Rosenverse

This video is only accessible to Gold members. Log in or register for a free Gold Trial Account to watch.

Log in Register

Most conference talks are accessible to Gold members, while community videos are generally available to all logged-in members.

Handling Complexity: Framing a Scale of Design
Gold
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 • Design at Scale 2021
Share the love for this talk
Handling Complexity: Framing a Scale of Design
Speakers: Cornelius Rachieru
Link:

Summary

Designing "at scale" assumes conceptual consensus on what the particular levels of that 'scale' actually are. In the last few years, UX professionals have specialized into UX researchers, product designers, service designers design strategists, etc. Nowadays, we're also witnessing the debut of a new term: "system designers". But do we really understand how these job titles and subthemes of UX fit within that scale of complexity in design? In this presentation, we'll introduce the basic levels of a scale of design, articulate how common UX job titles fit on the scale, and map how the work we commonly tackle in both research and design should also be informed by the scale of the problem we're addressing. We're also going to critique the (somewhat misguided) ways the current world of UX is handling the widespread growth in the complexity of our work.

Key Insights

  • Design complexity is best understood as a scale with multiple layers, from foundational theory to societal impact.

  • Traditional design scale models do not fully address the granularity required by modern design challenges.

  • Lower layers of design focus on artifact creation and micro-interactions, exemplified by practitioners like Aaron Draplin.

  • Product design is discipline-led and emphasizes precise, polished deliverables, while service design is multidisciplinary and tolerates imprecision.

  • Research quality decreases substantially at higher levels of the scale due to ambiguity and systemic complexity.

  • Designers must consider secondary users and the potential harm their designs may inflict beyond primary users.

  • Service design projects often span years and require broad organizational collaboration, including policy, business, and HR perspectives.

  • Systemic and ecosystem thinking is crucial for ethical design and to avoid commoditization of design and designers.

  • Organizational adoption of ecosystem-focused roles is increasing as companies recognize the need for system-level insights.

  • Operationalizing design at scale requires awareness of these layers, multidisciplinary teamwork, and evolving research approaches.

Notable Quotes

"While the majority of design happens in the lower half of this scale, we create gaps at the higher, systemic levels that we must address."

"Design projects in product design are led by designers, but in service design they are facilitated or co-facilitated by designers among many perspectives."

"If you see a system, you cannot unsee it — systemic awareness changes how you approach design."

"On lower layers, research spaces are limited and focused, while at higher layers, problem spaces are ambiguous and require holistic approaches."

"We tend to put the end user first, but we must also ask who we might be doing harm to beyond primary users."

"In product design, we answer questions to design; in service design, we ask the right questions to design."

"Many big companies now have roles related to ecosystem design like VP or senior managers of ecosystem."

"Service design projects often last two to three years and necessitate ongoing stakeholder collaboration."

"Focusing exclusively on design systems, sprints, and agile commoditizes design and reduces it to cookie-cutter processes."

"Being aware of the systemic lens is a big first step that changes how teams operate and design."

Saara Kamppari-Miller
Theme Three Intro
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
Bria Alexander
Opening Remarks
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
Sam Proulx
To Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
Julie Baher
Culture Change—My Journey
2015 • Enterprise UX 2015
Gold
Noah Bond
Redefining truth and inclusivity: Navigating data ownership and ethical research in the age of disinformation
2025 • Advancing Research 2025
Gold
Chris Geison
Theme 1 Intro
2022 • Advancing Research 2022
Gold
David Conrad
The Feeling of Data
2023 • Enterprise Community
Sarah Fathallah
Lessening the Research Burden on Vulnerable Communities
2020 • Advancing Research 2020
Gold
Indi Young
Thinking styles: Mend hidden cracks in your market
2025 • Rosenfeld Community
Sarah Kinkade
Design Management Models in the Face of Transformation
2022 • Design at Scale 2022
Gold
Joshua Graves
We Need To Talk: Navigating Conversations with Your Boss (Part 1 of 3)
2025 • Rosenfeld Community
Husani Oakley
Bias Towards Action: Building Teams that Build Work
2018 • Enterprise Experience 2018
Gold
Louis Rosenfeld
Day 1 Welcome
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Jemma Ahmed
Collaboration: learning from other fields beyond our own [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
2024 • Advancing Research Community
Sam Proulx
To Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
2022 • Civic Design 2022
Gold
Tim Frick
The journey of building a sustainable design practice
2025 • Climate UX Interest Group

More Videos

Yoel Sumitro

"Reflection in action involves noticing surprise, questioning assumptions, experimenting, and reflecting on the move."

Yoel Sumitro

Actions and Reflections: Bridging the Skills Gap among Researchers

March 9, 2022

Zariah Cameron

"If you are silent about your pain, they will kill you and say you enjoyed it."

Zariah Cameron

ReDesigning Wellbeing for Equitable Care in the Workplace

September 23, 2024

Doug Powell

"In order to lead change, you turn change itself into the product."

Doug Powell

DesignOps and the Next Frontier: Leading Through Unpredictable Change

September 11, 2025

Darian Davis

"By observing Jeff's concerns and asking questions, I was able to show empathy and distract myself from getting defensive."

Darian Davis

Lessons from a Toxic Work Relationship

January 8, 2024

Mike Oren

"We’re not in the business to make friends, we’re in this business to help companies make better decisions—even if that means killing ideas."

Mike Oren

Why Pharmaceutical's Research Model Should Replace Design Thinking

March 28, 2023

Jacqui Frey

"It’s not about giving up power, it’s about gaining authority through partnership and trust."

Jacqui Frey

Scale is Social Work

March 19, 2020

Kim Holt

"We do this with intention of fostering a more inclusive experience for audience members who might be sight impaired."

Kim Holt Emma Wylds Pearl Koppenhaver Maisee Xiong

A Salesforce Panel Discussion on Values-Driven DesignOps

September 8, 2022

Samuel Proulx

"If we think disability as a mismatch between user and environment rather than a medical problem, it becomes easier to understand how accessibility benefits everyone."

Samuel Proulx

From Standards to Innovation: Why Inclusive Design Wins

September 10, 2025

Laine Riley Prokay

"Senior employees should hold difficult conversations questioning processes that may be harmful to others."

Laine Riley Prokay

How DesignOps can Drive Inclusive Career Ladders for All

September 30, 2021