Glossary

A 1:1 meeting is a regular check-in between two people in an organization – typically a manager and an employee. It's used to give feedback, keep each other in the loop, resolve issues, and help the participants grow in their roles.

refers to the design of products, services, and environments that are usable and accessible to people with disabilities. It involves removing barriers to participation, ensuring equal access to information, and promoting inclusion and diversity. Accessibility helps to ensure that everyone can fully engage with and benefit from the designed solutions.

The time when org-wide budgets and goals are set for the coming year. Also, a time of year when DesignOps people should be sent gifts. Flowers work.

the process of strategically managing and allocating resources, including human resources, time, and other assets, to effectively meet the demands and requirements of design projects. It involves assessing the available resources, understanding the scope and complexity of projects, and making informed decisions on how to allocate resources to ensure that design teams can deliver their work within the given constraints. Capacity planning takes into account factors such as team skills, workload distribution, project timelines, and potential bottlenecks to optimize resource utilization and ensure that design projects can be completed on time and within budget. It helps organizations maintain a balanced workload, avoid resource shortages or overloads, and achieve efficient and effective design operations.

Chief Design Officer

short for conversational user interface, refers to a design approach that enables interaction between humans and digital systems through natural language conversations. Instead of traditional graphical user interfaces, conversational UI utilizes chatbots, voice assistants, and messaging platforms to facilitate communication. This design approach aims to provide users with a more intuitive and conversational experience, allowing them to interact with technology in a manner similar to how they would interact with another person. It often involves the use of natural language processing and artificial intelligence technologies to understand and respond to user inputs effectively.

short for conversational user experience, refers to the overall user experience when engaging with conversational interfaces or systems. It encompasses the design and optimization of interactions, user flows, and the overall user journey within a conversational interface. The goal of conversational UX is to create a seamless, intuitive, and engaging experience for users during their conversations with chatbots, voice assistants, or other conversational systems. This involves considerations such as designing clear and natural language interactions, providing helpful prompts or suggestions, and ensuring that the conversational experience aligns with user expectations and goals. The aim is to create a positive user experience that effectively meets the user's needs and fosters effective communication and engagement.

The Crazy 8s exercise is a brainstorming technique commonly used in design thinking and agile methodologies. It involves taking a blank sheet of paper and folding it into eight equal sections. Participants then have eight minutes to generate as many ideas as possible within each section, quickly sketching or writing down their ideas. The time constraint and rapid ideation process encourage participants to think creatively and generate a wide range of ideas, fostering innovation and problem-solving.

a decision-making framework that clarifies decision-making roles and responsibilities. DACI stands for Driver, Approver, Contributor, and Informed, and is used to ensure that all stakeholders understand their roles in making and implementing decisions. The model helps streamline decision-making processes and fosters accountability, transparency, and collaboration.

Digital Asset Management

a design crit, short for “critique”, is a feedback session in which designers present their work to a group of peers or experts for evaluation and improvement. The purpose is to receive constructive criticism on the design, to identify its strengths and weaknesses, and to refine the work further. Design crits can be formal or informal and are used in various design disciplines, including graphic design and product design.

Design debt is the cost of design decisions made in the past that may need to be addressed in the future. It can lead to inconsistencies, usability issues, and visual problems in a product that can accumulate over time if left unaddressed.

A written record that documents the design decisions made during a project. It outlines the rationale, trade-offs, and implications of the decision, and serves as a reference for future decisions and communication with stakeholders. The document helps promote transparency, accountability, and alignment among project stakeholders.

The level of sophistication and effectiveness in managing design processes, systems, and resources within an organization. It represents the organization's understanding and integration of design as a strategic asset, including design strategy, leadership support, defined processes, DesignOps practices, a design-centric culture, skilled talent, and measurable outcomes. As design maturity increases, the organization becomes more adept at leveraging design to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and achieve business objectives.

a set of guidelines or beliefs that guide the design process and ensure that design solutions are effective and impactful. They are usually based on user needs, business goals, and ethical considerations, and help to ensure that design decisions are consistent, coherent, and aligned with broader design strategies. For more info check out https://principles.design/.

Design systems are a set of standards, guidelines, and reusable components that facilitate the creation of consistent and cohesive user experiences across a product or organization. They help teams work more efficiently, reduce design debt, and ensure brand consistency, while also improving the usability and accessibility of products.

a reusable and modular element of a design system that helps to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability in design. It can include visual design elements, code snippets, documentation, and guidelines, and serves as a building block for creating larger design solutions. Design system components help to streamline design workflows and promote design quality and consistency.

A design token is a reusable design element that defines visual and functional attributes, such as colors, typography, spacing, and icons, in a design system. They help ensure consistency and scalability in design by providing a single source of truth for these elements across an organization's products and platforms.

Design Management Office. Where the top design authority sits.

DoD stands for "Definition of Done." It refers to a set of criteria or standards that define when a design task or project can be considered complete or "done." The Definition of Done helps ensure clarity and alignment within a design team by outlining the specific requirements and expectations that must be met before a design deliverable can be considered finished. These criteria typically encompass aspects such as design quality, functionality, usability, visual consistency, and adherence to design guidelines. The DoD serves as a guideline or checklist that helps maintain consistency and facilitates effective collaboration and communication within the design operations process.

DoR stands for "Definition of Ready." It refers to a set of criteria or prerequisites that a design task or project must meet before it can be considered ready to be worked on by the design team. The Definition of Ready helps ensure that the necessary information, resources, and conditions are in place for designers to effectively and efficiently tackle a given task. These criteria may include clear project objectives, well-defined requirements, access to relevant assets or data, alignment with stakeholder expectations, and any other factors that are crucial for designers to begin their work. The DoR helps streamline the design process, reduce ambiguity, and ensure that designers have the necessary support to deliver high-quality outcomes.

a visual framework that guides the problem-solving and innovation process in design thinking. It consists of four phases: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. The process begins with the Discover phase, where designers explore and gather insights to understand the problem and the needs of users. In the Define phase, the insights are synthesized to define the problem statement and establish a clear design brief. The Develop phase involves generating and iterating on ideas, prototyping solutions, and testing them with users. Finally, in the Deliver phase, the refined solution is implemented and launched, aiming to meet the users' needs effectively. The double diamond represents the divergent and convergent thinking involved in each phase, emphasizing the importance of exploration and refinement in the design process.

Design Program Manager

Engineering, product, design

short for Generative User Interface, is an approach in user interface (UI) design that leverages data-driven insights and algorithms to automatically generate and adapt user interfaces based on user needs, preferences, and contextual factors. It involves using machine learning, artificial intelligence, and automation techniques to dynamically generate UI components, layouts, and interactions in real-time. By analyzing user data, behavior patterns, and environmental factors, generative UI aims to create personalized, adaptive, and contextually relevant interfaces that optimize the user experience. This approach enables UI design to be more responsive, efficient, and tailored to individual users, providing a more engaging and customized interaction with digital products or systems.

short for Generative User Experience, is an iterative and data-informed approach in UX design that focuses on generating novel design solutions and improving the overall user experience. It involves using research methods, data analysis, and experimentation to gather insights about user behavior, needs, and preferences. These insights inform the creation of new design concepts, features, or improvements that address user pain points and enhance the user experience. Generative UX encourages collaboration, iteration, and continuous learning to create user-centered solutions. By leveraging data and iterative design cycles, generative UX aims to create innovative and impactful experiences that better meet user expectations and goals.

an approach to design that considers the broader impact of products and services on society and the environment. It involves understanding and empathizing with the needs, aspirations, and values of diverse stakeholders, and creating solutions that prioritize social responsibility, sustainability, and ethical considerations.

Blend of in-person and remote operations. This means some employees work in the office and some work from home, and there’s an operational framework to make it happen.

Individual contributor

An approach to designing products, services, and experiences that are accessible and usable by the widest possible range of people, regardless of their age, ability, culture, or background. It involves empathizing with diverse user needs and perspectives and integrating them into the design process to create more inclusive solutions.

stands for Interaction Design. It is a discipline within the field of design that focuses on creating meaningful and intuitive interactions between users and digital products, systems, or services. Interaction designers aim to enhance the user experience by designing interfaces, interactions, and animations that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional, considering factors such as usability, accessibility, and user goals.

Key Performance Indicator. metric(s) to track performance over time for specific goals.

Out Of Office

An Ops Guild refers to a collaborative community of professionals within an organization who are dedicated to the field of operations management. It serves as a platform for knowledge sharing, best practices, and skill development in the realm of operations. Members of an Ops Guild typically include operations managers, analysts, strategists, and other relevant stakeholders. The guild fosters a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and efficiency by facilitating cross-functional collaboration, conducting workshops, organizing training sessions, and promoting the exchange of ideas. It aims to enhance operational excellence, optimize processes, and drive the achievement of organizational goals through the collective expertise and experience of its members.

Organizational operations, commonly referred to as org ops, encompass the processes, systems, and strategies implemented within an organization to ensure smooth and efficient day-to-day operations. It involves managing and optimizing various aspects of the organization, such as workflow, resource allocation, performance tracking, and coordination among different teams or departments. Org ops focus on enhancing productivity, streamlining processes, and achieving operational excellence to support the overall goals and objectives of the organization.

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a strategic framework that outlines the process and guidelines for effectively collaborating with external partners, such as agencies, freelancers, or contractors, in the context of design operations. It defines the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of both the organization and the partner throughout the engagement. The model typically covers areas such as project scoping, resource allocation, communication channels, feedback loops, and project delivery. A well-defined partner engagement model helps ensure alignment, streamline workflows, optimize resource utilization, and foster successful partnerships, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of design operations within the organization.

Product Data Exchange

People Operations. The operationalization of the people at a company. Sometimes this is a team function within DesignOps, sometimes this is a department of HR. Sometimes neither or both.

Product lifecycle

Product-led growth

The operationalization of the practice. Within DesignOps, “PracticeOps” refers to driving effectiveness of the product design function at a company, and driving user value across the broader product development lifecycle.

Product requirement document

a formal document that outlines the details, requirements, and specifications of a product or feature requested by stakeholders. It serves as a communication tool between different teams, such as product managers, engineers, designers, and stakeholders, to ensure a clear understanding of the desired product outcome. A PRD typically includes information such as the product's purpose, features, user stories, technical requirements, timelines, and any constraints or dependencies. It helps in aligning expectations, setting priorities, and guiding the development process. A well-crafted PRD provides a comprehensive roadmap for building the product, facilitating effective collaboration and reducing misunderstandings.

Paid Time Off

Research operations is the orchestration and optimization of people, processes, and craft in order to amplify the value and impact of research at scale.

Request for proposal

Return on investment

Software development lifecycle

Service design is an interdisciplinary approach that focuses on creating and improving services to enhance user experiences and meet customer needs. It involves understanding customer journeys, identifying pain points, and designing solutions that deliver value. Service designers use research, empathy, and co-creation methods to analyze and visualize the service ecosystem, incorporating touchpoints, interactions, and processes. They collaborate with stakeholders to develop innovative service concepts, map out service blueprints, and prototype and test solutions. The goal of service design is to create seamless, customer-centric experiences that align with business goals and drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The separation of different types of employees, often defined by the department in which they work.

Single Sign-On

Single source of truth

Story points are units of measure for expressing an estimate of the overall effort required to fully implement a product backlog item or any other piece of work.

System Usability Scale

Technical debt refers to the cost of shortcuts taken in software development, resulting in the accumulation of code that is inefficient, difficult to maintain, or does not adhere to best practices. If left unaddressed, technical debt can lead to increased development costs, longer time-to-market, and decreased overall product quality.

Technical Program Manager

the process of creating meaningful and valuable experiences for users when interacting with a product, service, or system. It involves understanding users' needs, goals, and behaviors through research and analysis, and using that knowledge to design intuitive and user-centric solutions. UX designers employ various techniques, such as user research, information architecture, interaction design, and visual design, to craft seamless and enjoyable experiences. The aim of UX design is to optimize usability, accessibility, and satisfaction, ultimately delivering products that meet user expectations and business objectives. It encompasses the entire user journey, from initial discovery to ongoing engagement and beyond.

the systematic process of gathering insights and understanding user behaviors, needs, and preferences to inform the design and improvement of products or services. It involves employing various qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect data, such as user interviews, usability testing, surveys, and analytics. UX researchers analyze this data to uncover patterns, identify pain points, and generate actionable recommendations. By empathizing with users and integrating their feedback, UX research aims to create user-centered designs that enhance usability, satisfaction, and overall user experience, ultimately driving business success and user engagement.

UXW, also known as content design or microcopy, refers to the practice of crafting clear, concise, and user-centered text that guides and enhances the user's experience within digital interfaces. UX writers collaborate closely with designers, researchers, and other stakeholders to ensure that every word and piece of content in an application or website is intentional and supports the user's goals and tasks. They focus on creating user-friendly labels, instructions, error messages, and other interface elements that communicate effectively and contribute to a seamless and intuitive user experience. UX writing plays a crucial role in shaping the tone, voice, and overall usability of digital products.

an approach to design that prioritizes the needs, goals, and preferences of users. It involves empathizing with users, understanding their behaviors and motivations, and incorporating their feedback into the design process to create products and services that are usable, accessible, and desirable.

Cross-functional. Usually referring to partners like product, engineering, data, writing, or other key teams outside of design and designops.