DESIGN CRITIQUE AT DUO
Elevating Craft and Transparency to Improve Design Outcomes
Why this project?
Within Duo Design—a team of 20+ designers and researchers—there was limited visibility into each other’s work, social connection was lacking, and opportunities for meaningful feedback were inconsistent. When I moved into a DesignOps role, I immediately saw a chance to help.
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Outcomes
The program strengthened team connections, improved visibility into cross-team work, and enhanced design processes and problem-solving effectiveness.
Role
Sr. DesignOps Program Manager focused on team rituals, feedback systems, and scalable program design.​
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Duration
9 months
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Team
In-house product design team
Product Designers, Researcher
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Deliverables
Research findings doc
Presentation decks
"How to" guides for presenters, peers, and facilitators
"Work With Me" sheet template
Mural templates
Survey results readouts
Focus group sessions revealed key themes to address, including ideal collaboration, reducing silos, and increasing visibility.
Designers wanted to connect, but didn’t have the space
I partnered with a senior designer/researcher to understand why current conditions weren’t meeting designers' needs. These conversations reinforced the desire for more intentional peer feedback and greater opportunities for team connection. The insights helped me narrow my approach—focusing specifically on structured critique that prioritized connection and craft.
“There isn't a clear way to learn what other designers are up to—this lack of visibility is holding us back.”
— Focus group session feedback
Activities & outputs
Findings synthesis board in Miro, Research findings doc
Cross-functional critique could bring peers together
To address these issues, I explored ways to improve visibility, connection, and feedback among designers. Early explorations revealed a promising approach—small, cross-functional critique “pods” of designers and researchers meeting regularly, guided by a structured discussion framework that required minimal overhead.. These early concepts helped me define exactly what to present and validate with the team next.
“The ideal process emphasizes strong communication and trust.”
— From the presentation deck
"Work with Me" Sheets were instrumental in helping peers get to know each other and strengthened psychological safety.
Activities & outputs
Whiteboarding in Mural, Presentation deck, "How to" guides, "Work With Me" sheet template, Mural templates
Anonymous surveys told me what people were really thinking about the program.
Tracking progress as the team felt the shift
I introduced critique pods and gathered feedback through surveys to test whether this structured approach resonated with the team. Responses confirmed designers found value in the regular, structured sessions—but some struggled to fit critique into their existing workflows. This insight shaped my final iteration, ensuring flexibility and alignment with how teams naturally worked.
“The activity has given me a much better idea of what folks are working on and how they approach problems.”
— Duo Product Designer, survey feedback
Activities & outputs
Survey results readouts
Pivoting to match how teams really work
Incorporating more feedback, I iterated on the critique program, shifting from pods to squads—embedding critique directly into existing team structures. This evolution brought greater leadership involvement and clearer accountability. It also marked a shift in primary focus toward strengthening design craft, rather than social connection.
“Elevate our craft by cultivating a recognizable and thriving practice of critique.”
— Objective of the program evolution
Reflections
The structured yet scalable framework made the critique program easy to adopt, flexible enough for iteration, and responsive to feedback. Documentation and clear resources also ensured the program stayed accessible as the team evolved.
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But it wasn't perfect. Participation struggled when critique didn't naturally align with designers' daily workflows, and time constraints sometimes limited engagement. I learned leadership buy-in was critical—critique worked best when managers and leads actively participated.
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Above all, this experience reminded me that "perfect is the enemy of good," deepening my understanding of organizational change and what it takes to build a sustainable program.
Next up : Duo Mobile as Trusted Case Study »