The Design Conductors - by Rachel Posman & John Calhoun (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Your favorite apps and programs share one thing in common: they are all thoughtfully designed. Design Operations is the business practice that ensures great design and great designers thrive and deliver meaningful impact. The Design Conductors is your comprehensive guide to DesignOps. You'll learn how to successfully advocate for, build out, scale up, and ultimately operate design organizations.

Although The Design Conductors is definitely for designers, it's also an essential field guide for product and project managers of all types. Anyone who works in the intersection of process and change management, such as healthcare, tech, or financial services, can learn the design methodologies used by DesignOps practitioners. People who work hand-in-hand with designers, particularly those in the fields of software, hardware, or creative design, will also find this book useful. Finally, leaders in design, product, business, and engineering should read this book to learn how to create their own DesignOps culture where teams who build great user experiences can thrive.

• Learn what DesignOps is and where it began.


• Explore the most common backgrounds for people who want to become DesignOps practitioners.


• Define the eight career competencies that all DesignOps practitioners share.


• Learn the practical application of building, running, and growing a DesignOps team--one that is already in existence or one that is built from scratch.


• Highlight the different kinds of paths a DesignOps professional can take in their career--with real-world examples.


• Operationalize values by leading to effect transformative changes in teams and businesses.


• Show how the four most common DesignOps org models influence the ways in which teams can function and be organized.


• Use the book's comprehensive toolkit for both hiring or interviewing for a DesignOps team.

Review Quotes

--Dominique Ward, Former head of Design Operations, Atlassian

"Calhoun and Posman provide clear and comprehensive guidance for building a DesignOps program, which, in turn, enables design and research to be their most effective."

--Peter Merholz, Independent consultant and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs: Building and Managing In-House Design Teams

"Everyone needs this book--how is it possible we've not had anything like this until now?"

--Patrizia Bertini, DesignOps strategist and leader

"This is the blueprint for growing small orgs into large ones and transforming them into design powerhouses."

--Chris Risdon, Co-author of Orchestrating Experiences and senior staff designer, AI at eBay