Centrica Global DesignOps Conference 2019

1. Shaping and implementing
a DesignOps Function
Matt Gottschalk & Ben Franck
2019

2. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Matt Gottschalk Ben Franck
12+ years design industry
UX & Design Operations Manager
@ Centrica
UX & Design Operations Manager
@ Centrica
15+ years design industry

3. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
DesignOps = Design Systems

4. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Designer OrganisationEmpathy

5. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica

6. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
2016 2017 2018 2019
7
Digital product teams
10
Digital product teams
24
Digital product teams
26
Digital product teams

7. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Why DesignOps?
Reach and influence
Single design leader promoting user centred
design practises outside the digital landscape
Design maturity
Design has moved from visual finesse to
identifying and solving customer needs
Design tools
No standard tooling resulted in inefficiency
and inconsistency
Manage and Support
Limited onboarding and recruitment
needs due to size and stability of the team

8. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
• Hiring
• Supervising
• Training employees
• Monitoring and optimising existing tooling
• Analysing system effectiveness
• Creating strategies for improving productivity
Customer Operations
Does it compare?

9. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Tailoring a DesignOps Model
to suit our specific
organisational needs
Operational Support
Setting the standards, processes and
environment for the entire design team
TEAM A
Engineers Designers Product Managers
TEAM B
TEAM C
Project Support
Helping to drive and improve workflow
processes alongside design leadership

10. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Vision
To enable creativity and
innovation by removing
inefficiencies from the
design process
Processes
To build a healthy,
inclusive and collaborative
environment, fuelled by
learning and sharing
Environment
To strengthen and
cultivate the development
of a human centred team
which focuses on user
needs above all else
Human Centred

11. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Challenges
How Might We…
Align the DesignOps strategic and
tactical goals to our vision?

12. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
“Design Operations focuses
on the health of the practice,
the people, and the projects.”
Kristin Skinner:
Kristin Skinner
Author of Org Design for Design Orgs;
Building and managing in-house teams

13. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Collaborative spaces Team collaboration
HMW…
Ensure designers have a
collaborative space to
ideate with their product
team?
HMW…
Improve the quality of
our digital pattern
library?
HMW…
Get a better
understanding of what
other designers are
working on?
HMW…
Improve the process for
evolving pattern library
elements?
HMW…
Increase team
engagement and
attendance at usability
testing sessions?
HMW…
Make the component
library part of a wider
design system?
HMW…
Widen the pool of
participants for usability
testing sessions?
HMW…
Make research reports
easier to search for and
find?
Design Toolkit Usability testing
HMW…
Increase collaboration
between designers in the
team?
HMW…
Increase design
collaboration at a
stakeholder level?
HMW…
Get regular DesignOps
input and feedback on
the design teams
processes?
HMW…
Increase collaboration
between the product
teams?
HMW…
Help designers
understand who their
stakeholders are?
On boar
HMW…
Make the
onboard
efficient?
HMW…
Increase
from the
onboard
• Interviews
• Engagement Surveys
• Workshops
• Business objectives
• DesignOps Initiatives
Research

14. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
1. Reduce waste and inconsistencies across the product
2. Increase design maturity and reach within the organisation
3. Increase engagement and growth within the design team
4. Refine and augment our design toolkit and processes
4 Strategic goals for DesignOps

15. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
1. Reduce waste and inconsistencies across the product
2. Increase design maturity and reach within the organisation
3. Increase engagement and growth within the design team
4. Refine and augment our design toolkit and processes
Collaboration, Design Toolkit
Design Value
People
Design Toolkit
4 Strategic goals for DesignOps

16. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Pillars
How can we utilise our DesignOps pillars
to help us achieve our goals?

17. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
• Recruitment
• On-boarding
• Costing
• Training and education
• Team organisation
• Social
People

18. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Design Toolkit
• Service Manual
• Design System
• Research Lab
• Templates
• Methods & Processes
• Hardware & Software

19. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Collaboration
• Workshops
• Project Support
• Design Critiques
• Meet-Ups
• Design Weeks

20. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Design Value
• Relationships
• Consultancy
• Project support
• Internal talks

21. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Ni1iMGU5LTc1MjJmMDhhMDE2YwAQAExKqxEVjkCIhC1h9OnzvQI%3D/sxs/AAMkADczMmM5ZTUyLWZkNDYtNGZhNi1iMGU5LTc1MjJmMDhhMDE2YwBGAAAAAAC73p… 1/3What’s next?
Continually adapting to meet organisational needs

22. @mgottschalk30 @PtitBenDesignOps at Centrica
Setting up a DesignOps
function has and will continue
to enable our designers to
focus on designing.
Outcome

23. Thank You
Matt Gottschalk & Ben Franck
designops@centrica.com