Design Podcast

Project Overview

Challenge

Dell Technologies had just formed a global design organization, but internal engagement was critically low. After workshops, trainings, and newsletters failed to gain traction, the DesignOps team was out of ideas. Engagement was mission critical. Our CEO had emphasized the design organization as a key to accelerating Dell’s software development.

Goal

Create a scalable, engaging communication channel to unite the design organization. Share knowledge, foster culture, and spark dialogue across time zones and job functions without relying on resource heavy methods.

Role: Lead Product Designer and Project Manager

Team: User Experience, Marketing, Interns, Guest Contributors

Tools: Figma, FigJam, Zoom, Adobe Audition

Discovery

• Audited prior communication efforts (email campaigns, decks, training sessions)

• Researched internal communication strategies from peer companies like IBM, Intel, and Google

• Conducted internal interviews with designers, team leaders, and other stakeholders

• Identified key friction points: time zones, overproduction, burnout, lack of relevance

Analysis

Designers wanted authentic, human content they could consume passively and that didn’t feel like another corporate directive.

Solution

The DesignOps Podcast

Based on team feedback and benchmarking, I proposed an internal podcast to deliver conversations, insights, and design culture in a scalable, human centered format.

Key Features:

• Casual yet informative tone

• Episodes under 20 minutes

• Featuring internal and external thought leaders

• Topics driven by team interests, not top-down mandates

Delivery

What I led:

• Defined project goals, branding, structure, and success metrics

• Led content planning, episode flow design, and team workflows

• Established tools, licensing, and systems for sustainable content creation

Process Designed:

Idea → Guest outreach → Scripting → Recording → Editing → Launch → Feedback Loop

Impact & Outcomes

Episode One featured a professor from the College of William & Mary, diving into accessibility and the importance of neurodiversity in design teams.

Within 1 week:

• 80% of target team members had tuned in

• Dozens of positive messages from internal listeners

• Podcast team doubled in size by month 3, scaling production capacity

Reflection

This was about more than content, it was about connection. We proved that design culture can be built through empathy, experimentation, and storytelling.

• Designers engage when they feel seen, not talked at

• Scalable communication can succeed with lean systems. We used startup style iteration and feedback

• Sometimes innovation is just finding the right format for the right people