Process
Design program management
I started in design operations as Splunk's first design program manager. The job was to give 60+ designers the tools, space, plans and rituals to do their best work: roadmaps, capacity, critique and the programs behind a new design system.
What design operations covers
The parts of running a design org that sit outside the design work itself.
Tools and contracts
Negotiated the move to Figma, onboarded the team, and consolidated older tools. Together that saved about $1M.
Where: Splunk
Hardware and software
Procured high-resolution monitors, computer hardware, test devices and perpetual-license software.
Where: Splunk
Space
Redesigned the team's floor layout with workplace operations, and designed a dedicated design studio for sprints, large meetings and all-hands showcases.
Where: Splunk
Onboarding
Onboarded 50+ people into the design org with the tools, access and context to start well.
Where: Splunk
Partnerships
Renegotiated the design org's existing vendor partnerships.
Where: Splunk
Planning and programs
How design work gets planned, staffed, reviewed and shipped.
- 1Roadmap planning
- 2Capacity planning
- 3Sprints
- 4Design critique
- 5Ship and showcase
- 1Roadmap planning
- 2Capacity planning
- 3Sprints
- 4Design critique
- 5Ship and showcaseback to 1
What shipped and what slipped feeds the next roadmap
After step 5, the process returns to step 1: What shipped and what slipped feeds the next roadmap
Prisma design system
Program management for Prisma, Splunk's first internal design system, built by a team of about ten designers, a researcher and a design technologist.
Where: Splunk
Roadmap planning
Ran roadmap planning so design work was sequenced against product priorities and visible to partners.
Where: Splunk
Capacity planning
Planned design capacity so commitments matched the people available to do the work.
Where: Splunk
Design critique
Ran design critiques so work got structured feedback before it shipped.
Where: Splunk
Rapid app refresh
Kept the Design Systems team sprinting through a fast refresh of the app.
Where: Splunk
Results
- designers supported as the first DPM
- 60+
- designers supported as the first DPM
- saved moving to Figma and consolidating tools
- ~$1M
- saved moving to Figma and consolidating tools
- internal design system at Splunk: Prisma
- 1st
- internal design system at Splunk: Prisma