LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
QUESTIONS FOR DESIGN LEADERS
How do we want the UX team to be viewed within the company, and how do we show the strategic value of UX?
How do we demonstrate the caliber of the team to the UX industry?
What does the team need to do in order to be successful in the company, and the industry?
What do specific team members need to do in order to be successful?
LEADERSHIP TENETS
PEOPLE ARE PARAMOUNT
Empathy is critical
Work with others where they need to be met
Everyone needs something different from you
Hard skills can always be learned - make sure you have the right people
A RISING TIDE RAISES ALL SHIPS
Holistic problem definition is important for long-term solutions
Make sure to address root problems, treat band aid solutions as temporary
An organization is a living organism
Changing one step will cause changes down the line
EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
Aligned goal-setting is necessary for a functional team - ensuring everyone is rowing in the same direction
Improvements in one area will manifest improvements elsewhere
NOTABLE ROLES
LTK : DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT DESIGN
Description
Build and scale design and research organization for the Brand Platform business unit
Scope of work
My team: 2 design managers, 6 designers
Scrum teams we worked with: ~10
Overall UX org: ~40 people
3 platforms, 8 personas
Accountable to 2 leadership teams
Design, Research, DSM and Accessibility
Day-to-day responsibilities
Partner with other design leaders to create frameworks and processes to position UX as strategic partner in the overall company
Partnering with product and engineering counterparts to grow and scale overall Brand Platform org
Defining working models, including updated SDLC for entire org
OKR definition, long-term strategic planning
Budgets and hiring
Reviewing designs, and communicating work to ELT
Formalize UX approach to be scalable and extensible
Highlights
Highlights
Spearheaded updated SDLC process for entire BP org
Cut planning time in half
Drastically increased team morale (as shown in quarterly culture surveys)
Reduced engineering cycles by ~50%
Implemented research protocols for the Brand Platform organization including:
Beta groups for consistent research - completed with sales and ops leadership
Org-wide education
Training and mentoring for designers and other stakeholders
Other initiatives
Planning and vision
Organizational scaling and hiring
Long-term strategic planning
Product vision and North Star
Roadmapping
Design team frameworks
Career levels and ladders
Goal setting and career development
Design system governance and management
Education and evangelization
Research training
Stakeholder relationship building and collaboration
Executive outreach
ZILLOW: EXPERIENCE DESIGN MANAGER
Description
Manage design team that worked on initiatives covering $800M in yearly revenue
Scope of work
My team: 5 designers
Scrum teams we worked with: 22
Overall UX org size
~120 people
Day-to-day responsibilities
Team management and growth
Roadmapping with product partners
Strategic visioning with stakeholders and design leadership
Highlights
Highlights
Created and spearheaded project allowing Zillow to move from a $2-5B total addressable market to a ~$100B total addressable market
Org-wide initiatives
Lead mission and vision for full design and research org
Partnered with senior leadership on career levels, scope of work and needed skills
XFN vision and north star workshops
Notable design and research projects
Today Screen
Buyer Activity Insights
Make an offer
Agentless home tours
Inbox revamp
Ethnographic research with real estate agents to understand their processes
LULULEMON: PRODUCT DESIGN MANAGER - INTL
Description
Build and manage the design team responsible for lululemon’s international experiences
Scope of work
Direct reports: 3 designers
Scrum teams we worked with: ~8
Overall UX org: ~30
9 international sites servicing 70 countrie
Day-to-day responsibilities
Organizational scaling and hiring done in partnership with product management and engineering
Updated scrum and agile processes to include design team needs
Long-term planning and roadmapping for the international sites
Managing designers, including their design and research work
Partner with engineering and product management on innovation and technical planning needs, including choosing a new CMS
Creating framework to understand regional cultural needs for product decisions
Highlights
Highlights
Create overall research program and protocols for international team including:
Build network of international research agencies to partner with
Mentoring designers on usability testing - leading to over 200 sessions during 2 quarters
Org-wide initiatives
Working with design leadership to create career matrices for team, including working with HR for new hierarchy levels and titles
Updating UX processes, including kickoffs, estimations, and documentation
Notable design and research projects
Design
Conversion to global brand font - including audit, QA and CSS recommendations
Category Details Page redesign
Multiple product variations on PDP
Alert messaging in checkout
Help pages redesign
Updated bra guide for international conversions
Account takeover security updates
Klarna implementation
Markdown experience - discoverability of sale
Landing pages
Research
200+ user testing sessions across 8 geographic regions
Built working relationships with UX agencies in South Korea, Japan and Germany
Coached/mentored designers on research methodologies and practices
eBAY
Description
Scope of work
Direct reports: 1 designer, 3 content strategists
Scrum teams we worked with: ~15
Overall UX org ~150 people, Selling UX org ~60
6 tools across 2 platforms
Lead end-to-end seller journey for eBay B2C sellers
Largest revenue generator for eBay
Worked with 13 designers in direct team to create holistic journey
Day-to-day responsibilities
Create and implement full UX design process by partnering with design, product and engineering leaders across the company
Strategic visioning with other designers and stakeholders
Manage direct team
Strategic visioning with stakeholders and design leadership
Highlights
Highlights
Created and implemented formal UX design process used by ~70 person selling design team
Spearheaded visioning and long-term plan for eBay B2C Seller Hub, including unifying ~15 product teams
Org-wide initiatives
Partnered with research team to develop program for designers to conduct research
Unifying vision for overall Seller HUb
UX design process implementation
Notable design and research projects
Co-creator of GRIT Program (designers conducting research)
EBay merchandising tools
Foundational advertising research to understand user sentiment
Financial impact projections of UX projects
Updated engagement process for content strategists on selling team