Opening Remarks
Summary
Day two of Design Ops 2023 kicks off with a focus on practical design operations. The host welcomes attendees on behalf of Rosenfeld Media and recaps day one’s theme about the evolving nature of design ops. She explains the conference structure, including sessions sponsored by companies like Fable, Balsamiq, and Laina, which offer valuable content without sales pitches and do not overlap with main programming. Attendees are encouraged to engage via Slack channels like DOS 23 general and sponsor-specific channels, with clear instructions on how to ask speaker questions in dedicated threads. The conference team offers prompt support for technical issues and community management. Resources such as session decks, videos, and notes curated by David Nicholson, a senior UX designer and volunteer search and rescue team member, are made accessible soon after sessions to allow participants to stay present during talks. The host also reminds attendees of the community code of conduct, emphasizing kindness and respect in the virtual space and encouraging participants to report any discomfort or misconduct. Social events, such as the community mixer moderated by Lou, further support peer connection in this increasingly complex field.
Key Insights
-
•
Design Ops 2023 is structured around themes spanning three days, with day two focused on practical design operations.
-
•
Sponsor sessions are high-quality, fully optional, run on Zoom, and do not overlap with the main program.
-
•
Slack is a critical communication hub for attendee engagement, including sessions, Q&A, and community support.
-
•
To ensure speaker questions are noticed, attendees must post questions in talk-specific pinned threads on Slack.
-
•
Resources like video recordings, slide decks, and session notes are posted on the conference website shortly after sessions.
-
•
David Nicholson serves as the conference’s dedicated scribe, helping attendees avoid note-taking pressure.
-
•
Sponsors support the conference with both financial investment and by offering benefits like free software trials.
-
•
Social events such as the Design Ops community mixer foster real-time peer connection and venting opportunities.
-
•
The conference enforces a code of conduct to maintain kindness, respect, and positive virtual community vibes.
-
•
There are multiple support channels for any conference-related technical or community issues, ensuring smooth attendee experience.
Notable Quotes
"A little color purple to start the day. Good morning."
"Sponsor sessions do not overlap at all with the main programming. It is 100% fully optional."
"If you have any questions for the speakers, you really need to put your question in the thread specific to the talk."
"You don’t have to take notes; session videos and decks will be shared as soon as possible."
"David Nicholson is the reason why you don’t have to write very fast."
"Sponsors bring so much color and so much light into the community."
"Slack is a huge part of how we are going to be engaging in today’s conference."
"The code of conduct is on every page of our site; it includes procedures for getting assistance."
"If you feel uncomfortable or bullied, please let us know because it’s very important to keep the vibes positive."
"You can also reach us quickly by going to help-desk-customer-service for any tech or support issues."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"There was a lot of communication needed around roles, especially since our software developer was external and not always involved in day-to-day decisions."
Dr Chloe SharpUsing Evidence and Collaboration for Setting and Defending Priorities
November 29, 2023
"I was talking with a person who said I’m like an idea machine, a 24-7 idea machine. The reply was immediate. It isn’t, you get used up and spat out."
Dr. Karl JeffriesThe Science of Creativity for DesignOps
January 8, 2024
"I found myself sitting in the street as the traffic light turned green, blocked by a non sentient being incapable of understanding the consequences of its actions."
Amber KnablEmpowering innovation: The critical role of inclusive product development in the AI era
June 4, 2024
"Just because they have a different opinion doesn’t mean they’re bad people."
Dorelle RabinowitzThe Magic Word is Trust
June 15, 2018
"No matter how good I am at my job, it doesn’t make me a good parent. What makes a good parent is time, love, compassion, and a sense of humor."
Dan WillisEnterprise Storytelling Sessions
June 3, 2019
"Those first hires establish the tone of the entire design ops discipline moving forward."
Courtney KaplanTaking it to the next level: Career paths in DesignOps
November 8, 2018
"The real shift wasn’t speed, it was also trust."
Bethany BrownRewiring operations with service design and AI
November 20, 2025
"AI tells you what you want to hear, which is dangerous if you’re making product decisions based on synthetic feedback."
Laura KleinHuman vs. machine: Testing AI’s ability to synthesize and analyze research
March 11, 2026
"Many of ChatGPT's organizing themes are at the same level as the basic themes, which is confusing and inappropriate."
Weidan LiQualitative synthesis with ChatGPT: Better or worse than human intelligence?
June 4, 2024
