Since 2016, I've had conversations with ~5000 design leaders at 200+ dinners and ~100 virtual events, and lots of slack threads. I also helped drive some industry benchmarking reports.
I finally synthesized all the notes.
A thread on lessons learned about design leadership. 🧵
I finally synthesized all the notes.
A thread on lessons learned about design leadership. 🧵
Top design-leadership challenges in product design.
- hiring/retaining talent
- building consistent end-to-end UX at scale
- maturing the function
- operationalizing design
- establishing trust with the c-suite
(in no particular order^)
- hiring/retaining talent
- building consistent end-to-end UX at scale
- maturing the function
- operationalizing design
- establishing trust with the c-suite
(in no particular order^)
Re: Hiring.
The design execs I respect the most say this is a weak spot. As one Fortune 200 VP Design recently said: "I only know about 20% of what I need to know"
No execs I know studied recruiting, but it's a critical part of the job.
(more on this at #remotedesignweek)
The design execs I respect the most say this is a weak spot. As one Fortune 200 VP Design recently said: "I only know about 20% of what I need to know"
No execs I know studied recruiting, but it's a critical part of the job.
(more on this at #remotedesignweek)
Re: Hiring (again)
The best design executives design their recruiting practice. They create peak moments for the candidate. They have scorecards that help remove bias. They avoid hiring "unicorns", and focus on the specific role they are hiring for.
The best design executives design their recruiting practice. They create peak moments for the candidate. They have scorecards that help remove bias. They avoid hiring "unicorns", and focus on the specific role they are hiring for.
Re: Recruiting Strategy.
Place the value prop at the center. Almost every aspect of your team can be turned into a strength.
For ex:
Weak brand? Who cares. Promise your candidate that you'll develop them so they will be stronger professionals when they leave.
Place the value prop at the center. Almost every aspect of your team can be turned into a strength.
For ex:
Weak brand? Who cares. Promise your candidate that you'll develop them so they will be stronger professionals when they leave.
Speaking of value prop, the best design leaders are exceptionally clear of what they do for their current business.
This doesn't need to be a long document. Some leaders simply pin their definition to their status in the company slack.
This doesn't need to be a long document. Some leaders simply pin their definition to their status in the company slack.
https://twitter.com/AdamFryPierce/status/1284521361105235968
On Org alignment
Having a charter helps communicate the design value-prop at scale.
Charters vary, but should include:
- WHY (vision/mission)
- WHO (names)
- WHAT (design's role @ company)
- HOW (practices/ops overview, rituals, processes)
- WHEN (roadmap)
- WHERE (org layout)
Having a charter helps communicate the design value-prop at scale.
Charters vary, but should include:
- WHY (vision/mission)
- WHO (names)
- WHAT (design's role @ company)
- HOW (practices/ops overview, rituals, processes)
- WHEN (roadmap)
- WHERE (org layout)
Re: Org Alignment
The charter is just an artifact. Once the leader has it, they need to drive an internal marketing campaign ensuring the broader co. knows the design org's value & how design support top goals.
The larger the company the more challenging/important this becomes
The charter is just an artifact. Once the leader has it, they need to drive an internal marketing campaign ensuring the broader co. knows the design org's value & how design support top goals.
The larger the company the more challenging/important this becomes
Final org alignment note.
The charter should be co-created with as many people in the design org as possible. It should be updated once per year. More on this here: medium.com/design-leaders…
The charter should be co-created with as many people in the design org as possible. It should be updated once per year. More on this here: medium.com/design-leaders…
If you are reading any of this and thinking: "Oh my gosh I don't know how to do that" - don't get discouraged. You'll learn if you want to.
No one has it figured out.
At first I was shocked to hear VPs and Design execs admit this. But it's the norm.
No one has it figured out.
At first I was shocked to hear VPs and Design execs admit this. But it's the norm.
https://twitter.com/IAmMarkManson/status/1444691465968525312
Re: Creating a seamless E2E UX.
This is an enterprise challenge facing most enterprise design leaders.
Interesting bets to watch are the enterprises investing in super-ICs (UX Architects) to help cut thru org design constraints. Read @peterme's stance: orgdesignfordesignorgs.com/2020/12/01/eme…
This is an enterprise challenge facing most enterprise design leaders.
Interesting bets to watch are the enterprises investing in super-ICs (UX Architects) to help cut thru org design constraints. Read @peterme's stance: orgdesignfordesignorgs.com/2020/12/01/eme…
Re: retaining talent
A strong culture is a talent tractor beam.
Though everyone influences culture, it's up to the leader to guide the cultural evolution w/ systems thinking.
1 great example of how to do this: Guilds!
medium.com/docusign-desig…
A strong culture is a talent tractor beam.
Though everyone influences culture, it's up to the leader to guide the cultural evolution w/ systems thinking.
1 great example of how to do this: Guilds!
medium.com/docusign-desig…
Re: retaining talent
Create transparent pay policies.
Only 10% of companies have these.
Opaque policies cause uneven power dynamics (which doesn't help DEI goals), leaving your managers open to risk, and perhaps even leading to talent leaving the company.
Create transparent pay policies.
Only 10% of companies have these.
Opaque policies cause uneven power dynamics (which doesn't help DEI goals), leaving your managers open to risk, and perhaps even leading to talent leaving the company.
Re: operationalizing the practice.
When there isn't a designated designops leader, ops is usually split between a committee and/or absorbed by the design leader. This slows down the leader.
The best design execs hire someone to lead ops, and guides them to maximizing impact
When there isn't a designated designops leader, ops is usually split between a committee and/or absorbed by the design leader. This slows down the leader.
The best design execs hire someone to lead ops, and guides them to maximizing impact
Re: Operationalizing the practice (more!)
Ops is no small task. This menu captures about 80% of the typical enterprise designops activities. Each tile can be unfurled and might require an FTE to drive.
The best design leaders don't get caught as operators. They delegate!
Ops is no small task. This menu captures about 80% of the typical enterprise designops activities. Each tile can be unfurled and might require an FTE to drive.
The best design leaders don't get caught as operators. They delegate!
Last note on DesignOps: It has so many flavors and it's an emerging field. If you want to learn more, or find a designops leader for your team, join @DOAssembly.
designopsassembly.com
designopsassembly.com
Re: Maturing the function.
The best leaders understand their org's strong and weak points. To help remove bias, utilize a 3rd party diagnostic tool or benchmarking service and establish your design maturity status.
Lots of advisors out there to help ( @RMBanfield @McKinsey )
The best leaders understand their org's strong and weak points. To help remove bias, utilize a 3rd party diagnostic tool or benchmarking service and establish your design maturity status.
Lots of advisors out there to help ( @RMBanfield @McKinsey )
Re: Maturing the function (part 2!)
For orgs serious about maturing their design practice, this should be a multi-year project with an attached project plan (annual OKRs, RACI, etc.)
Read more on design maturity + impact here: invisionapp.com/design-better/… (cc: @leahbuley @aarron)
For orgs serious about maturing their design practice, this should be a multi-year project with an attached project plan (annual OKRs, RACI, etc.)
Read more on design maturity + impact here: invisionapp.com/design-better/… (cc: @leahbuley @aarron)
Re: Establishing trust with the c-suite
Simple but not easy: Find something that matters to the c-suite. Use your design org to solve that thing.
Start with something small that you can measure outsized returns on. Build/Measure/Learn. Tell that story (lots)
Repeat.
Simple but not easy: Find something that matters to the c-suite. Use your design org to solve that thing.
Start with something small that you can measure outsized returns on. Build/Measure/Learn. Tell that story (lots)
Repeat.
BTW: Interesting observation on the topic "Establishing trust with the c-suite"
This was a top 3 design leadership challenge from 2016-2019, then it ranked lower.
#COVID19 had many consequences, and apparently, "reduce c-suite skepticism about design" was one of them
This was a top 3 design leadership challenge from 2016-2019, then it ranked lower.
#COVID19 had many consequences, and apparently, "reduce c-suite skepticism about design" was one of them
Note: I'll continue to populate this thread as time goes on. If you want to read more now on design leadership, check out to start:
-@joulee's "Making a Manager": amazon.com/Making-Manager…
- @erova's "Liftoff": rosenfeldmedia.com/books/ux-leade…
-@joulee's "Making a Manager": amazon.com/Making-Manager…
- @erova's "Liftoff": rosenfeldmedia.com/books/ux-leade…
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