Summary
In this engaging introduction, the rookie curator from the Roosevelt team warmly welcomes attendees to day two of a design ops conference, emphasizing that no day should be declared best, promoting a culture of appreciation over comparison. As Bria noted, the day centers on design ops at scale, reflecting how the community’s design ops maturity has significantly grown since 2019, with many now having established teams. The curator shares insights from community surveys on key topics like staffing models, metrics, and career ladders, promising honest, vulnerable stories from speakers who will expose their failures and successes alike. Christopher Valerie and Brianna & Christina will unpack role definitions and improving team rituals, Lane will discuss inclusive career ladders, Christian Tiger will dive deep into design ops metrics, and Tony will reveal strategies for knowledge repositories and tagging schemes. The day also includes a session by Susan Sogato on culture’s role in design ops, drawing from her experience in high-profile restaurants. The curator encourages attendees to ask kind, tactical questions and celebrate vulnerability to foster a craft-focused community. The goal is to deliver real-world, practical wisdom where design ops truly meets the organizational ‘rubber’ to drive impact.
Key Insights
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Design ops teams have matured significantly since 2019, with most organizations now having established practices.
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Open vulnerability about failures and struggles is crucial for genuine learning in design ops communities.
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Staffing models in design ops vary widely, including agency models, dedicated staffing, and hybrids.
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Defining clear roles between designers and developers can avoid typical organizational conflicts.
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Career ladders focused on inclusivity can help mature the design ops function and empower team members.
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Design ops metrics are becoming detailed and granular, down to individual roles and spreadsheets.
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Knowledge repositories with thoughtful tagging schemes enhance design ops insights and efficiency.
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Culture is a key driver of user and customer success and an essential part of design ops operations.
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Community engagement and peer sharing enable collective growth and craft mastery in design ops.
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Practical, tactical questions during talks promote a deeper understanding and actionable takeaways.
Notable Quotes
"No one should compare days. That would just be something a pompous narcissist would do."
"Day two is all about design ops at scale, the maturing and evolution of design ops teams."
"In 2019 and 2020, established design ops teams were incredibly rare; now they’re the number one response."
"I want to know about bruises, lessons learned, not just best practices."
"We’re building a community of craft right now, and craft relies on honesty and vulnerability."
"This is all wheat, no shafts, lessons drenched in hard work and real experience."
"Christopher Valerie will share how a designer and developer can collide without the typical matter-antimatter explosion."
"Susan Sogato will talk about culture as a key driver of customer success and its operational impact."
"Feel free to pelt our speakers with kind but tactical questions about how they got stuff done."
"Celebrate vulnerability. It’s a huge deal to not only share successes but also what was hard and challenging."
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