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Hey, it’s Kushagra. Welcome to this week’s AtlasMoth drop.

Design vs Dev? Nah, at Spotify, it’s Design Plus Dev. Squads there don’t just build

products, the vibe. This week, we’re diving into how Spotify cracked the code on tight

team flow no silos, no shade, just smooth sync from sketch to ship. From feel-it phases

to code-it clicks, they dance through product moves like pros. Let’s break down how the best tech teams stop handing things off and start building together.

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Design x Dev = Pure Vibes at Spotify

There’s real power in squads where all the minds mix; that’s just how they roll at Spotify.

In this post, they zoom in on one key duo: design + code.

It all kicked off with one big Q: “What does a great collab between design and eng look like?”

So, the crew went deep. Talked to folks across the board, devs, designers, and the whole squad.

They shared the good, the rough, and the hacks they used to keep the flow strong.

Turns out? When the design and code vibe right, the product sings.

How Product Teams Roll at Spotify

At Spotify, teams follow a 5-step flow to stay in sync and ship fast.

They call it “The Scale,” a fresh spin on the old-school design thinking playbook.

It helps all the squads from code to design stay tight, build smart, and move quickly

The Scale: 5 Steps, 1 Goal - Build Cool Stuff That Works

At Spotify, teams roll through 5 key moves to ship things that hit:

1️⃣ Feel It – Find what users need, want, or what’s just not vibing.
2️⃣ Think It – Toss out wild ideas, sketch, and dream big.
3️⃣ Build It – Time to make it real. Code. Design. Go.
4️⃣ Ship It – Drop it fast, keep it light. Learn what slaps and what flops.
5️⃣ Tweak It – Take what worked, fix what flopped. Glow-up mode on.

Now here’s the key: all roles design, code, and product stay in the mix the whole way.
But the weight shifts. Like a vibe switch, not a baton pass.

• Design + Insights lead early, they get in deep with the user feels, guide jams, and explore the wild paths.

• Product + Eng jump in to check if it makes sense - is it doable? Is it smart for the biz?

Once the squad picks a path and designs maps, the flow
Eng takes the wheel to build it right.

But it’s not a handoff, it’s a sync.
Think of it like: when one leads, the other’s shotgun still co-pilots, vibing.

This isn’t a one-and-done loop either.
It’s a dance.

Design and Engineering swap steps, shift weight, flex skills, always in flow.
That rhythm?
That back-and-forth?
That’s the DNE Design Engineering, the soul of any fire tech team.

How to Do Design & Engineering Dance Without Tripping?

The big Q: How do we marry design and code without stepping on toes?

At Spotify, the team asked just that. They hit up folks across the floor, designers and devs, to hear what works, what wobbles, and how the two can move in sync.

First off? They vibe.

Designers love when engineers jump into jams, throw out bold ideas, and co-build early on. Eng brings fresh eyes and sees things through the lens of “how it could work.” And when is it time to ship?

Devs feel it too.

They’re down for the wild ideation vibes, but they also trust design to hold it down for the users. The design keeps the map clear when product choices get messy. And devs say it’s dope to have a creative partner who brings both flow and focus.

When is it good? It’s really good.
Like dream-team-level good.

But just like in any tight duo, the vibes don’t always hit.

Even great partners clash. That’s part of the ride.

Spotify dug into some real team stories to learn what smooths the bumps and keeps the dance going strong.

Designers x Devs: 4 Things That Kill the Vibe

Even the best duos hit bumps. Here are the top four things that can throw off the dance between design and engineering:

1️⃣ No Collab = No Flow

Devs said it loud: working in silos sucks.
When design and engineering aren’t talking, jamming, or checking in stuff breaks.

One dev put it like this:

It feels like two teams building two different products. We need to be in the same room, not just handoffs through files.”

No one wins when teams work in a vacuum.
The vibe only hits when both sides show up together.

Another engineer also told us:

Now devs don’t wait on mocks, they’re in the flow early.

With Figma, they peek at notes, test modes, swap sizes, and feel how stuff acts for real.

No more “send me 10 screens” just to guess how it’ll move in a browser.

They get it. They built it. They vibe with design, as one crew.

Why Do Silos Even Happen?

Well, part of it’s the setup.

A lot of Spotify’s design crew runs on an agency model, meaning they juggle multiple teams, and multiple timelines, and jump in at different points in the build. So they’re not always locked in full-time with one squad.

Even when designers are embedded with one team, they might be riding a different stream than the devs. Everyone’s trying to move fast and stay lean but that can lead to solo-mode work and the dreaded silo life.

2️⃣ Talk Trouble = Team Trouble

Let’s be real: Bad comms ruin everything.

Designers and devs told us the same thing: language gets messy.

The design has its lingo. Eng has its jargon. And when folks toss around terms without syncing up? Confusion creeps in. Misreads happen. Stuff slips.

And when they’re on different tracks or streams? They talk less. Ping less. Drift more.
Next thing you know, the vibe’s off and things don’t ship clean.

One dev broke it down like this:

Also, unclear lingo might become a blocker:

Why This Goes Down

It starts to chill.

No one wants to bug the next. So, folks stay in their zone.
But that space? It grows.

Now add this: Design and dev don’t move the same.

One’s all feel, the other’s all ship.
If they don’t chat, they both move, just not with each other.

And soon, no one knew what the plan was.

3️⃣ Blocked Feels

When teams work closely, they can still feel stuck.

Yup, collab’s great… till one side slows the other.

One dev put it like this: “We had to wait for the design to wrap. We were ready to build but had no clue what it should look like.”

It’s not shade, it’s just real.

One team’s pause can freeze the other.
And when that wait drags on? The whole squad feels it.

On the other hand, a designer said:

Why This Goes Down

It comes down to how each crew thinks.

Both want to fix the thing. Both want to ship.
But they don’t move the same.

Design says: “Let’s try, test, tweak, then pick what wins.”
Dev says: “Let’s go! Just give us the plan so we can build.”

So when designs are still in what-if mode, devs feel stuck in wait mode.

One designer said it best:
“We’re still in sketch + think phase, and they’re like ‘where’s the thing we build?’”

It’s not shade. It’s just pace.
But when does it go off? The vibe stalls.

4️⃣ What’s Must-Have vs. Just Vibe

Design says, “We need this to make it feel smooth.”
Dev says, “Do we tho? Can we ship it without that?”

One side sees craft. The other sees scope.
And boom, now it’s a clash.

They both care. A lot. But what feels key to one might feel extra to the other.

It’s not beef, it’s just different brains, both tryna build the best thing.

Why This Goes Down

It’s all love, just different views.

Design wants the thing to feel right. If the UX isn’t smooth, folks won’t use it. No users = no way to test if it’s a hit.

Dev wants to ship. Get it out. Let folks use it now.

So yeah, one side says “Let’s bake it more,” the other’s like “Let’s serve it hot.”

But real talk? That push + pull can be a win if they keep it chill.

When both sides hear each other out, it lands right in the sweet spot, smooth and shipped.

So... How Do We Make It Work?

1️⃣ Stick Close, Work Tight

Most mess-ups? Fixed by just talking more.

When all sides design, dev, and PMs stay tight from the jump, stuff flows way smoother.

Folks at Spotify said this non-stop: The best teams? They jam together from day one.

No lone wolves. No last-min syncs. Just one crew, one goal, one vibe.

Moves That Keep the Bond Strong

Set the vibe with a weekly jam
Host a chill sync or crit once a week. Talk UX, swap takes plan next steps. Keep it real, not stiff.

Show up for each other
Drop in each other’s standups, demos, docs, and Slack chats.

Build side-by-side
Grab a seat next to each other. Devs love live notes from design. Designers love to watch code turn into reality. It's low-key magic.

Spin up a joint Slack
One squad, one chat. Drop updates, memes, links, weird bugs, all of it. Keep the line warm.

No handoffs. Shift the weight.
Start together. Bring both sides in from the jump. Pass the mic, not the full deck.

2️⃣ Know Each Other’s World

Here’s the deal:
Design wants devs to get their vibe.
Dev wants the design to see their grind.

Both sides wish the other knew a bit more about what they do, how they work, and why it matters.

It’s not “stay in your lane,” it’s “yo, peek in mine too.”
When you know how the other side thinks, you build way better, way faster.

An engineer mentioned:

Learn Their World, Build That Bond 

When you get how the other side works, the whole thing flows.
More vibes, less guesswork.
More real talk, less “wait, what?”

It makes your notes hit harder, too.

Do This:

Kick-off with a “how we roll” sesh
At the start, hold a chill jam to share how each crew works and what they need. No guesswork, just facts.

Don’t fake it, teach it
Don’t think they know your way. Show 'em!
Break down how you work, and how they can plug in, and drop some lingo while you're at it.

3️⃣ Be Chill, Not Cold

Yeah, wait time sucks.
You’re hyped to build but stuck in hold.
That’s real.

But you… Don’t shade the crew.
They’re not slow. They care. Just like you.

One dev said it best:

It kind of beats tense.
Patience > blame.
Keep the bond tight. 🤝

Keep It Kind. Always

When work gets tense or the wait feels long, don’t snap.
Every role brings some fire to the team.

Kind vibes = smooth rides.

Do This:

Know your crew
Book a 1:1 with your core folks.
Talk shop and chill stuff.
A tight bond helps when stress hits hard.

Snälltolka but make it global
Yeah, it’s a Swedish word (shoutout Spotify 🇸🇪), but it slaps: “See their move as their best shot not shade.”

When in doubt, zoom out.
They’re prob tryna to help, not hurt.

TL;DR: Be Tight, Ship Right

So, what’s the tea on design x dev?

Fights pop up when:
Teams work solo
The talk is low
Folks feel blocked
No one gets how the other works

But here’s the fix:
- Talk more
- Learn each other’s flow
- Be nice
- Be buds

'Cause let’s be real, the best teams don’t just build.
They vibe.

And yeah friends > silos. Always.