Summary
In this panel session, three seasoned DesignOps practitioners will rise to the challenge of creating a shared vocabulary for discussing impact and maturity—while avoiding the use of DesignOps buzzwords. Panelists, who have each grown and matured DesignOps as a function within their organization (past or present), will represent a mix of DesignOps archetypes outlined in the 2023 DesignOps Benchmarking report (agency, startup, scale-up, enterprise). The discussion will cover defining, measuring, and communicating DesignOps impact as a way to drive DesignOps maturity. The moderator will draw from some of the key findings from the 2023 DesignOps Benchmarking Report to frame the topics.
Key Insights
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Measuring impact helps identify priorities and allocate resources more effectively.
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Design teams should be engaged early in projects, indicating maturity.
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Data-driven storytelling enhances communication with leadership.
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High-level reporting is preferable to prevent data overload.
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Engaging product teams proactively showcases design's value.
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Active participation of design in defining problems is crucial for impact.
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C-suite representation in design is a strong indicator of maturity.
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Understanding the roles within design operations prevents overlap and confusion.
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Investing in measurement infrastructure is necessary for design elevation.
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Communication clarity builds shared understanding and supports collaboration.
Notable Quotes
"Measuring impact can help understand where your design team spends the majority of their time."
"Tracking design ops initiatives allows you to tell data-informed stories."
"When design ops is asked for early on, leaders recognize your importance and impact."
"Design should be looked at from the beginning to help define problems, not just delivery."
"Track what data is available and use it to your best abilities."
"The audience for metrics should dictate the message and frequency of reporting."
"Quality over quantity should guide how many metrics to track."
"Proactively engaging with design indicates a cultural shift in the company."
"If design sits at C-suite level, it shows significant buy-in for the design function."
"Some challenges teams encounter include a lack of understanding of design ops functions."
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