like 'Mindset' and embracing a growth mindset, which encouraged her to say 'yes' to more opportunities and continuously improve.
Building Business Context and Gaining Confidence
Kate shares her experience of attending leadership meetings at Real-Time Board, where designers and engineers were invited to align on strategy and gain visibility into the bigger picture of the company. Sitting in these meetings, taking notes, and asking questions helped Kate build her business context and contributed to her growth as a designer. Over time, she gained confidence in sharing her ideas and insights, understanding the importance of having a point of view and aligning it with the business goals.
Transitioning into a Management Track and Embracing Growth Design
After working as the lead product designer in the growth team at Miro, Kate transitioned into a management role. She explains that growth design differs from traditional product design in that it focuses on optimizing for learnings and experiments rather than just experiences. Growth teams are concerned with flows rather than individual features, and they constantly iterate and experiment to improve key metrics. Kate's transition into a growth design manager allowed her to combine her interests in psychology, user research, and business acumen to create more impactful experiences.
Kate Syuma was the 3rd designer at Miro and went on to become the Head of Growth Design during her 6+ years at the company. This episode is a masterclass in designing for business impact. We discuss:
- Her process for identifying the aha moment in your product
- How Kate overcame imposter syndrome in her first year
- Ways designers can ask better data questions
- Insights from researching onboarding at 80+ companies
- The importance of designing for emotion vs. solving problems