DesignOps for Banking

As UX design team leader in Banco Itaú Colombia, I was tasked with transforming the customer experience by strategically implementing DesignOps principles. The mission: empower the UX team to operate efficiently and deliver exceptional customer-centric designs aligned with the organization's business goals.

The process began with individual interviews with team members and key stakeholders. Key findings: the team was well-organized with defined roles and complementary skills, but design's value was not widely shared outside the team. Design processes lacked formal documentation, task prioritization was often unclear, and day-to-day activities required time-consuming manual processes.

Discovery → individual interviews with team and stakeholders. Analysis → insights compiled into a detailed report, reviewing current design processes. Definitions → workshops and planning sessions to align on goals. Implementation → timeline to execute the defined changes. Measure → metrics to evaluate effectiveness and ensure value to the organization.

We created an "Experience Observatory" and a "Research Lab" to gather and make sense of all findings. We implemented project management tools, standardized templates and documents, and built a shared repository. We fine-tuned design system integration, set up team onboarding processes, and organized activities to build culture and team belonging.

The DesignOps framework became a powerful catalyst for digital transformation in a traditional financial institution. By aligning design efforts with the bank's strategic objectives, we positioned design as a key differentiator — achieving a 40% reduction in estimation times, significantly improving cross-team collaboration, and covering 30+ digital products with a team of 26+ designers.