In 2023, I stepped into the role of Design Manager for HCL Digital Experience (DX), where I restructured the Indian-Filipino team to mirror the organization of DX’s development squads. I introduced a squad lead role to support me during Gatekeeper reviews and to guide the team through their day-to-day tasks within the two-week sprints which allows me to focus on further responsibilities at the same time. To ensure quality and collaboration, I implemented a Peer Review process that designers complete before presenting their work in Gatekeeper reviews.
Our design tickets cover various stages of the design process, including research, flowcharting, ideation, and high-fidelity designs. While some tickets span multiple phases of the process, the complexity of our product often requires us to tackle each phase step by step. Each designer is responsible for a specific area of the product, ensuring ownership and accountability. Occasionally, tasks are distributed among multiple designers; in such cases, the area designer oversees alignment with Product Owners, developers, and customers.
This structure has proven resilient through multiple team reorganizations and has significantly enhanced both the quality of our work and the reputation of our team. Our file templates have become reference points for other teams across products, and our processes are frequently adopted by others. We take pride in sharing our successes and learnings with the broader community.
I’ve instilled key principles within the team—“If you want something, you need to go for it,” “Sharing is caring,” and “Communication is key”—which have become foundational to how we operate. These practices have not only strengthened our current team but continue to resonate with former team members who carry these values forward in their careers.