Key Insights

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  A design operations function becomes essential when a design team grows to about 10 members, marking a tipping point for operational support.

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  Discovery through internal interviews with managers and designers is critical before expanding design ops to identify the real operational pain points.

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  Zendesk’s design ops is structured into four pillars: project management (producers), research ops, business ops, and community coordination.

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  Distributed design teams benefit greatly from policies like cameras-on during meetings to reduce isolation and enhance participation.

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  Considering time zones and establishing shared ‘office hours’ help maintain healthy work-life balance and improve collaboration.

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  Over-communication is necessary in distributed setups to avoid assumptions and feelings of being out-of-the-loop.

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  Investing in high-quality virtual collaboration tools and digital asset management is key to scaling and managing distributed design work.

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  Maintaining team culture remotely requires intentional activities such as onboarding buddies, virtual social events, and global connection opportunities.

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  Design reviews in large, distributed teams become more effective when conducted in smaller groups with consistent meeting guidelines.

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  Design operations should focus on removing distractions from designers, providing the connective tissue that allows teams to work efficiently while supporting human needs.

Notable Quotes