Overview
When I joined ARGO as a UX Design Intern, I observed a critical gap: the team needed a standard process for addressing design challenges. This absence of structure led to inefficiencies, frequent rework, and solutions that often didn’t align with user needs. Recognizing the impact on project outcomes and team morale, I set out to address this issue by establishing a DesignOps practice.
This ongoing initiative focuses on introducing structured workflows, actionable tools, and a culture of collaboration to empower the team to solve the right problems effectively. Early efforts have included implementing the Double Diamond framework, creating tailored templates and checklists, and enhancing team education through resources like UX Method Cards.
Though still in its early stages, these processes have already shown promising results, including reduced rework and improved alignment across projects. This case study highlights this initiative’s challenges, strategies, early outcomes, reflections, and plans for its long-term impact.
Approach
Research and Observation
To fully understand the problem, I conducted informal ethnographic research. Through observations of how team members approached tasks, transitioned between design phases, and communicated with stakeholders, I identified six recurring challenges:
Unclear Requirements
Many projects began with vague or incomplete requirements, leaving designers to fill in gaps or make assumptions. This lack of clarity often resulted in misaligned expectations and additional effort to realign project goals.
Jumping to Solutions
The team often skipped research and problem definition. During one redesign project, weeks were spent designing a solution that failed to address core user needs, requiring a costly restart.
Minimal Validation
Tight deadlines often left no room for testing, leading to unvalidated solutions being implemented—and revisited later when issues emerged.
Rework Overload
Misalignment between designers and stakeholders frequently extended project timelines and design work. One project dragged on for months due to conflicting expectations, frustrating everyone involved.
Inconsistent Documentation
Project goals, decisions, and deliverables weren’t consistently documented, making it difficult for UX leadership to track progress or ensure alignment.
Varying Familiarity with Methodologies
Different experience levels with design methodologies led to inconsistent deliverables and processes.
These challenges affected more than just project outcomes—they impacted team morale. Designers felt undervalued and on the verge of burnout, and stakeholders grew frustrated. Conversations with my team and UX leadership confirmed that we needed a structured framework to guide the team’s approach.
How might we establish a structured workflow that empowers designers to solve the right problems while fostering collaboration and reducing frustration?
Introducing the Double Diamond
I explored various frameworks to address these challenges and selected the Double Diamond for its simplicity and alignment with the team’s existing design thinking practices. Its structure offered the clarity we needed to explore problems and deliver validated solutions.
The Double Diamond divides the design process into two key spaces:
- Problem Space: Discover and Define phases that focus on understanding and framing the problem through research and synthesis.
- Solution Space: Develop and Deliver phases that guide the ideation, prototyping, and validation of solutions.
Collaborating with Mathew, a trusted lead designer, we:
- Created an explainer document introducing the framework, divergent and convergent thinking, and typical activities for each phase.
- Held one-on-one sessions with team members to gather feedback and refine the framework.
During a mock project, we introduced the framework to evaluate its impact. Team members recognized familiar elements from their workflows but noted that these practices were often rushed or partially applied. They appreciated how the framework brought structure and cohesion to their work. This early feedback demonstrated the framework’s potential to create a more deliberate approach to design.
Argo Double Diamond: Not quite the final graphic (just a draft)—still refining insights and iterating.UX Workflow Checklist for Feature Enhancements Building the Foundation: Tools and Processes
While the Double Diamond provided a guiding framework, actionable tools were needed to support its implementation. I focused on creating resources that bridged the gap between theory and day-to-day workflows:
- UX Workflow Checklists: Tailored to project types, these checklists outline key steps and deliverables for each phase.
- UX Project Brief Template: Developed in collaboration with Mathew, this template captures project goals, stakeholders, deliverables, and communication plans to set clear expectations.
- UX Research Plan Template: Provides a structured roadmap for planning, executing, and iterating on research, improving consistency across projects.
These Tools were first tested during the OASIS UI Audit, which proved instrumental in understanding the problem space and ensuring smooth transitions between design phases.
Enhancing Team Education: UX Method Cards
Building on the tools and processes that were introduced, I developed UX Method Cards to further empower the team. Designed as quick-reference guides, these cards make research methods more accessible and actionable for designers of all experience levels
Each card provides:
- A snapshot of the method: Including its purpose, when to use it, required materials, and who needs to be involved.
- Step-by-step guidance: Clear instructions for confidently applying the method.
- Additional resources: Links to templates, tools, or articles for deeper learning.
An example of a UX Method Card, showcasing its design and content structure. The front provides a high-level overview of the method, while the back delivers actionable steps and further resources Testing and Iteration
Testing and iteration were vital in validating and refining the new workflows and tools. These efforts provided valuable insights into their effectiveness and opportunities for improvement.
Two key testing initiatives included:
- Mock Design Challenge: Testing the Double Diamond framework in a simulated project revealed the need for more adaptable workflows and streamlined method selection, directly leading to the creation of the UX Workflow Checklist.
- OASIS UI Audit: Applying the tools and processes to a live project resulted in more efficient collaboration and clearer scoping of deliverables. UX leadership noted how the improved workflows reduced ambiguity and saved time, cutting what would typically have been a month-long initiative to just two weeks—a single sprint.
Outcomes
The early results of testing and iteration demonstrate the potential of these new workflows and tools to transform how the team operates. While this initiative is still ongoing, the following indicators show significant progress:
Efficiency Gains
Rework has been reduced by approximately 20%, saving an estimated two weeks per project.
Improved Collaboration
Clear roles and workflows have strengthened alignment between designers and stakeholders, reducing friction and enabling a more streamlined process.
Leadership Recognition
The COO praised the initiative for its potential business impact, emphasizing the team’s renewed “science-based approach to UX.”
Reflections
Lessons Learned
This initiative taught me valuable lessons about driving change, fostering collaboration, and building scalable solutions:
01
Collaboration Drives Change
Engaging advocates like Mathew and creating spaces for team feedback was critical for adoption and buy-in.
02
Iteration is Essential
Feedback shaped and strengthened every tool and process, ensuring they addressed the team’s needs.
03
DesignOps Needs Scalable Solutions
Effective DesignOps practices go beyond quick fixes by establishing adaptable foundations that evolve with the team's needs, ensuring sustainable growth and long-term success.
I’m proud that this initiative has brought the team together and built confidence in tackling complex challenges. While there’s still much to do, the progress has been rewarding and motivating.
Next Steps
Looking ahead, I see exciting opportunities to grow this initiative:
- Better Integration of Research into Workflows: Ensure research is conducted early and effectively, with insights shaping decisions at every phase.
- Expanding the Method Cards: Build a comprehensive set of cards tailored to the team’s unique challenges, making research methods more accessible.
- Advocating for UX in the SDLC: Partner with process transformation teams to embed UX workflows into the software development lifecycle, aligning design and development.
These steps aim to solidify our foundation and ensure the continued growth of DesignOps within the organization. By addressing these opportunities, we can create a more integrated, scalable, and data-driven approach to design that empowers the team and delivers measurable value.
