Why Social Justice Frameworks are Necessary for Successful DEI/JEDI Initiatives
Summary
As a DesignOps professional, your work holds power—the power to reinforce systemic marginalization, or the power to dismantle it. Spencer Stultz will focus on the intersection of Operations and equity, and explore the power dynamics and cultural norms that can impede true organizational change. In this session, you will: Learn about ways that Design Operations can (unintentionally) enforce harmful dominant cultural standards Explore alternative approaches to Operations that center equity—by examining community-oriented social justice principles that can address institutional failures and foster change Gather tools to enable and empower you to dismantle harmful systems and processes within your own practice
Key Insights
-
•
Everyone in design operations is a designer of systems, policies, and culture, not just of products or visuals.
-
•
Dominant culture is a constructed set of norms and values imposed by the groups in power, not a natural default.
-
•
Characteristics of dominant culture include white supremacy culture, patriarchy, Judeo-Christian norms, individualism, colorism, heteronormativity, ableism, and Eurocentrism.
-
•
Design operations roles hold significant power to either reinforce or dismantle inequitable systems within organizations.
-
•
Freedom Dreaming is a practical, creative framework from the Black radical tradition to envision just systems and spark change.
-
•
Intersectionality helps uncover how multiple marginalized identities compound obstacles within dominant culture.
-
•
Companies are increasingly required to prioritize equity and social justice to attract Gen Z talent and reduce litigation risks.
-
•
Aligning with dominant culture often leads to rewards but marginalizes those who don’t conform, creating exclusion and psychological harm.
-
•
Key reflective questions can help identify dominant culture’s influence, such as who is missing from communities and which harmful behaviors are rewarded.
-
•
Creating space for subcultures to thrive benefits everyone, including those aligned with dominant culture, and leads to healthier organizations.
Notable Quotes
"Freedom Dreaming democratizes the ability to rethink the ways our communities operate."
"Everyone who works within the world of design operations is a designer."
"Dominant culture is not some natural default setting, it’s culture that imposes itself onto a space or group of people."
"If systems are designed to only suit folks with specific identities, your work is reinforcing problematic power dynamics."
"Intersectionality is a lens to understand how dominant culture creates obstacles outside of conventional advocacy."
"Aligning with dominant culture is what gets you rewarded, but it alienates anyone who falls into an other bucket."
"Making space for subculture to thrive is like letting more air and sunlight in, it creates a healthier environment for everyone."
"It is your job to design systems and processes that work for all people."
"White people are not the problem. White supremacy culture is the problem."
"We’re not looking to attack individuals, but to attack these systems."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Maturity is not linear; the tanker company had a lot to learn from the speedboat, and vice versa."
John CutlerOxbows, Rivers, and Estuaries: How to navigate the currents of change (without burning out)
December 3, 2024
"Taking responsibility for our behaviors starts with an apology and continues with regular feedback and action."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"Kristen wrote the book Design of Orgs for Design Orgs and her experience partly informed this canvas."
Dave GrayGroup Activity: Making Sense of DesignOps
November 7, 2017
"The subtle art of taking care of yourself and giving a f in ways that generally encourage coherent behaviors."
John CutlerThe Alignment Trap
November 29, 2023
"The key to good diagrams is accessibly rendered, content driven, and visually supported."
Abby CovertStuck? Diagrams Help
October 27, 2022
"Culture is what you tolerate — if you tolerate rudeness or tardiness, it becomes part of who you are."
Mark InterranteCollaboration Flows in Product Development
June 9, 2017
"Obsession with gadgetry and cool tech ignores the fact that most critical future changes are mundane and essential, like clean water."
Devon PowersImagining Better Futures
March 9, 2022
"Design research—they need each other. They are much, much better together."
Prayag NarulaHow to Empower Your Designers to Do Good Research – And Why You Want To
June 10, 2022
"You can’t just be a designer adapting UX workflows assuming everybody else’s workflow stays the same; everything is changing with AI."
Peter Van DijckHands on AI #3: Claude Code for UX people
October 22, 2025
