Summary
We will see how we developed a design maturity model, adapting models from invision, McKinsey and papers measuring design impact from IBM to our particular context, in order to discover the main growth opportunities we had in our design practice and how we used outcomes/OKRs to define a detailed strategy for the designOps team.
Key Insights
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Organizational restructuring can disrupt leadership and team clarity, leaving leaders feeling 'lost without a map.'
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Creating a design maturity model based on external research reports can help regain orientation and strategic focus.
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Initial attempts to impose a maturity model failed due to lack of team involvement and poor communication.
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One-on-one conversations and persistent dialogue are essential to gain buy-in on new strategic tools.
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Collaborative evaluation of team maturity behaviors uncovers concrete strengths and focus areas for improvement.
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Defining priority topics (nine out of thirteen identified) allows a large design team to focus efforts effectively.
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Integrating research, data, and product development practices strengthens design team impact within a large organization.
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Using OKRs and outcome-focused planning helps translate maturity model insights into actionable goals.
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Design operations teams, though often understaffed and not embedded in projects, hold responsibility for organizational design impact.
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A maturity model can evolve from a 'rusty compass' to a 'GPS,' enabling ongoing strategic navigation and team alignment.
Notable Quotes
"It was like being lost in the forest, and you come across this compass, maybe rusty, but still useful."
"I was dropping Amila, who was known to us in the night—I didn’t know where we were or how to read myself."
"The map they gave us was completely unintelligible, like giving a map you can’t read or understand."
"We continued using some design ops models, but some team members had undefined roles, so we were trying to figure it out."
"It was wonderful and painful to see the results after four years—knowing how much we did and how much was left."
"Instead of a compass and a map, we finally built a GPS to guide us through the terrain."
"Getting buy-in required many one-on-one conversations, because sharing reports in a meeting wasn’t enough."
"We identified 13 focus subjects but picked nine to start working on, each with owners and metrics."
"Design ops teams have their necks on the line, responsible for ensuring design delivers impact across the organization."
"We were explorers lost in the forest but managed to create a way to guide ourselves again."
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