The 7 Ps of Design Leadership
A practical guide on how to structure your responsibilities and time.
Opening Note
Design leadership is not limited to management roles and in fact, over half of the Ps directly pertain to individual contributors.
Outline
- Purpose
- Practice
- Partnerships
- Position
- People
- Process
- Product
Purpose
The Why
The outcome(s) your team is trying to accomplish, what does success look like, the importance of what you're doing, and demonstrating the care in achieving it.
Representations: Team Charter, Vision Statements, Org Maturity Models, Consistent Messaging
Partnerships
The With Whom
Design can not be successful in isolation. One of the most important aspects of Design Leadership is the support of non-Design leaders.
Representations: Design Org Updates, Cross-Discipline 1-on-1s, Shared Plans, Design Rituals for Executive Participation, Design Leader at Executive Level
Practice
The Internal Where, When, Organizational How
The foundations and the influences, from operations to culture to the environment, that shape how the Design discipline is practiced within an organization.
Representations: Team Rituals, Values, Toolset, Design Studio Space, Design System, Design Principles
This is where DesignOps & ResearchOps participate and focus deeply.
Position
The External Where
The way you outwardly represent the Design organization, within the company, its place in the community, the thought leadership of your org and individuals.
Representations: Articles, External Presentation, Community Involvement
This is where Individual Contributor leaders start to really get involved. While they don’t manage people, they directly influence how others do their job and shape the final four Ps.
People
The Who
The team members that make everything happen from how well individuals are performing, where they’re positioned, responsibilities, and your relationship trust with each. As a leader, you’re only as good as your people.
Representations: Hiring, Coaching, Onboarding, Firing, One-on-Ones, Career Growth Plans, Roles, Org Model
Process
The How
The way designers complete their work and delivery their impact.
Representations: Methodologies, Templates, Planning, Project Management
Product
The What
The destination that delivers the impact and achieves the goals that we’re seeking to solve.
Representations: Deliverables, Problem Definition, Success Metrics
