Unifying Your Product Design Org through DesignOps

This is a talk I gave at UX Y'all 2021, where the theme was "unity."

In this talk, you’ll learn more about the emerging practice of Design Operations or “DesignOps.” We’ll discuss why product design teams need DesignOps to remain highly effective. We'll cover how DesignOps can keep your org unified, your products aligned, and your designers engaged. You'll also hear examples of how a large company leveraged DesignOps to design inclusively across all our products. We'll also show how you can approach establishing DesignOps at your org.

If you want to learn more about DesignOps, check out my DesignOps Starter Kit: https://bit.ly/design-ops-starter-kit

Transcript

1. September 24, 2021 | UX Y’all
   Unifying Your Product Design Org
   through DesignOps
   Michelle Chin
   Principal DesignOps Manager, Citrix
   @soysaucechin
   

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2. Hello!
   Citrix allows people to work from anywhere securely
   

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3. Hello!
   My path at Citrix always included DesignOps
   Designing team solutions
   at scale across our product org
   Product Designer Design Manager DesignOps Manager
   

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4. Citrix’s Product Design Org
   VP of Design
   Head of Research
   Head of Program Mgmt
   Design Management
   Designers
   Researchers
   Program Managers
   DesignOps Manager
   

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5. Unifying through DesignOps
   • What is
   DesignOps?
   • What’s its value?
   • How does it help:
   • Product
   • Process
   • People
   • What about
   starting
   DesignOps?
   

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6. What is DesignOps?
   DesignOps is an emerging practice in
   larger design organizations.
   It focuses on the coordination and
   operationalizing of people and
   processes, so the team can focus on
   doing their very best work.
   

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7. What is DesignOps?
   • DesignOps | Program management |
   Design management?
   • Some DesignOps responsibilities are
   handled by program management or
   design management
   • A separate DesignOps practice can
   alleviate the responsibilities and
   allow for more efficiency
   

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8. DesignOps is for highly-effective teams
   Citrix allows people to work from anywhere securely
   Athletes Coaches Support Techs
   

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9. DesignOps is for highly-effective teams
   Citrix allows people to work from anywhere securely
   Designers Managers DesignOps
   

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10. Why DesignOps?
    Citrix allows people to work from anywhere securely
    Product Process People
    Alignment Consistency Fairness
    

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11. DesignOps + Product
    DesignOps is product agnostic. They
    can offer an opportunity to align your
    products holistically.
    • Think of elements in your product
    that can be universally common.
    • Think of aspects of design that
    should apply across all products,
    such as accessibility and
    localization.
    

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12. Product alignment: Design system
    jUIce is our design
    system
    • Governance
    process
    • Always aiming to
    align
    • Alignment
    doesn’t have to
    happen overnight
    

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13. Product alignment: Accessibility + localization
    Citrix’s goal is to
    be the preferred
    way for 1 billion
    people to work.
    DesignOps
    created training
    and best
    practices for
    accessibility and
    localization
    

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14. DesignOps + Product
    Top tips
    • Think broadly across your product suite
    • Identify representatives from all of your
    products
    Ask yourself
    • What are the common denominators
    across all your products?
    • Who are your most collaborative
    teammates?
    

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15. DesignOps + Process
    Process is at the core of DesignOps.
    Operators love identifying and fine-
    tuning processes to help people
    • Think of processes that can scale
    across the org
    • Think of processes where teammates
    can benefit from consistency
    • Think of documenting this info so
    people have access to it whenever
    they need it
    

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16. Process consistency: adopting Figma
    We moved to
    using Figma and
    had to figure out:
    • Transitioning
    to a new tool
    • Training
    people
    • Project and file
    structure
    

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17. Process consistency: Story pointing design
    work
    Story pointing is
    a communication
    tool for us.
    We can all share
    in that same
    language.
    

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18. Process consistency: Playbooks
    We document as
    much as possible
    in playbooks
    • Easy to
    consume
    • Easy to find
    • Easy to create
    

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19. DesignOps + Process
    Top tips
    • Start small, then scale up. Try pilots
    first.
    • Document processes in a format that
    works for the content creator AND the
    team!
    Ask yourself
    • Can the team find the information they
    need on their own? Do they need to ask
    their manager, peers, etc.?
    

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20. DesignOps + People
    People are the reason DesignOps
    exists. DesignOps can unify teams both
    in craft and culture.
    • Think of learning and development
    opportunities
    • Think of moments to share and
    celebrate together
    • Think of teammate engagement and
    maintaining a sense of pride and
    belonging
    

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21. People development: Up-leveling team craft
    DesignOps can
    help level-up the
    team’s craft
    

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22. People development: Up-leveling team craft
    DesignOps can
    help level-up the
    team’s craft
    • Ensure they’re
    keeping up
    with tech &
    trends
    • Sustain quality
    work
    • Investing in
    the team
    

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23. People investment: Career ladders
    DesignOps can
    help organize
    career ladders.
    • Universal
    standards to
    ensure
    fairness
    • Guidelines that
    help level set
    expectations
    Associate
    Designer
    Product
    Designer
    Sr. Product
    Designer
    Sr. Product
    Designer 2
    Principal
    Product
    Designer
    Group
    Product
    Designer
    

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24. People engagement: Culture-building events
    We try to identify
    opportunities for
    our team to
    connect
    • Celebrations
    • Weathering
    challenges
    together
    • Office hours
    Asynchronous celebrating
    on Slack
    Working sessions
    Virtual celebrations
    Office hours
    

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25. People engagement: Working across geos
    We have offices in
    North America,
    Europe, and Asia -
    covering 6 different
    time zones.
    • Hosting events
    that
    accommodate
    time zones +
    collaboration
    • Identifying
    asynchronous
    ways to work
    

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26. DesignOps + People
    Top tips
    • Work with managers to identify something
    the entire org can learn and level up with
    their craft.
    • Unifying doesn’t need to be real-time. Think
    of asynchronous ways.
    • Ensure fairness across your org.
    Ask yourself
    • Am I really including everyone?
    • Could what I’m doing be interpreted as
    unfair?
    

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27. Formalizing DesignOps in your org
    • How to pitch
    DesignOps to
    your
    leadership
    • A few pro tips
    as you start out
    

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28. Background
    My role as a design manager
    People management
    DesignOps
    Design strategy
    Realistically
    I wanted to focus on DesignOps
    

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29. Background
    We were all struggling to get
    operational initiatives done.
    What if we took everyone’s DesignOps
    slice and gave it to one person?
    Would that allow the org to finally
    focus on some operational initiatives?
    Yes, probably!
    

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30. 1. Identify projects that will give you wins!
    • People are investing in something
    that might feel risky. Prove to them
    that this was worth the investment!
    • Think about opportunities for
    projects that you feel fairly
    confident about.
    • Measure your goals!
    

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31. 2. Over communicate - everything!
    • You’re working in somewhat uncharted
    territory - people will be just as excited
    as you!
    • People have different mental models of
    DesignOps
    • They might not fully understand what
    you’re working on or how you’d doing
    things
    • You’re kind of the DesignOps
    spokesperson - help build that trust and
    confidence
    

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32. 2. Over communicate – everything
    Top tips
    • Communicate
    as much as
    possible and in
    different
    formats
    Slack
    Email Management meetings
    Design shares
    Team meetings
    

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33. 2. Over communicate – everything
    Top tips
    • Provide
    opportunities for
    Q&A
    • Be approachable
    • Have 1-1s with
    stakeholders to
    provide that
    open line of
    communication
    Messages
    Meetings
    Office hours
    One-on-ones
    Miro boards
    

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34. 3. Create a backlog
    • People will understand DesignOps in
    their own special way.
    • “Doesn’t DesignOps include [random
    task]?”
    • “Isn’t [random task] Michelle’s
    responsibility?”
    • People will be inspired and want more!
    

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35. 3. Create a backlog
    • People will understand DesignOps in
    their own special way.
    • “Doesn’t DesignOps include [random
    task]?”
    • “Isn’t [random task] Michelle’s
    responsibility?”
    • People will be inspired and want more!
    • A backlog can help you and others pace
    and define the DesignOps practice.
    

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36. 3. Create a backlog
    Top tips
    • Create a
    shareable
    backlog
    • Periodically
    review it
    

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37. 3. Create a backlog
    Top tips
    • Create a
    shareable
    backlog
    • Periodically
    review it
    

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38. 3. Create a backlog
    Top tips
    • Lookout for
    yourself – focus
    on your goals
    for the year
    

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39. Quick recap
    Don’t forget to celebrate wins!
    DesignOps is vital to highly-effective
    product design teams
    DesignOps can help with inclusivity
    and unification when it comes to
    product, process, and people
    Think: alignment, consistency, and
    fairness
    

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40. Thanks!
    • The full DesignOps Starter Kit:
    https://bit.ly/design-ops-starter-kit
    • Please stay in touch!
    • LinkedIn: michelletchin
    • Twitter: @soysaucechin
    • UX In Real Life - a new podcast
    debuting Oct. 7th
    

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