Summary
DesignOps is a fast-growing discipline throughout the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada. However, in many countries DesignOps is still an immature and emerging discipline.? What are the key challenges and what’s missing in the DesignOps’ narrative to support the development of the practice in new global markets?? We’ll look at two case studies in Latam and Italy to identify the trends and the ways to push DesignOps boundaries around the world.
Key Insights
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Design operations as a formal practice is only about six years old but remains immature in Latin America and Italy compared to English-speaking markets.
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Only 30% of design teams in Latin America and Italy have a dedicated design ops role, while 12% consider it unnecessary.
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Team size correlates strongly with design ops presence; larger teams more often have design ops support.
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Italian design leaders tend to focus more on strategic tasks, while Latin American leaders spend more time on operational and communication duties.
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Inefficient collaboration in Latin America and stakeholder management struggles in Italy are key obstacles design ops can address.
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There is widespread misunderstanding of design ops as a strategic discipline; many see it simply as task-based support.
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The Italian and Latin American markets associate design ops heavily with design systems, unlike English-speaking markets where focus is broader.
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French design ops discussions uniquely intersect with devops concepts, influenced by tools like Figma shaping organizational practices.
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German design ops content is mostly tactical because German speakers have easier access to English resources.
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To mature design ops globally, conversations must shift from isolated tasks to holistic, systems-thinking approaches tied to measurable business impact.
Notable Quotes
"Design operations as a word and concept has been around roughly six years, but it's struggling to take root in non-English markets."
"About 30% of respondents have a design ops role, but there's still 12% who consider the role unnecessary, possibly due to team size."
"Leaders spend most of their time on operational tasks, leaving little room for mature design strategy development."
"Italian teams are more satisfied with their design strategy than Latin American ones, which focus more on inner operational work."
"In Latin America, inefficient collaboration and lots of administrative work distract design leaders from strategic work."
"In Italy, stakeholder management and ways of working cause difficulties design ops should alleviate."
"Design ops is often misunderstood as a set of reactive tasks rather than a strategic enabler of design vision and business outcomes."
"French design ops discussions have been driven by Figma's file structure, reshaping how teams organize their work."
"German conversations on design ops are tactical because many have direct access to English resources and knowledge."
"We have to bring the richness and inclusivity of global design ops conversations back to our local communities to grow the practice."
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