A Salesforce Panel Discussion on Values-Driven DesignOps
Summary
- Discuss practical ways to weave values into our Ops work
- Consider what’s necessary to build community and culture for hybrid design teams
- Understand how effective onboarding tools can help new team members feel welcome
- Identify the design practices and tools that keep teams and leaders aligned
Key Insights
-
•
Including physical descriptions during virtual meetings fosters inclusivity for visually impaired team members.
-
•
Salesforce's V2MOM framework (Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, Measures) aligns personal, team, and company values strategically.
-
•
Prioritizing design Ops initiatives through core values helps focus teams on work that builds connection, clarity, scalability, and kindness.
-
•
Slack workflows automate routine check-ins and gratitude sharing, enhancing remote team connection with minimal effort.
-
•
Regular peer recognition practices like 'Shout Out Thursdays' increase community and morale with low implementation effort.
-
•
Revamped onboarding processes developed with direct new hire input increase engagement and make remote welcome experiences feel supportive and confident.
-
•
Consistent, transparent communication from leadership, via structured cadences and messaging, builds trust and clarity across distributed teams.
-
•
Values serve as an anchor during rapid organizational change, helping teams to maintain trust and a cohesive culture.
-
•
Using design thinking principles such as user interviews and prototyping enhances the effectiveness of internal process improvements.
-
•
Addressing misalignment around values is best handled through private one-on-ones that explore individual perspectives before attempting realignment.
Notable Quotes
"We do this with intention of fostering a more inclusive experience for audience members who might be sight impaired."
"The V2MOM stands for Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures and is a framework every Salesforce employee uses."
"Our value of connection is brought to life through team offsites and weekly meetings with intentional moments to build connection."
"Showing gratitude through Slack workflows is a low effort, high impact way to build community and recognize everyday wins."
"Onboarding feels like somebody's holding your hand, even though you're remote, which makes a huge difference."
"Clear and consistent communication really keeps design leadership accountable and promotes transparency via knowledge sharing."
"Values determine the team environment you create; they permeate through leadership and affect performance and happiness."
"Trust takes time, hard work, and consistency to build, especially in times of change when time is a luxury we don't have."
"Always remember the power of your values in times of doubt and change; lean into what your team really stands for."
"If you find someone not following values, start with a one-on-one to understand their point of view and realign together."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"You have to check the AI’s work and provide feedback—just like you would with a human assistant."
Mark Interrante Harry MaxAI for Prioritization (3rd of 3 seminars)
July 11, 2024
"Next year we need to have an accessibility budget. You do what you want, but that's the choice."
Patrizia BertiniThe (r)evolution of designOps: It’s Time to Think (really) BIG
September 11, 2025
"Reducing buttons from six to two and including peripheral information facilitated buying and editing while increasing conversion by 10%."
Shan ShenTranslating UX Terms into Business Contexts
November 29, 2023
"Stop, pivot, or invest early—these are the survival metric decisions that save companies."
Adam ThomasSurvival Metrics – Making Change in a Fast, Data-Informed, and Politically Safe Way
December 6, 2022
"Experiential significance is that moment in research when something just hits you as really important and impossible to ignore."
Robin BeersResearch as a Catalyst for Organizational Transformation
March 12, 2021
"Accessibility defects are bugs. If it’s a P1 blocking bug for an accessibility issue, treat it like any other P1 bug."
Sheri Byrne-HaberAccessibility at Scale
June 9, 2021
"Playbacks are stakeholder-focused meetings that sell the work’s story and drive buy-in, different from critiques focused on craft."
Joseph MeersmanSweating the Pixel: Scaling Quality through Critique
June 10, 2021
"Don't reinvent the wheel all the time; build on top of what others have built."
Deanna Washington Bria Alexander Jon Fukuda Saara Kamppari-Miller Farid SabitovConnecting the Ops: Plenary Panel and Closing Circle
September 9, 2022
"Reflecting on our power as implementers of policy, we must reciprocate by giving back information and value to those we engage."
Aaron Stienstra Lashanda HodgeLeveraging Civic Design to Advance Equity and Rebuild Trust in the US Federal Government
December 8, 2021