Pierce the Design Fog: Develop High-Quality Products Faster Through Team Innovation

A proven framework to align teams, define clear design inputs, and accelerate product success In product development, great ideas can get lost in translation. Teams kick off with enthusiasm, but somewhere between the first design iteration meeting and the engineering handoff, misaligned assumptions lead to costly rework, stalled timelines, and products that miss the mark. In Pierce the Design Fog, quality advocate and senior engineer Dianna Deeney reveals why 85% of companies struggle to get product development right—and how to fix it. Drawing from over 25 years in manufacturing, quality engineering, and cross-functional leadership, she shares practical methods for bridging the gap between concept development and engineering-ready designs. Using her ADEPT Team Framework and Concept Space Model, Deeney provides a repeatable process to unite diverse perspectives, surface hidden requirements, and define clear design inputs focused on user experience. This hands-on playbook for managers, engineers, and product leaders uses step-by-step guidance, real-world examples, and ready-to-use templates to engage every stakeholder from the start and turn ideas into high-quality, customer-focused design inputs. You will learn how to: Identify and avoid the "Ta-da Flop" by validating concepts before engineering begins. Lead efficient, collaborative meetings that produce actionable design inputs. Translate end user needs into prioritized, measurable requirements. Apply quality engineering tools to reduce design loops and speed approvals. Foster stronger cross-functional team alignment and earlier buy-in. If you lead engineers, market products, or manage cross-functional teams, Pierce the Design Fog will change the way you start projects—with results your customers will notice.