Design Operations New York 2025

First Sessions Announced

We are busy developing an exciting agenda for Design Operations New York 2025 so keep your eyes peeled for details. Register your interest here to be the first to hear about announced sessions!

If you are interested in speaking at Design Operations New York 2025, please contact Victoria Rose at VictoriaR@henrystewart.co.uk.

In the meantime, check out the first 4 sessions confirmed:

Facilitator is a Dirty Word: How DesignOps Drives Clarity and Impact 

DesignOps isn’t just about facilitation - it’s the engine of clarity and alignment across teams. Positioned between Product, Design, and Engineering, it spots misalignment before it disrupts execution. 

While Product defines what to build, Design shapes the experience, and Engineering brings it to life, DesignOps ensures seamless collaboration - driving workflow, decision-making, and prioritization. By architecting scalable frameworks, it removes ambiguity, enables teams to self-align, and maximizes impact. 

Using a tried and tested roadmap, Jasmine Price from Airbnb explains how DesignOps eliminates misalignment, strengthens decision-making, and enables teams to execute at scale. 

Jasmine Price, Head of UX Design Operations, Airbnb

Using Operational Creativity to Turn Strategic Ideas Into Tangible Business Value

Operationalizing Innovation and Strategic Vision at Instagram
Aligning Design Teams with Business Goals

The goals:

• Creating workflows that are both structured and flexible.
• Design teams that respond effectively to shifting business priorities without losing sight of long-term goals. 

How innovation at Instagram balances taking short-term wins with achieving long-term strategic goals:

• Effective leadership partnerships.
• Making data-informed decisions.
• Adhering to design principles that underpin the success of the Instagram app. 
• The critical role of DesignOps in driving innovation. 
• Delivering strategic impact through efficient processes and design excellence. 

Marcie Quintana, Director of Design Operations, Instagram

Aligning DesignOps with Business Goals Through Data-Driven Collaboration: From Strategy to Impact

Front line experts who have ‘been there’ and ‘done it’ discuss how to use cross-functional collaboration and data-driven decision-making to ensure strategic DesignOps initiatives deliver measurable business impact.

Panellists will: 

• Share practical frameworks for bridging the gap between high-level vision and day-to-day operations
• Demonstrate how to leverage analytics and KPIs to validate success

The discussion will highlight how DesignOps can: 

• Serve as a critical bridge between design teams and broader business objectives
• Ensure alignment between design initiatives and company goals

Leading organisations foster meaningful cross-departmental partnerships, create feedback loops that drive continuous improvement, and enhance operational efficiency. 

A panel discussion delivering actionable insights on: 

• Strengthening collaboration 
• Optimising processes
• Demonstrating the tangible value of DesignOps within organisations at every level

Moderator: Tim Gilligan, Sr Director, Chief of Staff of Research and Design Operations, Capital One

Hands on the Wheel: Design Operation’s Critical Role in Ethical AI Integration

Every product-tech company is scrambling to implement AI, but few recognise where the real power lies.

While regulations and corporate policies slowly take shape, design and product teams are making dozens of daily decisions that collectively determine AI's trajectory. Every choice—from data selection to interface transparency, from workflow automation to human oversight—puts a finger on the scale of our shared future. You didn't ask for this responsibility, but design operations professionals and the teams they support have their hands firmly on the wheel.

In this essential keynote, Riley Coleman reveals why the next 12 months represent a critical window for establishing ethical AI frameworks that will shape technology for generations. Drawing from extensive experience designing AI-enhanced products across multiple industries, Riley offers both a sobering assessment of what's at stake and practical tools for steering toward positive outcomes.

The most consequential technology in human history is being shaped right now—not primarily by regulations or CEOs, but by the daily decisions of people like you. Will those decisions be intentional or accidental?