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Design System Culture (Smashing Meets, 2022)

Ben Callahan
November 15, 2022

Design System Culture (Smashing Meets, 2022)

The culture around your design system is greatly impacted by the culture of your organization. In this presentation, Ben shares how this understanding can impact the way you approach creating a sustainable systematic design practice. He examines the various types of organizational cultures and considers how they work together (and how they don't).

The hardest work we have to do is the cultural work. This presentation will help you face that challenge head-on and shape your approach, making your work more sustainable and enjoyable.

Topics covered:
- What is organizational culture?
- How to establish culture
- How subcultures are impacted by overall org culture
- Primary types of design system subcultures
- How to adjust your approach for a sustainable system

Ben Callahan

November 15, 2022
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Transcript

  1. Ben Callahan
    Design System


    Culture
    @bencallahan

    View Slide

  2. a quick story…
    Last year, my company, Sparkbox, spent the majority of the year consulting with a large
    fi
    nancial services company.


    They are a very competitive organization, with lots of ideas for new products. But they really were struggling to move
    as quickly as they wanted on those new ideas.


    So, they hired us to help them build a new product and along with that product, a design system. I think their hope
    was that we could then use the design system to increase the ef
    fi
    ciency of their internal teams as they rolled out more
    products in the future.


    So we jumped in alongside their teams and got to work.


    Now, I wish I could sit here and tell you about how amazing this engagement was.


    But I’ll be very honest, it was a real struggle.


    It was so dif
    fi
    cult, that, at the end of last year, we made the tough decision to walk away from this customer. And the
    reason that we did so was…

    View Slide

  3. Cultural
    incompatibility.

    View Slide

  4. @bencallahan (on Twitter)


    https:/
    /bit.ly/connect-with-ben


    https:/
    /sparkbox.com
    Let’s connect!

    View Slide

  5. Basic Underlying Assumptions
    Espoused Beliefs
    Artifacts
    Organizational Culture is


    made up of three layers

    View Slide

  6. Basic Underlying Assumptions
    Espoused Beliefs
    Artifacts
    Organizational Culture is


    made up of three layers
    What you see
    What people say
    What people believe
    http://www.scheinocli.org/

    View Slide

  7. Basic Underlying Assumptions
    Espoused Beliefs
    Artifacts
    Organizational Culture is


    made up of three layers
    What you see
    What people say
    What people believe
    Experience
    http://www.scheinocli.org/

    View Slide

  8. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible

    View Slide

  9. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf
    Flexible
    External
    Internal

    View Slide

  10. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf

    View Slide

  11. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Compete

    Market Culture

    “Do things fast”
    Create

    Adhocracy Culture

    “Do things
    fi
    rst”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf

    View Slide

  12. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Compete

    Market Culture

    “Do things fast”
    Create

    Adhocracy Culture

    “Do things
    fi
    rst”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf
    “People
    fi
    rst” “Disrupt everything”
    “Beat the competition”
    “Avoid risk”

    View Slide

  13. Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    “I believe the scope of my work cannot be
    accomplished in any way other than to partner
    with teams who have caught the vision”
    Design system subcultures are most often
    Collaborative or Controlling

    View Slide

  14. Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    “I believe the scope of my work cannot be
    accomplished in any way other than to partner
    with teams who have caught the vision”
    “My product teams haven’t created consistency,
    so I’m here to make sure they do going forward”
    Design system subcultures are most often
    Collaborative or Controlling

    View Slide

  15. Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    The spectrum from collaborative to controlling
    helps us identify healthy and unhealthy behaviors
    Unhealthy
    Collaboration
    Unhealthy

    Control

    View Slide

  16. The spectrum from collaborative to controlling
    helps us identify healthy and unhealthy behaviors
    Primarily based on

    subscriber needs


    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Unhealthy
    Collaboration
    Unhealthy

    Control
    Primarily based on

    organization needs


    Tries to prioritize

    everyone’s needs

    (serves no-one well)
    Ignores input

    from subscribers

    (serves no-one well)
    Prioritization

    View Slide

  17. The spectrum from collaborative to controlling
    helps us identify healthy and unhealthy behaviors
    Primarily driven

    by relationship


    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Unhealthy
    Collaboration
    Unhealthy

    Control
    Primarily driven

    by incentive


    Unsustainable

    over-support through
    the adoption process
    Unsustainable

    non-support through
    the adoption process
    Adoption

    View Slide

  18. The spectrum from collaborative to controlling
    helps us identify healthy and unhealthy behaviors
    Intentionally
    fl
    exible
    (extension of the system

    is encouraged)
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Unhealthy
    Collaboration
    Unhealthy

    Control
    Necessarily restrictive
    (extension of the system

    is discouraged)


    Extreme
    fl
    exibility
    (extension of the
    system is overused)
    Extreme restriction
    (extension of the
    system is forbidden)
    Extension

    View Slide

  19. The spectrum from collaborative to controlling
    helps us identify healthy and unhealthy behaviors
    System primarily

    adapts to the work
    fl
    ows

    of the subscribers
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Unhealthy
    Collaboration
    Unhealthy

    Control
    Subscribers primarily

    adapt to the approach

    of the system
    Extreme accommodation
    for subscriber work
    fl
    ows
    (decision paralysis)
    Lack of accommodation
    for subscriber work
    fl
    ows
    (regular rework)
    Change Management

    View Slide

  20. Healthy and unhealthy cultural characteristics
    HEALTHY RANGE
    Collaborative Controlling
    Prioritization
    Driven by subscriber needs Driven by organizations needs
    Tries to serve everyone perfectly,

    serving nobody well
    Ignores subscriber input,

    serving nobody well
    Change Management
    System adapts to the

    work
    fl
    ows of the subscribers
    Subscribers adapt to the

    approach of the system
    Extreme accommodation for subscriber

    work
    fl
    ows resulting in decision paralysis
    Lack of accommodation for subscriber
    work
    fl
    ows resulting in rework
    Extension
    Intentionally
    fl
    exible,

    extension is encouraged
    Necessarily restrictive,

    extension is discouraged
    Extension is overused Extension is forbidden
    Adoption
    Driven by relationship Driven by incentive
    Unsustainable over-support,

    burning out system team
    Unsustainable lack of support,

    frustrating subscriber teams

    View Slide

  21. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Compete

    Market Culture

    “Do things fast”
    Create

    Adhocracy Culture

    “Do things
    fi
    rst”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf

    View Slide

  22. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Compete

    Market Culture

    “Do things fast”
    Create

    Adhocracy Culture

    “Do things
    fi
    rst”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf

    View Slide

  23. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Compete

    Market Culture

    “Do things fast”
    Create

    Adhocracy Culture

    “Do things
    fi
    rst”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf

    View Slide

  24. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Compete

    Market Culture

    “Do things fast”
    Create

    Adhocracy Culture

    “Do things
    fi
    rst”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf

    View Slide

  25. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Compete

    Market Culture

    “Do things fast”
    Create

    Adhocracy Culture

    “Do things
    fi
    rst”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf

    View Slide

  26. There are four primary types of Organizational
    Culture in the competing values framework
    Focused
    Flexible
    External
    Internal
    Collaborate

    Clan Culture

    “Do things together”
    Control

    Hierarchy Culture

    “Do things right”
    Compete

    Market Culture

    “Do things fast”
    Create

    Adhocracy Culture

    “Do things
    fi
    rst”
    https://www.thercfgroup.com/
    fi
    les/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf

    View Slide

  27. Can the design system
    subculture change the

    culture of the organization?

    View Slide

  28. Basic Underlying Assumptions
    Espoused Beliefs
    Artifacts
    Organizational Culture is


    made up of three layers
    What you see
    What people say
    What people believe
    Experience
    Create
    http://www.scheinocli.org/

    View Slide

  29. Your design system won’t
    make your products more
    consistent.

    View Slide

  30. People will make

    what they want to make.

    View Slide

  31. People will make

    what they want to make.

    View Slide

  32. People will make

    what they want to make.
    Your job is to change

    View Slide

  33. @bencallahan (on Twitter)


    https:/
    /sparkbox.com


    https:/
    /bit.ly/connect-with-ben
    Thank you

    View Slide

  34. View Slide