design operations mural - 8 mar 2017
TRANSCRIPT
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)
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
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.
ToolsSoftware, equipment,
supplies
•Interoperability of formats
•Keeping people connected
•Enabling remote experiences
•Connecting designers to stakeholders & collaborators
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.
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
@daveixd || @Des_Ops
http://medium.com/@daveixd