Summary
Measuring DesignOps value is surprisingly complicated. Many practitioners would agree with the sentiment that measuring their impact feels aspirational at best, and theoretical at worst. Anecdotal evidence and praise from partners (“I don't know what we’d do without you!”) is nice, but doesn’t add up to proof that DesignOps is a worthy return on investment. In this talk, we’ll share two novel approaches to measuring DesignOps success from our upcoming book, The Design Conductors: Your Essential Guide to Design Operations. These methods–the “Jobs to Be Done” and “HEROES” frameworks–can be used to uncover and define measures of value that more accurately capture the impact DesignOps (and design) has on a business and its stakeholders. We will also share some tested rubrics that DesignOps can use to prioritize and implement these new measures.
Key Insights
-
•
Measuring design ops value is inherently difficult due to fluid goals, small teams, and reliance on outdated business metrics.
-
•
Traditional business measurement frameworks often fail to capture the human-centered impact of design ops.
-
•
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.
-
•
The Hero’s Framework divides design ops impact into six categories—Health, Effectiveness, Readiness, Outcomes, Ecosystem, and Sentiment—covering broad organizational and societal value.
-
•
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.
-
•
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.
-
•
Organizational context, such as expansion versus contraction phases, affects which design ops metrics should be prioritized for maximum impact.
-
•
Outcome-driven factors encourage teams to focus on improving metrics over time rather than static measurements, driving progress and tangible improvements.
-
•
Making design ops work visible at every organizational level is more effective for securing investment than endless justification.
-
•
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
"Measuring wrong can cost you a half billion dollars, but also what you measure and how you measure matters a lot."
"Design ops isn’t rocket science, but between us it might actually be harder."
"Design ops is a flexible and adaptable practice, meaning our goals and our outcomes are usually more fluid than stable."
"Applying traditional business frameworks to design ops is like trying to fit a star in a box."
"Design teams don’t want to buy a design ops drill. They need a quarter inch hole that requires a little bit of program management."
"Healthy teams are the foundation of a healthy organization."
"Visibility is the most vital thing for UX leaders to be focused on."
"Endlessly justifying yourself rarely changes others’ opinions. It just positions design ops as something that’s up for debate."
"We choose to measure design ops value not because it is easy, but because it is hard."
"Narrowing your measures through the lens of organizational factors will help focus on what matters and refining them makes them durable and lasting."
Dig deeper—ask the Rosenbot:
More Videos
"We did all these analyses for each market and then fit the group to be proportional to key hosting and traveling characteristics."
Wyatt HaymanGlobal Research Panels (Videoconference)
August 8, 2020
"We investigate whether we can skin native components to respect platform conventions while identifying commonalities and differences."
PJ Buddhari Nate BaldwinMeet Spectrum, Adobe’s Design System
June 9, 2021
"Government often moves slowly and struggles to communicate future intent amid short-term sustainability concerns."
Sarah GallimoreInspire Progress with Artifacts from the Future
November 18, 2022
"Playing politics in UX leadership is about maximizing relationships ethically to advance your agenda, not about being underhanded."
Peter MerholzThe Trials and Tribulations of Directors of UX (Videoconference)
July 13, 2023
"Hiring local community members as researchers in crisis zones creates safer environments and authentic stories."
Dr. Jamika D. Burge Mansi GuptaAdvancing the Inclusion of Womxn in Research Practices (Videoconference)
September 15, 2022
"Don’t advertise to kids. That’s a belief we stick to even when it’s uncomfortable."
Amy MarquezINVEST: Discussion
June 15, 2018
"The Pokémon anime was essentially a game manual, walking players through the journey with emotional stakes."
Dane DeSutter Natalie Gedeon Deborah Hendersen Cheryl PlatzBeyond the Console: The rise of the Gamer Experience and how gaming will impact UX Research across industries (Videoconference)
May 17, 2024
"Share everything, own nothing but credit everyone."
Zariah CameronReDesigning Wellbeing for Equitable Care in the Workplace
September 23, 2024
"In design Ops, the same ADHD traits—like managing ambiguity and dynamic change—are often strengths."
Jessica NorrisADHD: A DesignOps Superpower
September 9, 2022
