Co-building quality and operational excellence
These central resources are a collection of cross-functional guides to help support design and research work through ideation to final prototyping.
It’s difficult at times to understand how our design disciplines work together cross-functionally across the product development lifecycle to create the most optimal experiences for our users. Grounding ourselves in a blueprint and a shared understanding is critical to our success.
My Role
Central Design Manager
The Team
Central Design (Brand + Design Systems)
Product Design
Company
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI)
The Challenge
Oversee the creation of cross-functional guides spanning ideation to prototyping. Coordinate seamless collaboration among design disciplines across the product lifecycle, ensuring a shared understanding, aligned efforts, and a unified blueprint.
Focus + Leadership
Shared Understanding Development
A pivotal aspect of this project involved cultivating a shared understanding among design teams. This was achieved by promoting open dialogues, knowledge sharing, and workshops that encouraged cross-disciplinary insights.
Collaboration Streamlining
Streamlined processes to facilitate efficient communication and knowledge sharing among design disciplines. This involved integrating collaboration tools, setting up regular cross-disciplinary meetings, and fostering a culture of transparency.
Project Operations
Ensured internal team processes, schedule and format fostered efficient cross-functional collaboration.
Toolbox, Midsets & Rituals
I led an intensive two-week co-build sprint with 18 experts from various fields, including design, engineering, and data science. Our aim was to uncover key principles and philosophies to enhance our performance. We identified three core elements—toolbox, mindsets, and rituals—that now form the cornerstone of our strategy, boosting collaboration and interdisciplinary synergy for future projects.
Collaboration Tactics
Flexible instead of prescriptive
A fun output of this work was developing a dynamic set of tactics, presented in a versatile card format, to demonstrate the adaptability of our operational approaches throughout various stages of the process. By bringing together teams with diverse backgrounds and methodologies, these cards served as a powerful tool to unify and motivate our teams as we transition to a new way of working.
Early Alignment
Kick-off Template in Figjam
Kick-offs are crucial moments for discussion and aligning team members, clarifying expectations, and initiating working together.
We developed a guided template for co-creating project charters and facilitating a team kick-off session.
Research & Definition
Defining clear problem statements
Developed a quick cheat sheet (figjam template) on moving from learnings at data points to opportunity areas and HMW questions.
Synthesizing learnings is critical to find meaning in all the data collected, and enables your team to develop a point of view that will guide concept exploration/ generation.
Support to Begin Building
Utilizing the Education Design System
The Education Design System team provides the building blocks from early wireframe ideation to high fidelity components. Using these kits early on will increase scope predictability and consistency.
“Ashley holds her team and their work product to a high standard, which contributes to the broader design organization’s success.”
— Design Director, CZI
Redefining Critique
Getting feedback on the process and output of design activities from designers and/or non-designers. A design critique should move the work forward, motivate the creative team, and give everyone a cherished perspective. Our team developed a comprehensive guide for design to increase the quality of our design reviews.
Results
By effectively managing resources, enhancing collaboration, fostering shared learning, and maintaining a consistent framework, the team achieved cohesive efforts across design disciplines.
This approach underscores the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in driving successful product outcomes.
80% Adoption in frameworks
Utilization across research and design resulting in a unified approach within 0-1 product discovery.
Increased Review Quality
Improved design review clarity and participation; significantly enhanced storytelling skills of junior designers.
75% Increase Awareness
Implementing a structured design process boosted awareness and adoption of the design system during ideation by 75%.