Org Design for Design Orgs: Building and Managing In-House Design Teams

by Peter Merholz

We propose five basic levels of growth for members of a design organization, whether those members remain individual contributors or become managers. These levels should not be taken as universal — they will need interpretation and modification to fit within a company’s existing scheme. Our leveling framework has a series of criteria to assess a team member’s progress: Theme This is the overarching professional theme for the team member at this level, the orientation and focus for their development. Title A list of suggested titles for people working at this level. Achievements Concrete accomplishments in the member’s career that have gotten them to this level. Typically companies use “x years’ experience,” but that should be of secondary concern to what they’ve actually done. Scope The scope and scale of the work this person is expected to do. Process Their relationship to a broader design and development process. People What is this person’s relationship with people on their team, and with people on other teams? Cross-functional meetings Though this may seem a minor detail, what role this person plays in cross-functional meetings (i.e., with the product development team, or shareouts to executives) is a strong indicator of their influence and visiblity. Core skills How they deepen and add core design skills (outlined in the next section). Soft skills Working as a designer is just as much about working as designing. There are interpersonal skills that enable becoming a re...