DesignOps · Operations
Four operating tracks — workflows, adoption, tooling, measurement. Together they decide whether the system gets used or gets ignored.
Workflows
RFC → ship stages
Adoption
discovery → maintenance
Tooling
MCP · agents · pipelines
Measurement
adoption · efficiency · impact
01 · The four tracks
Four distinct surfaces of work. Each has its own page with the 2026 playbook — what to ship, what to skip, what the AI shift changed.
How components get proposed, designed, built, reviewed, and released.
Strategies for driving adoption across product teams and scaling without forcing the issue.
The infrastructure that powers the system: Figma Dev Mode MCP, agents, token pipelines, registries, docs.
The handful of numbers that decide whether the system keeps its funding.
02 · Component lifecycle
Every component passes through eight stations. Monitor is where DesignOps proves its worth — usage data, a11y reports and satisfaction signals close the loop.
03 · Starter kit
A practical sequence from ad-hoc to managed. Ship the audit, then the quick wins, then the rituals.
Map current design and development workflows. Identify pain points, document tools, survey the team.
Ship the smallest set of changes that demonstrate value. Don't refactor the whole org — fix one thing well.
Codify the rituals — RFCs, design review, tech review, release cadence — once the team trusts the basics.
The real work starts here: adoption metrics, self-service onboarding, agent-assisted contribution flows.
04 · Maturity
Four levels. Most teams grade themselves one level high. Defined is the target worth setting.
Design system exists but processes are ad-hoc. Updates land when someone has time. Documentation lags the code.
Basic processes in place, some automation. Releases land on a known cadence. The system has a team, not just a champion.
Written processes cover the whole lifecycle. Automation owns the boring parts. The system is funded as infrastructure, with headcount and a roadmap.
Data-driven optimization, continuous improvement, agent-assisted contributions. The system gets better between releases.
05 · Measurement
Adoption tells you who's using it; efficiency what it saves; quality what it prevents; impact what to keep funding.
Before you start
