Disciplines of DesignOps

Mapping the different disciplines for design operators

An example framework

How to do it

1. Take one of the templates, or draw your own
2. Map how experienced and capable you feel in each of the areas
3. Identify where you intend to develop your practice

Background

As I mentioned in the previous post I’ve been trying to get to grips with DesignOps. As I learned about many Design Operators coming from non-design backgrounds, I started to wonder what the formal fields of practice (or disciplines) were for people to study or have studied.

I’ll admit that I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about this, and so i’d appreciate any further builds any of you have to offer.

I realise that I have completely excluded ‘solution design’ of any sort, but if I was to choose one of those it would probably be Service Design. For now, let’s just assume this framework excludes any typical design discipline.

The categories

• Project / programme management
  From what I have seen, a lot of producers and ex project or programme managers seem to be entering the DesignOps field. I think having an organised mind with the ability of planning, and liaising with various people, has got to be useful. Anything to take those burdens off designers who are usually disinterested in the more organisation sides of things.
• Stakeholder management
  I’m not sure if this is a discipline in its own right, but managing stakeholders is one of the most tiring and valuable things you can do. I really wish I had it cracked. But it takes a lot of emotional energy and someone who really knows how to connect and persuade people.
• Human relations
  I pulled out ‘People’ as an important aspect of DesignOps, and I’ve seen how important the culture, hiring and development of individuals is to a design team. Unfortunately, HR professionals often don’t live up to the aspirations of designers. Reinforcing stringent policies, supporting awkward conversations maybe. But I’m not sure there are many HR people in my past who have really cared about the design team and helped me as a design leader. That said, I am convinced there is some value in the study of HR. Maybe it’s just commercial corporate pressures that distorts this potentially valuable role something less desirable.
• Strategy
  I was reluctant to use the S word. After all, it’s often interpreted in so many ways. I mean, what sort of strategy am I talking about? I guess, I am really focusing on business strategy rather than any form of design strategy. But interpret as you will.
• Process design
  There are whole fields of business process management and optimisation. Although the practice often treats people as cogs, there are some good approaches that a few designers could learn from. As long as the process design acknowledges the idiosyncrasies of designers and the delta between a logical process and a human one, I think this could be a valuable discipline to map against.
• Organisational design
  There seems to be a lot of focus on scaling design teams in DesignOps. Finding and applying models (like the infamous Spotify Tribes and Squads) to the organisation design. Creating various organograms that focus the effectiveness, efficiency and culture building necessary for an effective design team.

A few of the different shapes from the DesignOps conference workshop

Want to find out more, follow the series

If you want to learn more about the Shaping Workshops I run, and what I have learned over the years, follow me, or read some other articles in the Medium Publication.

Keep your eyes peeled for another post tomorrow.