Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
DesignOps–Leading the Path to Parity
Summary
Why and how are creative agency leaders and traditional graphic designers finding their way into DesignOps? What is the future of DesignOps within traditional design agencies? Most who are looking into the DesignOps space know it for its focus on the Ps: People, Process, Practice — mostly for technology, and mostly for Product design.
Key Insights
-
•
Design ops in agencies must expand beyond technology focus to include people, process, and practice to foster parity and inclusion.
-
•
Francis Iana was hired directly as the first design ops lead at co forma, highlighting the growing strategic value of design ops in agency leadership.
-
•
Historically, creative agencies operated with competitive, gender-imbalanced leadership, but fears around job security have intensified since the pandemic.
-
•
Operationalizing equity through tools like career leveling spreadsheets, skills matrices, and onboarding checklists promotes transparency and reduces bias.
-
•
The concept of 'office housework' represents important but undervalued work crucial for leveling the playing field in agencies.
-
•
Creative agencies are best described as 'project pioneers' needing flexibility and support rather than rigid hierarchical control.
-
•
Resistance to change is common, but design ops practitioners should persist and iterate to embed lasting cultural transformation.
-
•
Intentional leadership to nurture and retain women and underrepresented designers is crucial to advancing agency parity.
-
•
Design ops practices, including equitable user research and fostering diverse team communication, help embed inclusion into workflows.
-
•
Hope and creative optimism are essential mindsets for design ops leaders driving systemic positive change in uncertain environments.
Notable Quotes
"Design ops in all we do at co forma is purpose-driven, intentional, fair, and openly equitable."
"Winning my next client, my next project, my next design award was once all I cared about. Now, it’s about building equity and shared success."
"Office housework is everything from administrative tasks to employee engagement; it’s undervalued but essential for team success."
"Project pioneer organizations resist top-down control, needing design ops to provide tools allowing creative teams to pivot and adapt."
"If you’re standing for something, you have to stand for the thing, even if it’s a hard fight."
"When you don’t see yourself in leadership, you don’t go there. Representation matters deeply in agency culture."
"Keep trying and iterating your design ops initiatives even if stakeholders resist at first."
"Artists are messengers of the ideal. That’s why design ops can make those ideals more palpable in agencies."
"Hope locates itself in the spaciousness of uncertainty and the belief that what we do matters even if outcomes are unknown."
"If we’re in a position to keep the gate, we don’t just keep it open, we tear it down."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Trying to force one preeminent model for the company is a recipe for disaster—embrace models and understand why people are using them."
John CutlerOxbows, Rivers, and Estuaries: How to navigate the currents of change (without burning out)
December 3, 2024
"We’re all capable of creating and perpetuating toxic work relationships."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"You don’t have to sit through two hours a day; we’ll spend about 15 minutes on setup then you’ll pair up and do the exercise."
Dave GrayGroup Activity: Making Sense of DesignOps
November 7, 2017
"What would it look like if we could ask, how do I make this the absolute best environment for complex problem solving, instead of how do I take away all the annoying hard problems?"
John CutlerThe Alignment Trap
November 29, 2023
"Providing alternative content is often a kinder gesture than any lengthy alternative text could be."
Abby CovertStuck? Diagrams Help
October 27, 2022
"Making issues visible, sharing models, and iterating versions of workflows helps uncover blockages and solutions."
Mark InterranteCollaboration Flows in Product Development
June 9, 2017
"If I do a project today on 2025, you’re not going to be in that chair in 2025 and neither am I."
Devon PowersImagining Better Futures
March 9, 2022
"Your primary function as a research team is to build a culture of research, not just react to project requests."
Prayag NarulaHow to Empower Your Designers to Do Good Research – And Why You Want To
June 10, 2022
"If you build for the next model, even if it can hardly do something now, it will probably do it well in the future."
Peter Van DijckHands on AI #3: Claude Code for UX people
October 22, 2025
