Key Insights

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  Measuring design ops value is inherently difficult due to fluid goals, small teams, and reliance on outdated business metrics.

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  Traditional business measurement frameworks often fail to capture the human-centered impact of design ops.

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  Jobs to Be Done framework helps design ops understand and measure the real 'jobs' their stakeholders need accomplished, focusing on outcomes rather than tools or processes.

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  The Hero’s Framework divides design ops impact into six categories—Health, Effectiveness, Readiness, Outcomes, Ecosystem, and Sentiment—covering broad organizational and societal value.

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  Prioritizing what to measure is critical; not all metrics indicate meaningful impact, so teams must focus on what aligns with their organization’s mission and context.

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  Design ops metrics can overlap with those used by design management and other functions, and this overlap is acceptable and can show broader organizational value.

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  Organizational context, such as expansion versus contraction phases, affects which design ops metrics should be prioritized for maximum impact.

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  Outcome-driven factors encourage teams to focus on improving metrics over time rather than static measurements, driving progress and tangible improvements.

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  Making design ops work visible at every organizational level is more effective for securing investment than endless justification.

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  Practical application of these frameworks, like the Gen AI Summer Camp case, shows how design ops can boost team readiness and use measurable data to demonstrate impact to leadership.

Notable Quotes