SCALING DESIGN
CAPABILITY
THE CHALLENGE
When I joined Zoro, design was growing quickly but lacked the organizational structure needed to scale effectively. The team was primarily delivery-focused, with no dedicated research function, no design operations discipline, and no shared systems to support consistency, quality, or long-term efficiency.
As the product organization expanded:
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UX maturity varied widely across teams
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Research was ad hoc or absent
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Design systems efforts had stalled due to unclear ownership
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Accessibility was treated as reactive remediation rather than preventative practice
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Designers lacked clear growth paths and leveling clarity
The organization needed to evolve design from a service function into a durable, multi-discipline capability.
ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS IN PRACTICE
DESIGN APPROACH
I focused on building the foundational structure required to mature UX at scale, not just increasing headcount.
Key elements of the approach included:
1. Establishing New Design Specialties
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Built Research and Design Operations as dedicated functions from the ground up
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Defined ownership boundaries so design systems, tooling, and governance lived within Design Ops
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Clarified how research, design, and product partnered across discovery and delivery
2. Maturing Design Operations
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Centralized design system efforts under Design Ops to improve consistency and adoption
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Introduced operating rhythms, reviews, and shared practices across teams
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Established clearer intake, prioritization, and collaboration models
3. Developing Talent & Career Infrastructure
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Created a design career path and skills matrix to support leveling, growth, and promotion
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Clarified role expectations across IC and leadership tracks
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Used the framework to guide hiring, feedback, and development conversations
4. Driving UX Maturity Intentionally
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Set explicit team goals around improving UX maturity
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Used internal personas, roadmaps, and team summits to align around shared vision and values
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Framed accessibility and systems work as quality and risk mitigation, not compliance tasks
OUTCOMES
While I was at Zoro:
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Research and Design Operations became established, embedded functions
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Design systems gained clearer ownership and improved adoption
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UX maturity increased across teams through shared practices and expectations
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Designers had clearer growth paths and development frameworks
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Design operated with greater consistency, leverage, and strategic influence
Design shifted from reactive delivery to a more mature, scalable organizational capability.
DECISIONS I INFLUENCED
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Influenced the creation and structure of Research and Design Operations as dedicated design specialties
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Defined where design systems ownership should live to support scale and governance
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Established career frameworks to improve designer growth, retention, and leveling clarity
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Shaped how UX maturity was measured, discussed, and prioritized across teams
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Positioned accessibility and systems work as quality and risk mitigation investments