49. Design Leadership & Org Design (feat. Peter Merholz, co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs)

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Apr 18, 2025

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INSIGHT

User Experience Is Everyone's Job

User experience is an outcome everyone in the organization shares responsibility for. - Design alone cannot own the entire user experience; product management, engineering, and business decisions also shape it.

ANECDOTE

Leadership Transformed Warriors' Success

The Golden State Warriors won championships after changing only their coach, not players. - Leadership and team environment transformation can unlock existing talent to succeed.

ADVICE

Create Clear Career Frameworks

Define clear career frameworks mapping both craft and leadership skills to guide hiring and growth. - Without clarity, organizations risk inconsistent hiring and role misalignment.

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In this episode, Peter Merholz—co-founder of Adaptive Path and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs—joins us to talk about what it really takes to build and scale effective design teams. We explore the systems, structures, and leadership mindsets that shape successful organizations, the relationships between product and design teams, and how design leaders can foster clarity, consistency, and impact as their teams grow. Whether you’re managing a team or aspiring to, this conversation is packed with insights on navigating the evolving role of design in today’s organizations.

Learn More About Peter:

Website: https://petermerholz.com/

Newsletter: https://petermerholz.com/newsletter/

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/petermerholz

Podcast: https://findingourway.design/

Book: https://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com/

Full-Day Courses (also available in half-day formats):

DesignOps: Scaling UX Design: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/scaling-ux-design-and-user-research/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

Product and UX: Building Partnerships for Better Outcomes: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/product-and-ux/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

Leading Highly Effective UX Teams: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/leading-ux-teams/?lm=pm-ux-different-views-of-responsibilities&pt=article&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

UX Leader: Essential Skills for Any UX Practitioner: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/ux-leadership-skills-for-all/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

New UX Managers: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/new-manager/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

Related Free NN/g Articles:

DesignOps: Study Guide: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/design-ops-study-guide/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

Product & UX: Study Guide: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/product-and-ux-study-guide/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50

PM and UX Have Markedly Different Views of Their Job Responsibilities: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/pm-ux-different-views-of-responsibilities/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50