The most absent and overlooked role in the entire product delivery cycle is the functional designer. Ironically, it may have a greater impact on the success of a product than any other role. Here's why:

Functional designers are process and workflow experts, acting as user surrogates to your organization. They form the glue between product management and engineering, translating market needs and business problems into detailed user requirements that drive product usability.

If your products have a high degree of user interaction, there are three reasons the functional designer role is a must-have.