When I joined Auris, design lacked a cohesive operating model. Work was happening, but without consistent intake, prioritization, research alignment, or clear definitions of quality. This created friction across teams and made it difficult for design to operate as a strategic partner.

I saw an opportunity to build a system that would not only organize the work, but elevate the role of design across the organization.

I led the creation of a comprehensive DesignOps framework that established how design functions day-to-day and how it contributes at a leadership level. This included defining intake and prioritization models, building a design roadmap structure, introducing UX risk assessment into planning, and formalizing a Definition of Done that aligned design, product, and engineering.

I also built the foundational artifacts needed to support consistency and scale. This included a DesignOps handbook, design quality standards, research request workflows, usability testing structures, and leadership reporting formats that translated design work into business-relevant insights.

A key focus was ensuring these systems didn’t slow teams down. The goal was clarity, not process overhead. Every framework was designed to reduce ambiguity, improve decision-making, and create more space for high-quality design work.

The impact was immediate. Teams gained better visibility into design work, stakeholders had clearer expectations, and design was able to operate with greater confidence and consistency across initiatives.

This work established the operational backbone for design, allowing it to scale intentionally while maintaining both quality and velocity.

Project Overview

I built the operating system that allowed design to scale, align, and influence the business.

Building DesignOps From the Ground Up

My Role:
DesignOps architect, team leader, process builder.

What was Built:
DesignOps handbook
UX risk scoring
Definition of Done
Design quality bar
Research request process
Monthly leadership updates
Critique and review templates
Neuron handoff checklist
Design roadmap structure

MY ROLE + WHAT I BUILT

I care about systems because they protect creativity. The goal was not more process. It was less chaos, better decisions, and more room for craft.

Business Impact:

• Improved project intake clarity, reducing back-and-forth alignment cycles by ~30 percent
• Increased stakeholder confidence in design through consistent delivery and communication
• Reduced design rework caused by unclear requirements and misalignment
• Established a repeatable design roadmap model used across initiatives
• Increased research participation and usability validation across core product areas

HUMAN ANGLE + BUSINESS IMPACT

Design needed clearer intake, prioritization, quality standards, research rituals, roadmap visibility, and executive communication.

THE CHALLENGE