How to Avoid the "Bonnie Situation" on Your Design Team

In this scene from Pulp Fiction, Vincent and Jules find themselves in a challenging situation they don't know how to resolve. In their desperation, they enlist Jimmy without his approval or consent to assist them in solving the problem. This leads to Jimmy calling the hired gun, Mr. Wolf, to swiftly rectify the situation, ensuring the problem vanishes and he avoids trouble with his wife, Bonnie.

This scene serves as a metaphor for the challenges design teams face when lacking support from an operations team. Missed deadlines, failure to meet business objectives, and a lack of proactive communication during the design process can erode trust from their business partners.

In such instances, the business typically calls upon the design manager or another project manager to intervene quickly. However, introducing a project manager or design manager at this late stage creates tension within the design team, as they are expected to expedite problem-solving to meet business objectives. Nobody enjoys being in this situation, so how can teams avoid it? The solution is to establish a dedicated design operations team from the outset.

A design operations team can bring several advantages to the design process, including:

1. Leading a formalized kickoff meeting with all stakeholders, defining goals,
documenting deliverables, agreeing on timelines, and clarifying team roles.

2. Creating a comprehensive project plan that is openly shared and aligned
with everyone involved.

3. Facilitating proactive communication with stakeholders throughout the
process, ensuring that business partners stay informed about project
progress, while design teams remain informed about the business's needs.

By having a design operations team oversee the design process and manage relationships between teams, design can concentrate on what it does best, while the business can trust in the results being delivered. Best of all, this approach helps you steer clear of a "Bonnie Situation." So, enjoy the Pulp Fiction clip, and remember, I personally identify with Mr. Wolf, but that's a story for another day.