In my role, I collaborate closely with our Product Managers (PMs) to understand project requirements and assess team availability, factoring in any upcoming holidays or absences. Together, we prioritize essential tasks while considering our team's capacity, typically calculating one point per day for our three-week sprints.

Pre-sprint Planning / Estimation: Once we finalize our list of objectives, I ensure each designer is briefed on their responsibilities. During the sprint planning meeting, designers present their assigned tasks, and PMs provide input as needed. I lead the meeting, guiding discussions around our sprint board and expecting my designers to have logged tickets for their tasks.

Sprint Check-ins: We hold stand-ups 3x a week where designers share updates on their progress, fostering accountability and collaboration. Additionally, I conduct a weekly critique session that encourages designers to collaborate and hone their critique skills.

Delivery/ Sprint Wrap up: At the end of the sprint, each designer works closely with their PM to deliver their projects. If any tasks remain incomplete, we discuss the reasons to gain insights for future planning. For particularly engaging projects, I encourage designers to create a short video allowing them to present their work and share their thought processes.

Collaboration and Communication

I emphasize the importance of keeping tickets updated in Jira, holding my designers accountable while also offering my support whenever needed. Regular check-ins with team members ensure they have the resources and support required to succeed.

Occasionally, PMs may request quick turnaround projects. In these instances, I collaborate closely with them and the designer to assess priorities and determine what existing work may need to be paused to accommodate the high-priority item. This flexible approach helps maintain open lines of communication and ensures that our team can adapt to changing project demands effectively

Tools and Technologies

I use Jira to manage our sprints. It provides all the functionality we need for seamless project management. Both our Product Managers and Engineering teams have access to Jira, allowing for transparent collaboration. By linking both teams' tickets, we can track progress and ensure alignment across all groups, fostering a cohesive workflow that enhances productivity and accountability.

Key Initiatives and Improvements

We’ve implemented retrospectives every other sprint, and I lead dedicated post-delivery ones for larger projects. This practice ensures alignment among all stakeholders and provides a forum for voices to be heard at every level.

One of the most impactful benefits of instituting sprints has been empowering designers to protect their time. It’s been rewarding to witness this shift, as it allows me to step in and offer support when needed.

Initially, our team operated on two-week sprints; however, we found that this timeframe was often insufficient for turning projects around. In response, we made the adjustment to three-week sprints, which has significantly improved our workflow and productivity.