Summary
Culture is the glue that holds everything together. When our work lives are disrupted and norms shift, your culture can be at risk. Let’s discuss the role that Design Ops plays in designing and upholding company culture. We'll look at ways to turn your beliefs into behaviors that reinforce healthy creative culture, even in uncertain times.
Key Insights
-
•
Design ops is crucial for reducing pain and increasing purpose in teams.
-
•
Effective practices enable collaboration and adaptability in remote work settings.
-
•
Process is rigid and prescriptive, whereas practice allows flexibility and creative problem-solving.
-
•
Employing practices like establishing team curfews can alleviate work stress and improve performance.
-
•
Regular well-being check-ins can effectively gauge and support team morale and workloads.
-
•
Setting core collaboration hours can facilitate non-linear work days for better work-life balance.
-
•
Prioritizing communication, particularly asynchronous forms, is vital for team cohesion in remote environments.
-
•
Encouraging mental health days promotes recovery and sustainable productivity among teams.
-
•
Creating a culture of psychological safety supports open communication and vulnerability among team members.
-
•
Focusing on the individual and team agency can lead to a more humane and inclusive work culture.
Notable Quotes
"Process is a scary word; smart people do not like to be told what to do."
"Great practices help you do more with less, go deeper, and work smarter."
"If we get it right, we’ll expand the capacity of our craft and reduce work around work."
"Developing good practices is one way that will evolve to help us work smarter and better together."
"Culture is how you act on your beliefs, and a community is a group of people who share those beliefs."
"The second there’s a misunderstanding, async communication breaks down and can undermine trust."
"Weekly well-being check-ins via Slack give signals about how people are doing."
"Establishing team curfews allows people to log off and truly rest without work expectations lingering."
"Mental health days are encouraged from the top, allowing for reflection and self-care."
"If you prioritize relationships, you create space to communicate openly and foster belonging."
















More Videos

"Design has been in the DNA of MailChimp really since day one."
Jacqui FreyFlow and Superfluidity for Design Orgs
November 7, 2018

"Human connection is a basic and evolutionary need; without it, we struggle to foster resilience."
Laura Gatewood Laine ProkayBeyond Buzzwords: Adding Heart to Effective Slack Communication
September 23, 2024

"Insights are unexpected discoveries about how things work and how to make them work better."
Johanna KollmannInsights-Driven Product Strategy: Get your Research to Count
December 6, 2022

"We will absolutely promise to let you know when these resources are available for you to enjoy."
Bria AlexanderDay 3 Welcome
September 25, 2024

"When you explore lots of different ideas, you're going to understand the context better."
Billy CarlsonIdeation tips for Product Managers
December 6, 2022

"When expectations are low for process, it’s the perfect opportunity to rifle through new approaches."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021

"Always remember the power of your values in times of doubt and change."
Kim Holt Emma Wylds Pearl Koppenhaver Maisee XiongA Salesforce Panel Discussion on Values-Driven DesignOps
September 8, 2022

"90% of everything is crud, including the people we work alongside."
Adrian HowardSturgeon’s Biases
September 25, 2024

"Good time zone everyone."
Asia HoePartnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design
November 29, 2023