DesignOps Transformation & Roadmap

Defined the operating model, roadmap, and governance that aligned design work to product and business goals.

Context

As the design organization scaled, DesignOps work was happening but it wasn’t visible, structured, or operating from a shared strategy. Processes, tools, and enablement efforts existed in pockets, often driven reactively by immediate needs rather than a long-term operating model.

The team needed a clearer way to understand what DesignOps owned, how work was prioritized, and how impact was measured.

Problem

  • No centralized DesignOps roadmap or strategy

  • Inconsistent intake, prioritization, and ownership of operational work

  • Limited visibility into DesignOps impact and progress

  • Enablement efforts (tools, training, documentation) were reactive and hard to scale

Without a clear operating model, DesignOps risked being perceived as support rather than a strategic function.

My Role

Design Program Manager / Design Operations Lead

I owned the end-to-end DesignOps strategy and execution, partnering closely with Design, Research, Product, and leadership. My responsibility was to define how DesignOps operated, how work flowed, and how success was measured—while still delivering tangible enablement for teams.

What I Built

DesignOps Roadmap (Now / Next / Later)

I created a phased DesignOps roadmap to clearly articulate priorities over time, balancing immediate operational needs with longer-term capability building. The roadmap helped the organization understand what DesignOps owned, why it mattered, and how efforts connected to business and product goals.

The roadmap focused on:

  • Immediate stabilization and enablement (“Now”)

  • Building scalable systems and standards (“Next”)

  • Long-term maturity and automation (“Later”)

Rather than reacting to individual requests, DesignOps operated from a shared, forward-looking plan

DesignOps Roadmap

Governance & Operating Model

To support the roadmap, I defined a clear governance and operating model that made DesignOps work easier to engage with and easier to prioritize. This model clarified how work entered the system, how decisions were made, and who owned outcomes.

The operating model focused on:

  • Intake and prioritization mechanisms

  • Clear ownership and accountability

  • Decision-making and escalation paths

  • Alignment to product and organizational priorities

This shifted DesignOps from ad-hoc support to a managed, intentional program.

Governance view: initiatives mapped to organizational value

I established a lightweight metrics framework focused on:

  • Enablement and adoption

  • Consistency and quality

  • Operational efficiency

Rather than vanity metrics, the focus was on signals that showed whether systems were working.

Metrics & Impact Framework

Outcome-focused metrics used to track DesignOps impact

Enablement & Execution Layer

To ensure the strategy translated into action, I paired the roadmap with execution mechanisms:

  • Training and onboarding programs

  • Documentation and self-serve resources

  • Communication cadence to reinforce priorities and progress

Enablement model connecting systems, people, and outcomes

Impact

Established a clear DesignOps operating model and strategy

  • Improved visibility into DesignOps work and value

  • Enabled teams through scalable systems instead of one-off support

  • Created a foundation for future initiatives including AI enablement, research operations, and accessibility

Most importantly, DesignOps became proactive and intentional, rather than reactive.

What I’d Do Next

With more time, I would:

  • Further automate intake and reporting workflows

  • Expand real-time dashboards for leadership visibility

  • Deepen cross-functional enablement beyond Design

Tools & Methods

DesignOps strategy · Program management · Roadmapping · Governance design · Metrics definition · Enablement systems · Cross-functional collaboration