Design Operations

Dave Malouf - @daveixdMURAL Webinar - 8 Mar 2017

How do we amplify the value of design investment, and thus increase that investment further?

What Design Ops is NOT

• DevOps for DesignersBut extrapolates a lot from what DevOps is based on.

• Project ManagementThough project and team management are important pieces.

• Delivery Which is really just a subset of project management anyway, but more traditional design markets focus on delivery when using the term “operations”.

DevOpsNot Developer Operations

•Is IT operations built around the goals of continuous integration & continuous delivery (CI/CD)

•Is foundational component of digital transformation.

Lessons learned from DevOps

• Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)

• Automation / self-healingSoftware used to build, maintain, check software

• Measure as you go

• Share, Share, Share

• Cattle vs. Pets

• Culture matters: Openness, Accountability, Autonomy

Culture of Learning (at pace)

How can design be plugged into CI/CD?

What is Design Operations#DesignOps #DesOps

… the tooling, lubrication, and rails that amplify the value of a design team.

1. Set up your team for success

2. Increase the value of your organization’s investment in design

Goals of Design Operations:

What is Design Ops?

Rails are things that keep you focused and having direction: Values, principles, strategy, org structure

Lubrication are the things that keep things flowing smoothly: Human Resources, collaborative systems, and spaces.

Tooling are the things that keep work happening: format interoperability, workflows, governance

The largest obstacle to design success is the misalignment of the value proposition that design itself provides an organization.

Value …

… answers the question, “why should I come to you?”

… justifies investment through perceived return.

… suggests what should be measured to understand return on that investment.

Proposed value of design

• Driving Understanding & Empathy

• Creating Clarity & Behavioral Fit

• Exploration

• Envisioning

Tools to create that value

• Storytelling

• Visual Thinking

• Information Presentation

• Workshops

• Prototyping/Simulations

The value of design is as relevant to the organization as it is to its customers.

PrinciplesTell us good from bad.

They are not• Common sense• Your process• Latest trends

They are• Your differentiators• Brand voice• Reflective of your customer’s

special needs

Organizational Structure

“Now where should I put my design organization this

year … ok, this week.?”

•Scaling over time

•Transforming vs. building

•Cultural issues/values

If you aren’t working to get your top design leader to be a peer with both engineering and product you are doing it wrong.

Designing Your Organization

• Requires the whole team across functions.

• Based on understanding the value of design contribution to your organization.

• Guided by a “roadmap” towards a strategic vision.

• Focus on balancing required skills.

Human Resources

It’s all about the people.

•Recruitment

•Onboarding

•Career path

•Compensation

•Benefits

•Rewards & Recognition

•Development & Education

Developing your team

• Keep team’s skills balanced.

• Move from generalists to specialists as your organization scales.

• Invest in your people; they deserve it and you need it.

CollaborateOpenness, Transparency,

Instruction, and Criticism.

•The right tools to increase engagement

•The right space(s) to externalize work.

•The right mindset to contribute, critique, and instruct.

Collaboration should feel natural and fluid. If it requires effort there is room for improvement.

Collaboration is working together.Coordination is working apart and reporting back.

Credit: Layout & Structure t o Dylan Wilbanks

ToolsSoftware, equipment,

supplies

•Interoperability of formats

•Keeping people connected

•Enabling remote experiences

•Connecting designers to stakeholders & collaborators

IT & Procurement need to empower managers and individual contributors.

Your tool chest

• Collaboration• Real-time• Async• Whiteboards/

post-its• feedback/review

• Asset Management

• Testing and data collection

• Knowledge Mngt• Version control• Networked storage• Project & Resource

Management

WorkflowIntake, Collaboration, and

Delivery

•The connections and processes that move to go.

•Contributing to continuous delivery & learning.

Governance matters

• Decision making

• Autonomy

• Risk management

• Security & Privacy

Design Operations Leader

•The role needs to start immediately.

•1st by the head of design,

•Then a part-time role of a line manager.

•Finally a full-time position

The role includes

Team project mngt

Team communications

Team culture mngt

Team wide critiques

Procurement lead

Recruiting lead

Design system owner

Team IT Administration

Design Operations Lead has a systems oriented mind, experience in different design contexts, and is an influencer.

Qualifications for a Design Operations Leader

Systems: can map flows, relationships, and goals to understand complexity and communicate it clearly.

Design depth: Community depth to gain insights. Plus personal experience to extrapolate solutions.

Relationships: Needs to be able to build a wide net around themselves to align and influence.

Understanding & Alignment: facilitate differing view points to drive organizations towards action.

CulturePut a bow on it

Take the culture of learning of DevOps, and infuse it with empathy, inclusion, and vision.

Making it happen

• Boil bays > sounds > gulfs > seas > oceans

• Be sure to include and collaborate

• Drill hard into aligning value and meaning

• Measure continuously, adjust accordingly

• Imagine success and work to make it happen

“Climbing Strategy Mountain” Workshop:

Toronto - Apr 7

San Francisco - Jun 7

Dublin - Jul 4

Brighton - July 11

http://bit.ly/StratMtn

Dave Malouf

me@davemalouf.com

@daveixd || @Des_Ops

http://medium.com/@daveixd