One global design organisation
Building a global UX team through change management: transforming multiple UX teams into a single, scalable global organisation.
The brief · Yara International
Define and implement the transition from multiple distributed UX teams to a single global UX organisation.
The objective was to create consistent ways of working across teams, while building an environment where UX professionals could collaborate, grow and deliver at scale.
- Started
- November 2020
- Transition
- Two years
- Team
- More than120professionals
- Across
- 20countries
My roleGlobal Director of UX
I took on the role of Global Director of UX, with the mandate to bring distributed UX teams together into a single global organisation with clearer direction, stronger collaboration and a more scalable way of working.
I built the stakeholder relationships, set expectations for how the function should grow, and led the creation of key structural elements, such as the design system and UX operations, to make the transition successful.
What the team did5 disciplines
Research, design, content, service design and operations professionals moved to one shared way of working, and key team members owned specific tasks in the transition.
- Research
- Design
- Content
- Service design
- Operations
Outcome
One global UX organisation, built on shared operations, processes and systems.
The challenge of moving from small teams to a global team
The mission was clear: unify a set of independent UX teams into a single, scalable global organisation. The transition required bringing together multiple teams that were used to working independently, each with their own processes, practices and ways of solving problems.
There was natural resistance and uncertainty, from both team members and stakeholders.
On the team side, by addressing concerns early, pushing for open communication and showing the value of a unified team instead of imposing it, we turned that uncertainty into people championing the change and its adoption.
For stakeholders, we focused on building a global model that respected each stakeholder’s local needs while creating new ways of working. We showed that delivery would not be disrupted. Instead, we would bring innovation and greater impact to their projects through UX methodologies.
Building capacity and strategy across the UX scope
It was understandable that such a big change would bring doubts to the UX professionals affected by it. A key step was defining clear tasks for how the team should evolve, and providing tools to track them and bring transparency to how and why we were changing.
We tracked the changes the team needed across the full UX scope: research, design, content, service design and operations. This gave every task clear ownership, defined responsibilities and accountability. It also gave visibility to the team members owning tasks, and made sure everyone felt there was a clear way to collaborate on the changes.
The tracker was also a key delivery to the business. It showed how we were adapting to the change and the progress made, and it gave us a clear way to request the investment or hiring needed to improve team capabilities, with a tactical approach that was easy to discuss.
The openness of the process allowed current team members to see any open position and apply. This ensured that no one felt left behind and that career growth remained a core part of the team.
Building bridges with stakeholders and disciplines
The team was designed to work closely with the rest of the organisation. We established clear communication, shared metrics and alignment with business goals, so UX contributed directly to outcomes. This helped build trust and made the value of UX visible across teams.
Strong relationships with stakeholders were key to adoption and long-term impact, and they also justified the growth of the team.
- Clear communication
- Shared metrics
- Alignment with business goals
Operations as the keystone of a strong team
As a key driver of the team’s success, we invested in building a strong UX operations layer to ensure clarity, consistency and scalability. This included defining processes, documenting ways of working, and providing tools and guidelines that supported the entire team.
The work of the UXOps team made it possible to operate effectively at scale, and to keep a cohesive vision while the team grew.
A central outcome of this work was the UXOps Knowledge Base, which served as a primary resource for the entire global organisation. By centralising documentation on people, processes and tools, we created a shared library that supported onboarding and daily work.
Building a culture of learning and growth
People’s growth was a core value of the team. We focused on creating an environment where learning was continuous and shared.
Methods and good practices were documented and made accessible, so team members could reuse and improve them over time. When new approaches were introduced, they were tested and then shared, so others could learn from the results. All methods were documented with templates and guidelines, as part of a comprehensive UX Toolkit.
We also hosted knowledge sessions with external experts to share success stories and new tools, so we kept challenging our processes and stayed innovative.
This created a culture where growth was intentional and based on a collective effort.
The outcome
A global UX team operating across 20 countries, with more than 120 professionals across research, design and content.
The team was built around strong UX operations, with clear processes, shared systems and defined practices, enabling consistent delivery and long-term scalability.
The figure opens on the final stage: several independent UX teams becoming one organisation on a shared way of working. Select a stage, or replay from the start.
- People in separate teams (illustrative)
- An independent team
- One person in the one organisation
- Link to shared operations
- Shared operations, processes and systems
The decisions
Seven decisions, across four chapters.
Select a decision to read what I chose and why.
Chapter 01The challenge
Chapter 02Capacity and strategy
Chapter 03Stakeholders
Chapter 04UX operations
Decision 1 of 7 · Chapter 01 · The challenge
Show the value of one team
Instead of imposing the change
WhyConcerns were addressed early and in the open, so people moved from uncertainty to championing the change.
Read it in the story ↑Read the case: A rapid design team for early ideas →
A complex transition turned into a unified global team by aligning people, processes and stakeholders around a clear direction and shared way of working.
Contact
Open to design leadership roles.
I’m based in Singapore and can work in Singapore and the EU without sponsorship. Available now.