Building DesignOps to last – How a UX department invested in the practice behind its design work
We partnered with a growing UX department at BMW Group to establish a lasting DesignOps practice through three maturity phases, progressing from foundational support to internal ownership.
The challenge
Large design organizations are shaped by the invisible infrastructure around design work: the processes, the tools, the rituals, the communication. The more thoughtfully that infrastructure is built, the more design work is able to compound as the organization grows.
UX designers in the department were spread across multiple locations, working alongside internal teams and external partners on increasingly complex digital products. There was real room to keep sharpening how collaboration flowed across teams, how ways of working stayed aligned, and how knowledge travelled across geographies.
The next investment wasn't more management. It was DesignOps: a dedicated function to make designers' working lives even better, so they could focus on what they do best: designing.
DesignOps isn't a project. It's a practice that grows from within.
What we did
A multidisciplinary team of strategists, business designers, service designers, and UX/UI designers from several partner organizations worked closely with our client. Rather than delivering DesignOps for the department, we worked with internal champions from day one. We brought methods, facilitated the practice, and structured something the organization could ultimately run itself.
As a foundation, we leveraged the Nielsen Norman Group DesignOps Landscape, adapting it to fit the specific organizational context rather than applying it as a one-size-fits-all model.
Rather than defaulting to design systems work (already handled by a dedicated team), the DesignOps team focused its energy where it could create the most meaningful impact: ways of working, cross-team collaboration, team culture, capability building, and facilitation support.
The Journey: Three Phases of Maturity
DesignOps 1.0 — Establishing the foundations
Like many emerging DesignOps functions, the early months focused on visible, quick-turnaround support. That meant unblocking teams, addressing immediate needs, and building trust through responsiveness. This foundational work was essential to establish the practice.
Within six months, the DesignOps team transitioned from ad-hoc support to a stable operational function. It built awareness of what DesignOps was and what it could offer. Its work aligned to organizational priorities, and its impact was measured systematically, using the HEART framework extended with Awareness as a prerequisite metric. This gave the team a way to demonstrate value and guide its own prioritization.
DesignOps 2.0 — From operations to consulting
As trust grew, so did the team's influence. The DesignOps team shifted from focused, on-demand support to proactive, strategic partnership. That meant consulting and facilitating initiatives rather than just responding to requests.
Key developments included a Global Collaboration Framework to align roles, responsibilities, and rituals across distributed teams. Tailored Design Sprints supported early-phase alignment and cross-team collaboration. A Global DesignOps Exchange connected representatives from multiple locations in regular shared learning sessions. A network of Culture Representatives kept team unity and a sense of belonging alive across locations, through community events and shared rituals. The shift was visible in how teams engaged with DesignOps. The DesignOps team moved from promoting its services to receiving requests for them.
DesignOps 3.0 — From external scaffolding to internal ownership
The most durable outcome of this work is that DesignOps no longer depends on external support to run. Ownership transferred gradually to internal champions. DesignOps became part of individual goals and responsibilities. The team structured something the organization can carry forward on its own.
DesignOps 3.0 is defined by two goals. First, extending reach: connecting all close process partners and establishing DesignOps influence one level up. This meant moving from supporting a single department to enabling cross-functional priorities at scale. Second, enabling others: transferring ownership to internal stakeholders who are already invested and ready to lead. Empowerment, not dependency, is the model.
Why it matters
DesignOps was established as a permanent organizational role, shifting from a time-bound project to a lasting capability. Strong awareness was built and validated within the first three months.
Cross-functional initiatives aligned teams on key focus areas and streamlined processes across the value chain. Meaningful improvements in team culture demonstrated progress in the areas DesignOps had focused on.
Tailored Design Sprints extended DesignOps influence into product and AI strategy, far beyond the original remit. A global DesignOps network now connects remote locations through exchanges, shared channels, and a dedicated landing page.
A trusted seat at the leadership table enabled a strong partnership with leadership. It ensured strategic guidance without losing focus on long-term priorities. That relationship became one of the practice's most valuable assets.
What we learned
Early stakeholder engagement is a top accelerator. When critical voices were engaged from the start through conversations that built trust before decisions were made, initiatives moved fastest.
A clear mandate creates focus. Initiatives moved fastest when each one had a clear owner and enough stability in priorities for teams to invest deeply. Fewer, well-scoped priorities consistently produced stronger results than many competing ones.
Proximity builds trust. Staying close to UX teams, physically or virtually, deepened both trust and collaboration. Scaling through people, not just processes, is the right path forward.
Visibility drives engagement. Transparent communication rhythms, where outcomes are surfaced consistently, improved alignment and strengthened the perceived value of DesignOps work.
Move from assistance to consulting. The shift from focused, on-demand support to proactive, strategic partnership enabled faster adoption and stronger stakeholder empowerment. Sustaining that shift over time is what compounds the impact.
Change never ends. It always takes longer than you assume. The goal is not completion, but continuous momentum.
About client
The BMW Group is the world's leading manufacturer of premium automobiles and motorcycles, managing iconic brands like BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad alongside global financial and mobility services.
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