Project Overview

In fast-paced business environments, traditional design processes—such as the double diamond framework—are often constrained by shifting priorities and resource limitations. This project exemplifies how a proactive, design-led approach can drive business efficiency even amidst organizational restructuring and resource challenges.

The Challenge: Addressing Operational Inefficiencies amidst Reorganization

The cybersecurity services business was facing operational hurdles that impeded its ability to execute engagements effectively. While it was evident that service design improvements were needed, securing leadership approval presented a challenge due to competing priorities.

Rather than waiting for formal approval, we collaborated closely with the security team, engineering leadership, and product management to develop a proof of concept. This initiative demonstrated the potential for automation to streamline manual tasks, ultimately leading to significant time savings and operational efficiencies.

Fostering Cross-Functional Collaboration

The success of this initiative hinged on strong stakeholder alignment, particularly between engineering and security teams—two groups that had historically worked in silos. Our approach focused on building trust and fostering collaboration by:

• Actively listening to each team’s pain points and ensuring that their needs were accurately understood.

• Creating structured, frequent touch points to iterate on solutions collaboratively.

• Establishing a foundation of mutual compromise and shared strategic vision.

By reinforcing trust and demonstrating a commitment to meeting teams where they were, we were able to break down barriers and create a more cohesive, solution-oriented working relationship.

Empowering Teams Through Design Leadership

Beyond stakeholder alignment, this project presented an opportunity to develop and mentor a diverse team of young designers and offshore junior product managers. To ensure they were set up for success, we implemented:

• Recurring stand-ups that provided clarity on business needs while allowing autonomy in design decisions.

• A hybrid collaboration model using asynchronous workflows in Figma, combined with structured, synchronous stand-ups to drive efficiency.

• A structured approach to feedback loops, enabling real-time adjustments across different time zones.

These efforts resulted in a well-coordinated team capable of iterating quickly while maintaining alignment with business objectives.

Iterative Prototyping and Stakeholder Engagement

Given the complexity of the problem space, we engaged power users early in the process to accelerate milestones and validate assumptions. This included:

• Conducting usability audits to refine prototypes based on real-world use cases.

• Leveraging a best practices framework to guide junior team members in testing and iterating on their ideas.

• Involving stakeholders in user testing sessions, ensuring that solutions were not only viable but also met critical business needs.

By continuously refining our approach based on user insights, we were able to demonstrate immediate value and build credibility with key decision-makers.

Establishing a Compelling Business Narrative

Through rapid prototyping and iterative demonstrations, we cultivated a clear, data-driven narrative that resonated with stakeholders. Our approach focused on:

• Showcasing inefficiencies in a constructive manner, emphasizing solutions rather than problems.

• Aligning design outcomes with tangible business impacts, such as time savings and operational improvements.

• Over-communicating progress and insights to establish trust and transparency across teams.

This process not only secured leadership buy-in but also laid the foundation for future design-led initiatives within the organization.

Business Impact & Key Takeaways

As a result of this project, the organization realized significant efficiency gains, saving approximately 20 hours per month per analyst, which translates to an estimated $350K in annual cost savings. While these financial savings are meaningful, the broader impact lies in the improved collaboration, streamlined workflows, and stronger alignment between cross-functional teams.

By addressing operational bottlenecks through design leadership, we demonstrated how product design can drive measurable business outcomes—paving the way for a more agile and efficient organization.