Design Leadership Journey at Delivery Hero (talabat)
When I started at Delivery Hero (talabat) back in 2019, the design team was composed of 4 product designers and 1 UX researcher. I was the first Design Manager to join the team, and my journey since then has been marked by significant milestones in building and scaling our design practice. Here's a detailed look at my journey and the impact we've made at talabat.
Rebranding and Establishing a Design System
Initial Challenge
My first assignment was to launch a rebrand across the 9 MENA markets and establish a robust design system. This task was critical as it laid the foundation for the product's visual and functional consistency across diverse markets.
Execution
To achieve this, I presented a strategic plan to the CPO, CTO, and CEO, outlining the approach to building and scaling the design system, the resources needed, and the anticipated ROI. This strategy deck was crucial in getting the buy-in from leadership. With their approval, we paused all feature-building work for an entire quarter to focus on launching the redesigned app. This rebrand required coordinating efforts across 9 different markets in the region.
Outcome
The successful rebrand and the establishment of a design system led to a cohesive and scalable product experience. This effort earned me a promotion to Sr. Manager DesignOps, where my role expanded to include scaling the design team and maturing the design practice.
Building the DesignOps Function
Initial Steps
As Sr. Manager DesignOps, I took the initiative to build the DesignOps function from scratch. My first two hires were a design system designer and a program manager. This foundational step was crucial in creating a structured approach to design operations.
Key Accomplishments
- Design Practices: Established key design practices including critique sessions, a standardized design process, onboarding procedures, and a robust hiring framework.
- ResearchOps: Hired a ResearchOps coordinator who helped build key processes and a 1 million+ users community through ResearchOps, ensuring user feedback was integral to our design process.
- Tool Migration: Led the migration from Sketch to Figma, streamlining our design workflow and improving collaboration.
- In-house Design Studio: Added 8 new hires with specialised skillsets (illustrator, motion designer, art director, etc.) to enhance our design capabilities and add delight to the product.
Scaling the Team
Partnered with the Head of Design to scale the design team from 6 to 22, focusing on hiring diverse talents to build a multidisciplinary team capable of tackling complex design challenges.
Promotion to Director DesignOps
In January 2022, I was promoted to Director DesignOps. My responsibilities grew to include providing leadership to a product tribe focused on Fintech. Collaborating with my product and tech partners, we built the first fintech vision for talabat and developed a BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) product from the ground up.
Moving to the Head of Design Role
In August 2022, there was an opening for the Head of Design role and I was nominated to move in as the acting Head of Design. In 6 months, after a successful transition and a healthy eNPS, I became permeant in this role.
Direct Reports
As the Head of Design since August 2022, I've further grown and matured the product design function, expanding the team from 22 to 42 members. Here are some key initiatives that contributed to this growth
Redefining the Career Framework for Product Design
Challenge
The existing Design Career Framework was outdated and didn't cater to the diverse skillsets and scaled-up size of the team.
Solution
I collaborated with design managers to conduct workshops and interviews, identifying unique challenges and gaps in the framework. We redesigned the career framework, simplifying it to focus on three key areas: Business Sense, Craft, and Leadership. This framework included a career toolkit with components such as a skill assessment map, career goals template, 360 feedback, and an official mentorship program.
Impact
This revamped framework provided clarity on career growth and mentorship opportunities, empowering designers to understand their career trajectory and receive targeted feedback.
Overhauling the Product Design Hiring Process
Challenge
Scaling the team required a standardized and effective hiring process.
Solution
I defined a comprehensive interview process and created guides for various sessions to evaluate candidates. This process has been iterated twice to ensure it remains effective and equitable.
Impact
The streamlined hiring process has helped us attract and retain top design talent, contributing to the rapid growth and strength of our design team.
Raising the Bar
Design Chapter Hours
Introduced a regular 3-hour design chapter slot every Tuesday, fostering collaboration, learning, and alignment across the team. This initiative improved peer work quality and enabled junior designers to level up faster through feedback and shared knowledge.
Annual Offsite and Team Practices
Established yearly leadership offsites, team-wide retrospectives, and an annual design initiatives roadmap, leading to a more established design practice and a happier design team, as measured by quarterly eNPS scores.
Design Showcase
Launched a quarterly company-wide design-led event where the design team's key work and process were showcased. This event improved visibility and appreciation for design, bridging the gap between the design team and other stakeholders.
Defining the Onboarding Process
Challenge
Onboarding new designers required a clearly defined process to ensure they understood the design principles and workflows at talabat.
Solution
Documented and articulated the design process, involving product, research, data, and engineering teams to define best practices for collaboration. Created a detailed onboarding guide with the DesignOps team.
Impact
Received positive feedback from new joiners, enhancing their onboarding experience and accelerating their integration into the team.
Additional Key Initiatives
- Built an in-house design system team to improve consistency and efficiency in product development.
- Influenced the hiring of the first UX engineers in a central development team.
- Established an in-house design studio with specialized skills to elevate the user experience.
- Scaled DesignOps and ResearchOps practices from the ground up.
Reflections and Learnings
Throughout my journey at talabat, I have learned the importance of strategic planning, clear communication, and fostering a collaborative environment. These elements have been crucial in scaling the design team, improving the quality of our work, and ensuring a consistent and delightful user experience across all platforms. I feel privileged to have played a role in the growth of such a talented team and look forward to continuing this journey of innovation and excellence.
Category:
DESIGN LEADERSHIP
Role:
DIRECTOR DESIGN
Organisation:
DELIVERY HERO TALABAT
Date: