Bria Alexander
DesignOps Curator
Laura Gatewood
Lead Design Program Manager, Central DesignOps, Salesforce
Corey Long
Senior Manager, Design Operations, Adobe
Daniel Orbach
Executive Director of Design, Small Business Credit Card, JP Morgan Chase
Laine Prokay
Principal Design Program Manager, Salesforce
Deanna Smith
Design Program Manager, Adobe Design
Summary
What’s the most important question regarding today’s theme of resilience that we, as a community, need to address? We’ve asked you, you’ve spoken—and now we’ll tackle it with the aid of Bria and some of today’s speakers.
Key Insights
-
•
Resilience is rooted in flexibility, both in mindset and team communication.
-
•
A culture of kindness can enhance the user experience and team dynamics.
-
•
Influence and empathy are key in implementing effective design operations.
-
•
Energy management supersedes time management for individual wellness.
-
•
Documentation of roles and processes can aid in team resilience and personal well-being.
-
•
Modeling healthy communication norms establishes healthy boundaries for teams.
-
•
Inclusive environments should cater to different work preferences and personalities.
-
•
Leveraging AI can enhance workflows but should not replace individual creativity and voice.
-
•
Encouraging feedback as data can depersonalize critiques and foster growth.
-
•
Promoting well-being among team members improves overall resilience and productivity.
Notable Quotes
"Resilience begins with a flexible mindset and communication."
"Kindness should always be the starting point for design ops teams."
"Empathy is crucial in gaining influence within design teams."
"Energy management, not time management, is essential for personal wellness."
"Feedback is data, not personal; it’s about improving processes."
"Modeling healthy work norms can create a culture of resilience."
"Facilitating conversations about needs can help maintain team balance."
"AI can serve as a teammate to improve efficiency and collaboration."
"Every team should reflect neurodiversity to support varying work styles."
"Asking for preparation time can enhance participation in discussions."
More Videos
"You are not just trusting an LLM; they are not databases, they mess up in ways databases never would."
Noz UrbinaRapid AI-powered UX (RAUX): A framework for empowering human designers
May 1, 2025
"There are guidelines that we rely on to help us stay together."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
June 4, 2019
"I want you to take a little time out of your week and say, hey, what is it like working for me?"
Holly ColeUnderstanding Experiences: When you have to do more than work
November 8, 2018
"All the rules defined for the header apply, ensuring consistency throughout our design."
Jack BeharHow to Build Prototypes that Behave like an End-Product
December 6, 2022
"Today’s theme is practical design ops, as I will talk about in just a moment."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
October 3, 2023
"We are the ground control, building our systems gradually to reach our organizational 'moon'."
Erika FlowersAI-Readiness: Preparing NASA for a Data-Driven, Agile Future
June 10, 2025
"Teachers need actionable insights, not just raw data."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"Our goal is to create a sound for you, the audience, and empathize with each other to do that."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
November 6, 2017
"We need to tap into everybody's creativity to find solutions for societal challenges."
Surya VankaUnleashing Swarm Creativity to Solve Enterprise Challenges
June 10, 2021
