Summary
For many in Design and UX, news that your company or organization is adopting the Scaled Agile Framework can feel like the beginning of the end for fully integrating design and design teams in the software development lifecycle. But it doesn’t have to be this way. I will talk about how Design and Business Agility built a deep and cross-functional partnership at USAA to bake a human-centered approach into the Scaled Agile layer cake resulting in: SAFe Coaches who advocate for design, a Lean Business Case that uncouples business and user outcomes, and a shared definition of value that aligns whole teams on the best outcomes.
Key Insights
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Change is a constant in design, leading to multiple layers of transformation within large organizations.
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Empathy is crucial; understanding the emotional impact of change on employees is key to successful adaptation.
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Design should not be seen as merely a finishing touch, but a fundamental ingredient in project development.
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Navigating frameworks like Scaled Agile requires a tailored approach that acknowledges the unique challenges of the organization.
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Collaboration across disciplines is necessary for effective problem-solving and innovation, breaking down silos in the workplace.
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Using design thinking can enhance the quality and speed of decision-making within Agile frameworks.
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Cultural movements within organizations can help overcome resistance to change, leveraging champions and success stories to motivate others.
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Creating engaging and relatable materials can foster a sense of belonging and drive participation in design initiatives.
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Adapting processes to include human-centered design is vital for organizational success in a regulated environment.
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Experiences fostering collaboration and design thinking can create a natural, empowering work culture.
Notable Quotes
"I’m here to talk about my feelings or how I went from angry to optimistic about this change."
"Change is a movement, it's cultural, it's political."
"Empathy applies to us too, to dig in, to understand people and what they think, feel, and do around a particular change."
"We realized it probably wasn't going to work for us to take SAFE off the shelf and stamp it onto our company."
"Design brings lots of value, especially at the portfolio and program layers."
"We made propaganda to position design practice as something that’s desirable and inevitable."
"It's up to us to articulate all of this change as one change."
"The change can take on a life of its own beyond one person or our eight-person team."
"We created materials that remind people how to do human-centered design well, embedding it into their everyday tasks."
"For the first time in my career, I'm sitting here thinking, this feels natural, this is how I want to work. "
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