1.
Organization Design for
Design Organizations
Peter Merholz
e: peterme@peterme.com
t: @peterme

2.
To deliver great user experiences…
I just need to get the design right
strategy
organization

3.
Why are companies investing more in design?
Generates new business value Software is eating the world

4.
The Expanding Role
of Design

5.
All design is service design

6.
Definition Execution
Definition
/ Requirem
ents
Iterative design
Im
plem
entation
Strategy and plan,
aka “Build the right thing.”
Working through tradeoffs to deliver optimal solution,
aka “Build the thing right.”
Ideation/Generation
Understand
the market
Product
Strategy
Prototype
Customer
empathy Ideation
Experience
strategy
Prototype
solutions
Flesh out
solution Refine
Sketch
options
Test
prototypes
User test Build
design makes strategy concrete design supports delightful, engaging experiences
Plan Ship
Analyze
By Peter Merholz, http://peterme.com. If you use it, please attribute it. Thanks.
Initial
Insight

7.
Design informs planning
Henrik Kniberg

8.
The Three-Legged Stool
product/service
business
technology
design
Adapted from Don Norman

9.
Organizational Models for
Design Teams

10.
Capability Assessment
1 ft
Surface
Typography, color, layout, interface design, spacing, animation,
transitions
40%
10,000 ft
1,000 ft
The Big Picture
Integrated view of company’s entire offering, brand traits
5%
100 ft
Strategy
Requirements, briefs, desired results, planning, vision,
campaign concepts
15%
10 ft
Structure
Flows, service blueprints, wireframes, wayfinding, navigation,
brand standards and guidelines, visual language
40%

11.
Centralized Internal Services
Your in-house agency
Project-based, organized by function
PROS
Strong design community
Clear lines of authority
Wide range of projects
Interface consistency
Efficiencies of work product
Optimized headcount
CONS
Design is not strategic
Little influence on important
“upstream” decisions
Designers easily dismissed
Us vs Them
Business unit disconnection

12.
D D
DP P P P P P
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E
E
E
E
DE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
D D DDD
Leadership
Decentralized and Embedded

13.
Decentralized and Embedded
Everyone Gets A Designer!
Program-based
PROS
Business units gain control
Part of the team
Design included throughout entire
lifecycle
Feeling of ownership
Quick iterations post-launch
CONS
One narrow problem for a long time
Lonely
Fractured user experience
Less efficient use of time and people

14.
So, you’re screwed either way?

15.
D D
DP P P P P P
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E
E
E
E
DE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
D D DDD
Leadership

16.
S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E
E
E
E
DE
D D D
DD
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership

17.
S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E
E
E
E
DE
D D D
DD
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
Centralized Partnership

18.
Centralized Partnership
Best of both worlds
Designers supported in career, development,
and day-to-day.
Design teams maintain commitment across a meaningful set of
products/features.
Yet centralization helps maintain a holistic view across the entire
customer experience.
Freedom to shift after ‘tours of duty’.
Not disrupted by inevitable re-organizations.

19.
Think in terms of design teams

20.
Structure of each design team
4-7 folks
Singular strong leadership
• Manages down – gets the most and best out of their team
• Manages across – collaborates with cross-functional partners
• Manages up – presents to executives and other stakeholders
Best organized around business problems, not
functions
Spread of skills – strategy, planning, research,
IxD, IA, visual design, prototyping
10,000 ft
1 ft
10 ft
100 ft
1,000 ft
S
S
D
D
D
DD

21.
Definition Execution
Understand
the market
Product
Strategy
Prototype
Customer
empathy Ideation
Experience
strategy
Prototype
solutions
Flesh out
solution Refine
Sketch
options
Test
prototypes
User test Build
Initial
Insight
Plan Ship
Analyze
By Peter Merholz, http://peterme.com. If you use it, please attribute it. Thanks.

22.
Definition Execution
Understand
the market
Product
Strategy
Prototype
Customer
empathy Ideation
Experience
strategy
Initial
Insight
By Peter Merholz, http://peterme.com. If you use it, please attribute it. Thanks.
Plan

23.
That said...

24.
Definition Execution
Understand
the market
Product
Strategy
Prototype
Customer
empathy Ideation
Experience
strategy
Initial
Insight
By Peter Merholz, http://peterme.com. If you use it, please attribute it. Thanks.
Plan
It’s better to iterate here...
...than here

25.
Organize for the
customer journey

26.
If you’re designing for this...
Then it is senseless to have marketing and product/UX
design on different teams.
It’s all the same customer journey.

27.
Keep teams focused on user types
Search /
Browse
Details Purchase
List Offering Enter Details
Redeem
Redeem
Review
Analyze
BUYER
SELLER Sell item

28.
Keep teams focused on user types
Search /
Browse
Details Purchase
List Offering Enter Details
Redeem
Redeem
Review
Analyze
BUYER
SELLER Sell item

29.
Search /
Browse
Keep teams focused on user types
Details Purchase
List Offering Enter Details
Redeem
Redeem
Review
Analyze
BUYER
SELLER
Book
Update
Calendar
Make a
Reservation
Sell item

30.
Where does
Design report?

31.
Creative Operational
photo: David Shankbone

32.
Designers can keep a lot
of other people busy

33.
S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E
E
E
E
DE
D D D
DD
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
6
21-
31

34.
With a
1) centralized partnership,
2) teams with strong leadership,
3) influencing definition, and
4) a relatively small team,
you have leverage.

35.
Leverage = Power
There’s no reason design can’t be
the driving force.
We just need confidence, evidence,
and commitment.

36.
One more thing...

37.
D D
DP P P P P P
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E
E
E
E
DE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
D D DDD
Leadership
Decentralized and Embedded

38.
S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E
E
E
E
DE
D D D
DD
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
Centralized Partnership

39.
Technology Features Experience

40.
S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E E
E
E
E
E
DE
D D D
DD
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
Still stuck in a “features” world

41.
S S
Design
Team
D D D
DD
Shopping
Experience
Gifting
Merchandising
Sharing
Social
Wishlists
In-store pickup
Style guide
PLUS
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews

42.
Thank you for your
consideration.
Peter Merholz
e: peterme@peterme.com
t: @peterme