In the rapidly changing digital era, a flexible design mindset is essential. Growth design is key, blending design’s appeal with business expansion tactics. Adobe’s growth designer, Purva Takkar, exemplifies the significant impact of this approach on users and businesses alike.
Purva Takkar showcases the process behind creating products that are both engaging for users and commercially successful. She has played a pivotal role in evolving Adobe Express and guiding new designers, highlighting growth design’s importance in innovation and product development.
Purva’s growth design strategy is a lesson in aligning user interests with commercial objectives while expanding the scope of design. Her story goes beyond individual or product development; it’s an insightful look at how a growth-centric design approach is setting new industry standards.
Unraveling growth design: What is it exactly?
In the ever-evolving landscape of design, there emerges a discipline that marries the intricacies of user needs with the strategic goals of businesses: growth design. As Purva Takkar elucidates, “Growth design creates meaningful experiences by beautifully balancing business goals and user needs together.” It’s not just about aesthetics or mere functionality; it’s about striking that delicate equilibrium that ensures both users and businesses find value.
“Growth design is powered by human-centered design,” Purva emphasizes. This means it isn’t a field operating in isolation but deeply roots itself in understanding the users. By leveraging in-depth user research and analytics, growth designers are empowered to optimize products through systematic experiments. This optimization isn’t merely a one-time affair but a continual process that drives higher engagement and retention. It’s this iterative nature of growth design that allows products and services to stay relevant and resonant with their audience.
However, what sets growth design apart is its pioneering spirit. “We start small and constantly push boundaries to create innovative experiences,” shares Purva. This iterative, boundary-pushing approach ensures that not only are products and services optimized, but they also continue to lead and innovate in the market.
Growth design in action
One of the most compelling aspects of growth design is its ability to transform user feedback into tangible, beneficial changes. Purva Takkar recalls a memorable project that exemplifies this very essence. “We recently launched a completely new version of Adobe Express,” she begins, emphasizing the challenges they faced with users struggling to discern the value of the premium plan. “Users needed help understanding the value of the Premium plan. We hypothesized that the frequent paywalls hindered users from experiencing the true power of Premium.”
To address this, the team at Adobe took a bold step that epitomized the core tenets of growth design. “With the new version of Express, we allowed the user to try some parts of Premium before they see a paywall,” Purva reveals. This approach, albeit risky from a business standpoint, was a game-changer. It was a conscious decision to place user experience at the forefront, even if it meant showcasing fewer paywalls. And the results? “Data showed that users who came across a paywall had higher intent to convert and stay around,” she adds with evident pride.
Purva’s tale underscores the transformative power of growth design. “This new and improved experience proved to be a win for growth design, the business, and most importantly for the user,” she concludes. By listening to users, embracing calculated risks, and prioritizing the holistic experience, growth design can manifest in impactful and innovative solutions. Purva’s experience with Adobe Express serves as a testament to that.
Adobe and growth design
When it comes to design tools, Adobe stands out as a titan in the industry, with its suite of applications shaping countless creative projects globally. Given this stature, one might wonder if such a behemoth is conducive to the nimble, evolving realm of growth design. “Absolutely!” Purva Takkar exclaims, recalling her journey at Adobe. “I was lucky that my then-professor in grad school, Verna Swehla, was an early advocate for growth design. When she hired me right out of school in 2021, the growth team was still in its early building stages.” Together, they embarked on a mission to harness Adobe’s vast resources in the service of this innovative design discipline.
With her pioneering spirit and Adobe’s immense potential, Purva played an instrumental role in the emergence and expansion of the growth team, specifically the monetization pillar within Adobe Express. “The monetization team helps the user see the full advantage of the product,” Purva notes. “Our growth team grew with pillars like engagement, retention, and acquisition, all of which together fostered the growth of Adobe Express.” This multidimensional approach wasn’t just about internal growth; it radiated outward. “Our wide success, seen via multiple successful tests in the market and learnings, has inspired other growth teams at Adobe,” she proudly shares.
Yet, for Purva and her colleagues, resting on laurels is not an option. The growth design journey at Adobe is characterized by perpetual learning and collaboration. “The growth team is ever-evolving. We are constantly learning from various innovative conferences and motivational speakers, hyper-collaborating with various departments, and documenting our ever-growing knowledge for other teams to leverage,” Purva reflects. In essence, Adobe’s commitment to growth design, as echoed in Purva’s experiences, showcases that even industry giants can be dynamic, adaptable, and ever-forward in their approach. “It couldn’t get better,” she concludes.
The interplay of growth design and human-centric principles
At the heart of modern design thinking lies the principle of putting the user at the forefront. As Purva Takkar aptly points out, “Growth design has its foundation in human-centered design.” Both paradigms are fundamentally aligned in delivering an optimal user experience, yet their approaches diverge in fascinating ways.
While human-centric design delves deep, focusing on the intricacies of specific features, growth design spreads its wings, looking for the opportune moment to showcase these features, optimize them, and ensure maximum user engagement. As Purva describes it, “While human-centered design will go deeper into a particular feature, growth design will find the right time to surface it.”
Diving deeper into the distinct roles each plays, Purva offers an illuminating analogy: “Where our core product design friends create deep value and flawless feature experiences, growth designers get the largest percentage of people to experience that value as often and as early as possible.”
It’s akin to an orchestra where different instruments play in harmony – one creating the melody and the other ensuring it reaches every corner of the concert hall. “Together we build deeply, and across,” she adds. This synergy is pivotal, for while the core design provides intrinsic value, growth design acts as the amplifier, making sure that value is accessed, appreciated, and acted upon by as many users as possible.
However, it’s not just about reach but also pace. Growth design, in its quest to swiftly understand and cater to user preferences, embraces a nimbleness that sets it apart. “Growth design makes smaller bets in the live product and uses analytics to get learnings and insights for improvements and optimizations,” Purva explains. It’s a dance of constant iteration, backed by real-time insights, all with the singular goal of enhancing user satisfaction.
Reflecting on the dynamic between the two design philosophies, Purva concludes, “Growth design also moves much faster to get a quick understanding of the user and build knowledge that benefits the whole team.”
From user feedback to execution
In the world of design, understanding user needs isn’t just about intuition; it’s an intricate tapestry woven together using both qualitative and quantitative feedback. As Purva Takkar succinctly puts it, “Data helps us identify key metrics that will indicate and showcase business wins, and research helps be the user’s voice through various studies.” This delicate balance ensures that the metrics driving business success are firmly rooted in genuine user satisfaction. But beyond traditional research avenues, innovative channels offer insights that are raw, real, and remarkably telling. “We watch our different community groups on Discord and Facebook for direct user feedback,” she shares.
However, one particular source of feedback stands out for Purva, shining a light on the most pressing pain points of users. “One of my favorite ones is reading reasons users put in while canceling a subscription,” she confesses. Such candid feedback, though sometimes hard to swallow, offers an unfiltered lens into areas needing improvement, allowing designers to address underlying issues head-on. By tapping into these moments of user frustration, growth designers have a unique opportunity to iterate and evolve, transforming potential churn into lasting loyalty.
But how does one take these insights and translate them into tangible action? Purva elucidates, “For monetization, we often look at drop-off rates, increases in trials, user engagement, and retention over a period of time.” By monitoring these metrics, growth designers can ascertain the effectiveness of their initiatives, ensuring that their strategies not only enhance business metrics but elevate the user experience as a whole.
“The more positive these business goals are, the higher the user satisfaction,” she notes. Thus, it becomes evident that the journey from feedback to fruition is one paved with data, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to user-centric innovation.
Growth design as a benchmark
Purva Takkar, an expert in the field, offers her insight into how this methodology is taking root across industries. “Growth design is an evolving field, and most companies are doing it at some level in an informal manner,” she notes. While some might perceive it as merely tweaking campaign wording or fine-tuning marketing strategies, its implications run far deeper. As Purva puts it, “As soon as the same approach reaches the live product in the market, all it takes is a product designer, engineer, and product manager to get started.” The synergy of these roles, combined with the agility of growth design principles, results in a transformative experience for brands.
But what does the embrace of growth design signal about a brand? “Any brand practicing growth design is more adaptable, open-minded, and analytical,” Purva believes. This adaptability is not just about staying ahead of trends, but it’s about genuine evolution in response to user needs and market dynamics. The beauty of growth design lies in its incremental nature, where small tweaks can lead to monumental shifts in user engagement and brand perception. These aren’t just wild swings in the dark, but calculated, data-informed decisions that continually refine the brand’s offerings.
As the landscape of technology and consumer preferences continues to evolve at breakneck speed, brands that embed growth design into their core strategies are more equipped to navigate these waters. In closing, Purva offers a piece of advice that all forward-thinking brands should heed: “Technology is moving fast, and growth design allows a brand to keep up through risk-free ways and take more confident big swings.” Indeed, in the race of brand relevance, those harnessing the power of growth design have a distinct edge.
Empowering designers
Purva Takkar shares her insights into how budding designers can transition to this dynamic field. “Most growth designers have come in from other design practices. Internally, we have many visual and product designers who have transitioned over to growth design,” Purva mentions. This flexible crossover speaks volumes about the adaptability and potential that lies within the domain of growth design.
Purva offers a structured approach for those yearning to embed growth design into their practices. “Find a product manager, engineer, and a data analyst with whom you can collaborate,” she suggests. But the heart of the strategy lies in targeting specific problem areas within a product and iterating solutions with agility. By narrowing the focus, designers can discern with clarity the underlying cause behind shifts in user behavior. “Keep the solution small too or else you won’t understand what caused the change in user behavior. Was it the visual change? Or the flow change? Or maybe it was the hierarchy shift,” she elucidates. Through iterative experimentation, even the minutest shifts can lead to profound insights.
To those on the fence or feeling daunted by the prospects of growth design, Purva’s advice is both grounded and invigorating: “Even a small win could have a beautiful cascading effect- all you have to do is get started.” Indeed, the voyage of growth design is one of continuous learning, experimentation, and evolution. And as the narrative of design continues to unfold, growth design emerges as an essential chapter, beckoning designers to partake in its dynamic tale.
Key takeaways
As we reach the end of this insightful journey with Purva Takkar, remember that growth design isn’t just a strategy, it’s a mindset geared towards innovation and responsiveness. We’ve seen its transformative power at Adobe and its potential to redefine industry standards.
Now, we turn to you.
Are you ready to weave growth design principles into the very fabric of your work? To step out of your comfort zone and into a world where design meets strategy and user needs align with business growth? It’s time to act, to learn, to experiment, and to grow.
Take the leap:
- Engage: Start by reevaluating your current projects through a growth design lens. Ask yourself the tough questions about user engagement and business impact.
- Learn: Seek out resources, attend workshops, and dive into literature on growth design. Knowledge is your most powerful tool.
- Collaborate: Connect with mentors, join forums, and brainstorm with peers. The magic happens when different perspectives collide.
- Experiment: Small changes can have big impacts. Test new ideas, collect data, and refine your approach.
- Share: Don’t keep your findings to yourself. Share your successes and your failures alike so the community grows stronger.
Join the ranks of innovators who, like Purva, are not just changing the design of products but also the product of design. Let your work today inspire the growth designs of tomorrow.
Be a part of the evolution. Share your story, join the conversation, and together, let’s push the envelope of what’s possible.
Are you with us? Let’s design the future together.
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