Opening Remarks
Summary
On the closing day of the Design Operations Summit 2021, the host warmly thanked the community, speakers, and facilitators for their contributions. Alana Washington, the curator, introduced the day's theme focused on the future of design operations. Attendees were guided to the agenda site (designopsummit.com) to navigate programming by time zones and encouraged to join both main and sponsor sessions, which were high-quality and free during breaks. Key sponsors like Verizon Design and Mural were acknowledged, with additional digital swag bags available for attendees. The community’s active participation on Slack in channels like #do-general and cohort-specific groups was highlighted as a vital aspect of the conference experience. Behind-the-scenes contributors such as sketchnote artist MJ Broadband and resource curator Lauren Cantor received special recognition for enhancing the conference content. Finally, the importance of adhering to the virtual code of conduct was stressed to maintain a safe and respectful environment throughout the event.
Key Insights
-
•
Community involvement through surveys and Slack channels is critical to the conference's success and engagement.
-
•
Providing both paid main content and free sponsor sessions creates inclusive opportunities for a wider audience.
-
•
Sponsors contribute not only financially but also with manpower and high-quality content workshops.
-
•
Digital swag bags serve as an innovative alternative to physical conference giveaways in virtual events.
-
•
Slack channels are segmented to support general discussion, specific cohorts, and help requests.
-
•
Behind-the-scenes roles like sketchnote artists and resource curators significantly enhance user experience.
-
•
Conference content and resources are quickly made available online, reducing the need for note-taking during sessions.
-
•
Emphasizing a strong code of conduct online helps ensure a safe and inclusive virtual learning environment.
-
•
Curators like Alana Washington shape the thematic focus, guiding the overarching narrative for event days.
-
•
Transparency about scheduling and time zones reduces confusion and supports global participation.
Notable Quotes
"This is our third and final day of the design operation Summit 2021."
"Our community would not be what it is without you."
"The most highly rated part of the conference every year are the facilitators making the cohorts sing."
"Sponsor sessions are not sales pitches; they are super similar to the quality of the main conference session."
"We have over a thousand members in the #do-general Slack channel, and that’s where the party is at."
"If you want to take advantage of asking speakers questions and having discussions, join our Slack."
"There is no need to take notes; session notes, sketchnotes, resource lists, videos, and decks will be shared."
"Lauren Cantor works with companies to create new business strategies by tackling human-centered design."
"Please read our code of conduct to ensure everyone can be their fullest selves while respecting others."
"If you ever feel unsafe or threatened, please let us know in the #do-help channel."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"You want to catch accessibility defects early through automated testing in your CI/CD pipeline, what we call shifting left."
Sheri Byrne-HaberAccessibility at Scale
June 9, 2021
"Most users don't know what they want until you show it to them."
Prayag Narula Hannah HudsonEmpowering Designers to do Good Research
March 11, 2022
"The hardest skill to recruit for is someone who can consult and ask the right questions to uncover what the request really is."
Janelle EstesUX Research Trends
January 28, 2021
"Our customers actually live in Siberia and they don't want ice cream, they want hot cookies out of the oven."
Craig Brookes Andreas Huebner Morgan Quinn"Just Make it Look Good" and Other Ways We're Misunderstood
June 11, 2021
"Respondents who feel very connected are twice as likely to say they’re making a significant impact."
Marc Fonteijn Ru ButlerIncrease your confidence, influence, and impact (through a Professional Community)
December 3, 2024
"The longer you take to recognize research ops and scale your team, the harder it becomes to amplify the value of your research investment — Carrie, Booking.com."
Kate TowseyThe State of ResearchOps: More Than Just Theory
June 20, 2019
"Creating safety requires specific, behavioral agreements you can observe and practice."
Alla WeinbergDesign Teams Need Psychological Safety: Here’s How to Create It
September 9, 2022
"A government designer aims to reduce UX variation while a contractor may optimize only their single product, creating potential conflicts."
Shawna Hein Kevin HoffmanCreate a Cohesive Civic Design Practice Across Agency, Vendors, and Contracts
November 17, 2022
"Positive mutual regard helps uncover root causes behind people’s behaviors to build collaboration rather than combat."
Tricia WangSCALE: Discussion
June 15, 2018
