Building UXDO

Establishing DesignOps within UX

  OVERVIEW

This is the journey of evolving a UX Design Operations team within a large enterprise. From a solo endeavor to what became a foundational unit within the UX department. Over the course of nine months, my focus was on establishing efficient processes, fostering collaboration, and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the UX team, eventually growing UXDO to over 5 team members. 

Genesis Insight: The lack of streamlined operations was hindering the productivity and cohesion of the UX team. There was a need for a structured approach to design operations, including project management, communication, and collaboration, to ensure the timely delivery of high-quality user experiences.

HMW: How might we raise the quality and effectiveness of UX within the organization?

  DISCOVERY

Industry research involved getting involved in this growing area of expertise in growing online communities (circa 2020). Researching industry best practices and methodologies related to UX Design Operations and this group could mesh with the approaches and team structures within the current organizational structure and possible future vision.

Discussions with internal team members and stakeholders provided valuable insights into existing challenges, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement. The principles for the team were crafted and presented along with how the UXDO team would grow into broader areas to support the UX team.

  DESIGN

Formation of Core Principles:
Established core principles for design operations, emphasizing transparency, communication, and collaboration. 

Process Development:
Defined and documented streamlined processes for project intake, resource allocation, and project management.

Implemented tools:
Better task tracking, version control, and collaboration. 

  RESULTS

9

Build Time
(Months)

4+

UXDO
Team Size

-80%

Shortening IT Support
"Issue-to-Fix" Time

The UX Design Operations team was gradually formed, with team members assuming their roles and responsibilities. This helped the UXDO team and UX team understand who was handling which part of the roles as we grew rapidly to support the team and wider organization. Implementation was iterative, allowing for adjustments based on feedback. Within nine months, the team's efficiency significantly improved.

What is Next

Upcoming case studies will cover how the UXDO team introduced and supported the UX team with the following improvements to how UX worked:

• Lean design thinking,
• Sprint-based tactical work scoping,
• Centralized data and planning,
• Streamlined workflows,
• Self-lead knowledge center,
• Skill matrix/rubric, and a
• Career architecture lattice

Brendan Good