The Design Operations remit is huge, and since championing and empowering neurodivergents in the workplace, multiple people have asked me why this is something I’m working on, and I always give the same answer: “because someone needs to”. It’s also within every Design leader’s remit to make sure their team is an accessible place to work, and that they put the right measurements in place to support their team to the fullest. As a Design Operations Manager, an empath, and an ally, I’m the one starting the conversation in our workplace, but it’s something every individual should be supporting.

Design Operations is about listening, researching, and finding areas for improvement. We have to change our offering depending on the person, team and time. Since the pandemic, there’s been an increase in adult women being diagnosed with ADHD; it’s finally being recognised and diagnosed outside of the stereotype of the naughty little boy in school, and this is something organisations need to recognise and adapt their processes to. This presentation talks about the ways we’ve identified some of the people we need to support, how we’re supporting them, and how we’re creating broader awareness.