Loader Logo
Leadership and Strategy

Global Design Team Management

During my time as Product Design Manager and later  Head of Design
at Small World Financial Services, I led the design vision across digital and offline channels. I managed a growing global team, optimized workflows, and spearheaded key projects to enhance the user experience.
BUILDING A TEAM

MGMT & Structure

Building and Scaling the Team 

One of my primary duties was to expand and structure the product design team to meet growing demands. In 2023, we  onboarded new team members in Pakistan, ensuring they were fully trained in both the technical aspects (such as Figma Variables, Prototyping Tools, and transactional flow processes) and our company’s internal workflow.

Cross Functional Collaboration 

Collaboration across departments was critical to the success of the design team. As a design leader, I regularly interacted with key stakeholders (such as business leads, engineering teams, and project managers) to gather requirements and ensure smooth execution of all design projects.

SEO
SEO
SEO
SEO
SEO
STEERING THE SHIP

Strategic Initiatives & Roadmap 

Design Strategy for 2024 

As Head of Design, I led the development of a comprehensive design strategy for 2024. The strategy aimed to bridge gaps between digital and offline experiences, ensuring a consistent and omni-channel approach to user engagement. My team and I worked on aligning production timelines with strategic goals, enabling sustainable growth by balancing project workloads with internal development efforts.

Key to this strategy was the establishment of clear design pillars that informed all team activities:  


  • User-Centric Design: Every design decision was made with the user in mind, ensuring seamless experiences across platforms.
  • Sustainable Growth: We focused on scalability and long-term growth, balancing immediate project needs with strategic innovation.
  • Collaboration and Integration: By fostering tight collaboration between digital and offline teams, we ensured a holistic brand experience.

    • Key Projects and Innovations

  • Corporate Website MVP Development: We focused on maximizing improvement by restructuring the content and improving user flows based on extensive research and user feedback. This was a collaborative effort between design and engineering, involving several iterations of wireframes and user testing.
  • Au10tix Integration: I spearheaded the design component integration for Au10tix on the web, focusing on seamless UX/UI implementation while coordinating closely with both the engineering and business teams to ensure on-time delivery.
  • Omnex Projects: Working closely with the Product Design Team, we led the effort to streamline internal processes and revamp the Omnex platform. This involved deep dives into information architecture and iterative wireframe development, significantly enhancing the platform’s usability.
  • Unified Design System: By leveraging tools like Figma, we were able to accelerate both design and development workflows, ensuring that updates were consistent and efficient across platforms. The design system included reusable components, allowing developers to implement changes quickly, reducing turnaround times..
  • Design reviews and creative sessions: to keep the team aligned with the latest trends and tools. Our creative catch-ups ensured everyone was updated on ongoing projects and best practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
    • SEO
    SEO
    SEO
    STANDARDIZING PROJECTS

    Process Mapping

    In my role, I implemented a detailed UX & UI process map that standardized how we approached both small and mid-sized design projects. This process included steps from initial stakeholder meetings to prototyping, testing, and final deployment. These streamlined processes helped the team maintain consistency and improve delivery times, especially when working on fast-paced marketing campaigns or introducing new functionalities on digital platforms.

    One of the key processes I developed was the Design Sprint framework, which allowed the team to prototype and validate ideas in a short time frame. This process was critical in launching several high-impact features across our digital platforms, such as the new digital functionalities and iterative improvements in the user flows.

    SEO
    What a ride!

    Lessons Learned

    One of the biggest challenges was managing the rapid growth of the design team while maintaining high design standards. As the team expanded, ensuring that everyone was aligned with the strategic vision and design system was crucial. Regular reviews, documentation, and training helped mitigate these challenges.

    There were also challenges in coordinating with other departments, particularly when managing dependencies between the design and engineering teams. Ensuring that designs were technically feasible while meeting business requirements required ongoing communication and iterative feedback loops.

    My experience leading the product design team at Small World Financial Services was transformative for my personal growth as a leader. By fostering collaboration, instilling a strong design strategy, and leading key projects, I was able to contribute to meaningful improvements in both user experience and internal workflows. These lessons in strategic leadership, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration will surely be key to my approach in future roles.

    Here are some numbers to illustrate our growth as a Team during this time. 

    SEO