Rosenfeld Review Podcast Designing your Design Org with Kristin Skinner and Peter Merholz
11 snips
Aug 20, 2019 
In this engaging discussion, Kristin Skinner, a design leader and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs, teams up with Peter Merholz, co-founder of Adaptive Path, to explore the complexities of design organizations. They highlight their journeys from individual contributors to leaders, emphasizing the need for adaptive design practices. The duo also delves into fostering psychological safety and the importance of diverse skill sets in design teams. Their insights shine a light on effective management strategies that can enhance collaboration and innovation within organizations.
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Peter's Transition to Org Design
- Peter Merholz transitioned from a creative director role to focus on organizational and operational challenges as a VP of design at Groupon.
- He found that managing a large design team required addressing hiring, structuring teams, and retention to deliver the best experience.
Kristin's Path to Design Operations
- Kristin Skinner began her career as a UX team of one within large engineering teams, evolving to managing coordination across diverse design disciplines.
- At Adaptive Path, she helped build a design operations practice to address operational and managerial challenges in design.
Adapting Studio Model Internally
- Successful design firms' intentional culture and design roles can be adapted within organizations to avoid broken internal agency models.
- Rebuilding design organizations requires principles supporting designer effectiveness in cross-functional contexts.
