All developers are cats. All designers are cats.
And how me and my team avoid cat fights at work.

In the first week of March, my team—Laura Gonçalves, Michael Herzner, and I—had the pleasure of hosting the latest TypeScript meetup. The focus this time? User Experience.
Despite the meetup group’s main purpose of sharing tech insights for front-end programmers, we had managed to convince the meetup organizers to center the talks on the intersection of design and code, and how collaboration helps deliver the best product for our users.

In my humble opinion, the event was a great success! Around 50 people joined us at the Freeletics office for an evening of networking, interesting discussions, silly ice breakers, and, the key to all meetups, pizza.

Now, I want to focus on the talk we gave: a quick guide on how to improve collaboration between designers and developers. Let's dive into Laura's tips from her hands-on experience.

Preparation

The whole event started when I approached Laura and Michael at the office, wondering if there was a way we could host an event to help us network.

Michael had an idea instantly—the TypeScript meetup. Even though it wasn’t an obvious fit for us on the creative side, we could propose a joint event that connected designers and developers. We work together on the same projects and achieve great results, so why not share our experience with other interdisciplinary teams? After a few messages and a solid pitch to the TypeScript organizers, the event was set.

In the weeks leading up to the meetup, we divided tasks and organized logistics. Michael focused on communications with our external collaborators, while Laura managed to convince me not to cook for 50+ people (thank you, Laura, and thank you, Domino’s Pizza, for saving my hands). Meanwhile, Laura and I worked on the presentation together.

A few days before the event, Laura shared some of her ideas on what we could discuss. From there, I turned her expert tips into 5 easy steps that both designers and developers can follow to improve collaboration and communication.

The acronym? Super easy to remember: UICOF.

**UICOF**: Understanding, Involving, Compromising, Optimizing, Focusing

1. Understanding Each Other

Designers and developers are like cats: they fight when they don’t understand each other.

You don’t have to become a seasoned artist overnight or magically learn how to code, but you do need to respect each other’s work.

So, how can you build this understanding?

Share your processes
Set reasonable timelines
Define difficulty
Elaborate on complexities

Try keeping these points in mind when you communicate feedback. They will help you craft an explanation of why we might need to choose a different approach to meet the sprint’s goals. Need an example? Check below!

2. Involving Each Other Early

When should you share your design with your team?
a) Never? b) Pre-sketch? c) During work? d) When final?

All of these (except maybe never) can be correct. Laura’s advice? Involve developers as early as possible. At work, we have a meeting called Muchos Amigos (many friends—yes, we’re allowing Spanish borrowing this time). It’s a pre-refinement session where designers show WIP for the next initiative.

Developers contribute by:

Providing early feedback
Checking feasibility
Mapping corner cases
Sharing inspiration and ideas

When to share depends on the project’s complexity. A small layout change might not need backend input, but a bigger initiative that requires brainstorming definitely benefits from more voices.

Laura explains how all developers are cats and all designers are cats

3. Compromising on Design & Code

Let’s cut to the chase. The truth is pixel-perfect is a waste of everyone’s time.
A screen doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be good. Here is Laura’s quick Design QA checklist to make sure you are expediting your process:

Are all use cases covered?
Does the user have enough information & feedback?
Does it work across browsers & screen sizes?
Does it stay on brand?
If implemented differently, is it too ugly?

4. Optimizing for Each Other’s Work

Constant communication is key. Knowing when and how makes all the difference.
Designers should remember: Developers are your first users. If they don’t understand your design, no one will. Ask your team how they prefer handoff as it speeds up the process and makes them feel heard. You can use ceremonies as user research. Keep in mind how developers interact with your design and ask if there are any pain points in your workflow. Every interaction is an opportunity to refine and improve.

Laura also has work for developers. They should:

Understand the design workflow: know when to give feedback so it’s not too late.
Communicate when things break: fixing issues earlier is always better.
Make suggestions: a good idea is wasted if it’s too late in the sprint.
Iterate quickly: a working prototype helps everyone align and refine faster.

5. Focusing on the Final User

This is your north star.
It doesn’t matter if you love the design or think the code could be flashier. What matters is that the final user understands it and has a pleasant experience. Always design and build for them.

You don’t have to ‘understand’ each other’s magic but you have to respect it.

The meetup was a success because everything was set up to give us the best possible odds of making it happen. We received great advice from a colleague on how to best use our space for meetups, prepared logistics well in advance, and coordinated with our office team to ensure everything was in top shape. We kept our planning simple, organizing to-do lists around one key question: What will people do when they arrive?
And throughout the process, we communicated often to keep everything running smoothly.

During the event, our colleagues went above and beyond—from handling small last-minute errands to staying late to help us clean up. A meetup is made for the attendees, but it’s also made by the team that works behind the scenes to bring it to life.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, listened to our talk, and helped make the night a success. You all have a special place in my heart.

Shoutout again to Laura Gonçalves and Michael Herzner! Thank you for everything. 💕

That’s Enough About Me!

What do you think? What should I focus on next?

Do you want to know my tips for making amazing slides? Or perhaps a quick guide on how to give the best presentations? Maybe even a breakdown of the meetup preparation checklist?

Let me know! Write a comment below or shoot me an email! 😊
📩 sifuentesanita@gmail.com

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