The work centered on building a scalable team model: thoughtful hiring balancing potential and craft, a transparent leveling framework, regular coaching and feedback, and consistent design critique and research practices. We defined practical UX leadership—structured onboarding, clear project entry points, and mechanisms for strategy handoff to IA and flows. Systematized critique sessions and alignment rituals fostered collaboration with product and engineering. Senior designers coached peers to support growth and internal mobility, while recruiting relied on structured interviews, rubric-based evaluations, and onboarding cohorts for early belonging.
The result was a scalable, resilient UX practice. Designers had clear growth paths and expectations, while leaders could objectively develop talent. Cross-functional teams gained confidence in the UX process from discovery to delivery. Throughput doubled, and revenue grew 150% in a year. These changes improved retention, enhanced collaboration, and reduced ambiguity, rework, and alignment delays. Stronger candidates were attracted and onboarded faster, reinforcing the agency’s reputation for design career growth.