Summary
In this talk, the speaker reviews the journey and growth of the DesignOps Summit, beginning with its inception in 2017 as a modest gathering focused on defining design operations. Over the years, the event has expanded significantly, tripling in attendance by bringing in diverse perspectives from various industries. The speaker highlights the evolution of discussions within the community, noting recurring challenges like visibility into work and proving value. Acknowledging the shift towards understanding impact rather than just efficiency, they emphasize the importance of collaboration amid ongoing challenges faced by design teams. The structure of the 2021 summit is unveiled, featuring three main themes that guide the sessions: getting started as a design operations team, practical approaches to grow design operations, and insights into the future direction of design operations. The speaker expresses gratitude towards the community for their ongoing participation and support in shaping the conversation.
Key Insights
-
•
Design operations have a long history across various industries, even if the name is relatively new.
-
•
The DesignOps Summit has grown from 200 attendees in its first year to over 600, indicating a growing interest in the field.
-
•
The evolution of the summit reflects a shift toward understanding design operations’ impact rather than just efficiency.
-
•
Collaboration challenges remain a consistent theme among design organizations.
-
•
Diverse perspectives from different roles within organizations enrich the conversation around design operations.
-
•
A thorough blind review process for speaking proposals has been integral to curating meaningful content for the summit.
-
•
The transition to virtual events has provided new opportunities for authentic discussions around pressing industry challenges.
-
•
Understanding when to push, pull, or let go is crucial in managing change within organizations.
-
•
The summit structure incorporates various themes to cater to different experience levels within the design operations community.
Notable Quotes
"This is a super exciting time in the history of what we're calling design operations."
"We're here to bring you the polished version of a conversation that's already happening in the world."
"This conference has evolved into a community of design ops curious individuals."
"We really wanted to understand the value that our teammates would find in having a role like this."
"We did research studies to understand the challenges you were having."
"There was a significant shift in terms of the scope of the role of design operations during the pandemic."
"We're building this community together, and there's an opportunity for all of us to continue to participate."
"If you’re familiar with Leah Puley’s book, the UX Team of One, much of the practical advice still holds true."
"Where do we go from here? That's where you all come in."
More Videos
"This session will teach you how to organize things to get productive with AI."
Noz UrbinaRapid AI-powered UX (RAUX): A framework for empowering human designers
May 1, 2025
"The success of the album is because of that spontaneity."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
June 4, 2019
"I am not someone who is in any way a proponent of a design challenge."
Holly ColeUnderstanding Experiences: When you have to do more than work
November 8, 2018
"We have harmony between design and development, and now a common language to align our processes."
Jack BeharHow to Build Prototypes that Behave like an End-Product
December 6, 2022
"If you have questions for the speakers, you really need to put your question in the thread specific to the talk."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
October 3, 2023
"Lean into hope; it's the only thing that drives conversations forward in AI."
Erika FlowersAI-Readiness: Preparing NASA for a Data-Driven, Agile Future
June 10, 2025
"Personalization is not just a trend; it’s a necessity."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"Without these rules and these conventions, we wouldn't have the creativity on top of it."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
November 6, 2017
"Swarm behaviors are not natural; they must be coached and reinforced."
Surya VankaUnleashing Swarm Creativity to Solve Enterprise Challenges
June 10, 2021
