Summary

The website content outlines the importance of DesignOps and provides a template for documenting design and research processes, with a focus on the approach taken by Lokalise.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the critical role of documentation in design operations, particularly for portfolio building, team transparency, and onboarding new team members. It details the benefits of having a well-maintained design repository, such as simplifying portfolio creation and fostering understanding within broader teams. The author shares insights into Lokalise's documentation practices, highlighting their use of Confluence as a tool for recording design decisions and explorations. A template for a Product Design Summary page is provided, which includes metadata, problem statements, user research insights, design exploration, and lessons learned. The piece underscores that such documentation is not merely an organizational tool but a practice that enhances clarity, storytelling, and continuous improvement in the design process.

Opinions

Documentation is undervalued but essential for design professionals to track their work effectively.
A comprehensive design repository is invaluable for onboarding new team members and maintaining project continuity.
Transparency in the design process through documentation ensures that all team members are aligned with project goals and challenges.
The process of documentation forces designers to be clear about their objectives and to develop their narrative skills.
Proper documentation is key to building a portfolio, as it keeps a record of every design decision and exploration.
The choice of documentation tool (e.g., Confluence or Notion) should serve as the company's single source of truth for documentation.
Documenting design exploration, including competitor reviews and design iterations, contributes to a project's success and future improvements.

DesignOps: A Template to Document Design and Research Process

Imagine sitting down, energized and eager, ready to compile your best works into a stunning portfolio. The scene is set, but there’s a catch. Instead of smoothly assembling your masterpieces, you find yourself diving deep into a maze of files, chasing forgotten designs and old projects, as minutes turn into hours.

Documentation, often overlooked, is undeniably crucial in the design process. Not only is it invaluable for crafting our portfolio, but it also fosters transparency within the broader company. It offers future team members a window into the problems we tackled, the insights we uncovered, and the design journeys we embarked on.

The Power of Documentation

Portfolio Building: Every artist, designer, or developer knows the struggle of trying to compile a portfolio. Hours upon hours are spent trying to trace back through projects, looking for that elusive piece of work or a particular design. Proper documentation simplifies this process, ensuring that your work is always at your fingertips.
Transparency with Wider Teams: When working in a corporate or team setting, it’s essential to share the design and development process with other members. Documenting your work ensures everyone remains on the same page and understands the goals and challenges of the project.
Onboarding New Members: For individuals who join a project mid-way or are new to the team, having a comprehensive design repository is invaluable. It allows them to understand the project’s history, the problems that were addressed, and the design decisions that were made.

A Glimpse into How We Document at Lokalise

At Lokalise, we recognized the importance of documentation early on. Last year, we initiated the process of building our product design and research repository, aiming to keep a record of every design decision and exploration.

We chose Confluence as our primary tool because it serves as the company’s single source of truth for documentation. However, platforms like Notion can serve the same purpose effectively.

Our landing page is designed for clarity. Visitors can immediately see ongoing projects, their status through Jira tickets, the team members involved, and the last update date.

How the Details Looks like

When designers embark on a new project, they use our template to create a Product Design Summary page. This page captures essential metadata, including project status, start and estimated end dates, and links to relevant tools like Jira, Figma, and Productboard.

Problem Statement and Research

This section allows the designer to define the problem succinctly. They can also include user research insights, quotes, screenshots, and user journey details. Lets look into the details one by one.

Problem Statement

This is a concise declaration of the issue that the project aims to address. It should be direct and clear, giving anyone who reads it an immediate understanding of the project’s objective.

Example: “Users are finding it difficult to navigate the current dashboard, leading to increased support requests.”

User Research Insights

After conducting user research, designers gather various observations and findings about user behavior, preferences, pain points, and needs. For example: “A significant portion of users (60%) struggled to find the settings option in the application, indicating a potential issue with its placement or visibility.”

It can also be screenshots where we show visual evidence, often annotated, that highlights specific issues or areas of interest in the current design. Or user journey details: This maps out the user’s experience from start to finish, highlighting touchpoints, actions, emotions, and potential roadblocks.

Design Exploration Process

As the project progresses, designers can document their exploration process. This includes competitor reviews, design iterations, research plans, success metrics, implementation plans, and lessons learned.

Competitor Reviews

Evaluating the design solutions of competitors or similar products. This helps in understanding market standards, identifying gaps, and gathering inspiration.

Example: A side-by-side comparison of our application’s dashboard with that of a leading competitor, highlighting the differences in layout, features, and user flow.

Design Iterations

These are different versions or evolutions of a design. As feedback is received and tested, the design undergoes modifications.

Example: Version 1.0 of the dashboard might have the settings button at the top right. After user feedback, Version 1.1 might move it to a more prominent position on the left sidebar.

Research Plans

A structured approach to gather user feedback. This might include methodologies, questions to be asked, segments of users to be targeted, and timelines.

Example: Conducting a series of user testing sessions over two weeks, targeting long-term users of the application to gather feedback on the new dashboard design.

Success Metrics

Defined criteria to evaluate the success of the design changes.

Example: A 50% reduction in support tickets related to dashboard navigation issues within a month of implementing the new design.

Implementation Plans

This outlines how the design will be brought to life. It includes steps, timelines, and collaboration with other departments, such as development.

Example: A phased rollout of the new dashboard design, with the first release targeting 10% of the user base, followed by full deployment after two weeks of monitoring and feedback.

Lessons Learned

Reflective insights and takeaways post-implementation. This is essential for continuous improvement.

Example: “While the new settings button placement reduced support tickets, it also led to fewer users accessing advanced features. Future designs should balance visibility with user engagement.”

Key takeaway

Our design repository is not just a tool; it’s a practice. It forces designers to be crystal clear about their objectives and to hone their storytelling skills. More than that, it ensures that every project is documented in a manner that will be beneficial for years to come.

In conclusion, building a comprehensive product design repository is not just about staying organized; it’s about setting up for future success, ensuring transparency, and continually improving as a designer. Whether you’re an individual or part of a larger team, consider the value of documentation in your journey.