Connecting the Ops: Plenary Panel and Closing Circle
Summary
What are some of the ways DesignOps has changed over the past few years? Where does it seem to be going? And, how can we, as DesignOps professionals lend clarity, focus, and direction to our profession as it continues to evolve? In our closing panel, featured presenters come together for a facilitated conversation to sum up our conference themes, share newly gained insights, and suggest next steps that we can take as individuals and as a practice to continue moving forward.
Key Insights
-
•
Writing clear charters is essential for team clarity and alignment.
-
•
Sharing resources and automation within large organizations accelerates design operations maturity.
-
•
Embracing one’s diverse background and unique strengths can serve as a design ops superpower.
-
•
Leading with empathy remains vital in fast-paced, demanding environments lacking top-down empathy.
-
•
Knowledge management, powered by no-code tools like Airtable and Notion, is emerging as the next big focus in design operations.
-
•
Measuring the impact of design ops, especially through accessibility metrics, is an evolving but crucial practice.
-
•
Mid-career changers can enter design ops by making a solid business case, highlighting transferable skills, and actively engaging in the community.
-
•
Building cross-functional relationships beyond design, including HR, sales, and engineering, is critical for scaling and change management.
-
•
Saying no intentionally based on clear priorities helps manage workloads and establish focus.
-
•
Communities and conferences provide invaluable opportunities for networking, learning, and career growth in design ops.
Notable Quotes
"You gotta write that charter to get clarity with your team."
"Don't reinvent the wheel all the time; build on top of what others have built."
"Your strengths, even if perceived as weaknesses, can be your superpower."
"Just because empathy isn’t always visible at the top doesn’t mean you can’t be the change."
"The next big thing will be knowledge management powered by new no-code and integrative tools."
"I’m still early on in measuring accessibility impact but tying early bug fixes to ROI is promising."
"Make a business case for yourself by bragging about your capabilities and making them applicable."
"It’s not just about design; build relationships with HR, product management, sales, and more."
"Saying no with intentionality and clear guidelines creates clarity and focus."
"Go meet someone new at this conference and set up a coffee chat next week."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Flexible and staggered schedules help people not get burned out."
Lavy Kumar Kat Temple Shan Sebastian Tara Jensen Jenn ChouFuture of Work
June 9, 2021
"Design and research at Compass have become so integrated that we become these powerful partners driving the product vision."
Andreas Huebner Amy Takata Craig BrookesWhat Is It Like To Be Part of The UX Team at Compass?
March 11, 2021
"When people answer in a similar way, they find clusters that can be used to group users."
Ricardo MartinsUnlocking the power of advanced quantitative methods
March 12, 2025
"Everybody involved in product making should have empathy for each other, not just for the customer."
Monty HammontreeThe Future of UX Research
December 3, 2020
"We realized that the extended design discipline needed to regain some design ops activities to function properly."
Benjamin RealShowing the Value of DesignOps by Not Having a DesignOps Team
October 21, 2020
"Some people have been doing research ops a lot longer than the term has existed."
Kate TowseyAsk Me Anything (AMA) with Kate Towsey
April 2, 2025
"Both tribes really believe in doing awesome for customers, that’s our common ground."
Steve Portigal Chris Chapo Kelly Goto Christian RohrerDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"The more payment providers you offer, the higher the chance everyone can pick what works best for them."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
March 28, 2023
"Screen magnification is really about making the screen larger, changing color contrast, reducing motion, and panning around the magnified area."
Sam ProulxPrototype Reviews, People With Disabilities, and You
October 1, 2021
