Over the years, the company’s portfolio of marketplaces has evolved. At one point, we were providing chat services to 15+ marketplaces. To simplify our workslows, for both the marketplaces and myself 😅, I created a feature catalogue that also served as a central documentation hub for product and engineering teams.

This catalogue provided clear, structured information to help colleagues understand how our services worked and how to integrate them into their user flows. Each feature page included sections such as "How to" guides, Dos and Don’ts, FAQs, video tutorials, use cases, success and failure stories, key metrics, user research, and practical suggestions.

Additionally, each page linked directly to the relevant technical documentation, making it easy for local engineers to test, implement, and deploy features within their own environments. The feedback from teams was very positive. The catalogue improved my communication with external teams, accelerated feature adoption, and was eventually adopted as a model by other teams across the organisation.

The feature catalogue marked a turning point in my relationship with stakeholders, enabling me to quickly address common questions about our available features and services. However, a key part of that relationship also involved collaborating on new, yet-to-be-discovered use cases, helping shape future functionality based on emerging needs and opportunities. Depending on the type of request, I adapted my approach, from operational weekly syncs to ideation workshops, prioritisation sessions…

System flows blueprint. An example is the creation of a blueprint document developed with colleagues from the moderation domain. Some marketplaces required clear, visual diagrams showing how our services integrated with other internal systems or local marketplace solutions. This blueprint helped to map service flows, highlight pain points, and uncover new opportunities for optimisation.

Regular communication. Depending on priorities and demand, I sometimes needed to dedicate more time to certain stakeholders over others. To keep everyone informed, especially those we couldn’t meet regularly, we introduced a simple but effective solution: a monthly newsletter. It included product updates, useful documentation, recent user tests, and any other relevant information. While not the most original idea, it proved to be a reliable and appreciated way to maintain alignment across teams.

As a data-driven designer, metrics are always a top priority. Visualising product data helps me monitor daily usage, understand priorities, and support qualitative insights. I had the advantage of working with fantastic data engineers and analysts embedded in the team, which allowed me to collaborate closely on designing and optimising dashboards. Involving stakeholders in this process also ensured we focused on the most critical metrics for each market, enabling more informed prioritisation and decision-making.

Depending on the project, I wrote Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) either independently or in collaboration with product colleagues, as part of my design process. Early input from the engineering team was essential, not only to assess feasibility but also to ensure the successful translation of designs into real experiences by detailing user interactions, error handling, MVP definitions, and more. We used PRDs during iterative grooming sessions as a shared reference point, a kind of ‘contract’, to align on scope and agree on what would ultimately be released to production.

I see myself as a team player and over the years I’ve worked in various teams where a sense of belonging has been essential to commitment and growth. In my experience, one powerful way to foster this is by creating a clear and unique team identity, something especially important in cross-functional environments.

Investing in team identity helps establish a shared culture, build trust, align vision, encourage commitment, cool t-shirts with a team logo.... From creating a logo to setting shared goals and rituals, these efforts contribute to a sense of purpose and unity, a feeling of belonging. While we often work independently across disciplines, a strong identity reminds us that we’re part of something bigger. It also helps communicate our team’s role clearly across the organisation.