Time to have some lunch and visit the exhibition. See you back at 2:05 PM for the afternoon sessions!

The goals:

• Creating workflows that are both structured and flexible
• Design teams that respond effectively to shifting business priorities without losing sight of long-term goals

How innovation at Instagram balances taking short-term wins with achieving long-term strategic goals:

DesignOps isn’t just about facilitation - it’s the engine of clarity and alignment across teams. Positioned between Product, Design, and Engineering, it spots misalignment before it disrupts execution. 

While Product defines what to build, Design shapes the experience, and Engineering brings it to life, DesignOps ensures seamless collaboration - driving workflow, decision-making, and prioritization. By architecting scalable frameworks, it removes ambiguity, enables teams to self-align, and maximizes impact. 

Your chance to visit the exhibition and network with fellow DesignOps professionals.

Elevating Design Program Management above operational necessity. 

Making your DPM a strategic advantage. 

How truly effective DPM leadership creates the infrastructure for design excellence by navigating organizational complexity. 

• Real-world examples and practical frameworks
• How authenticity, structured approaches, and clear communication enables DPMs to engender purpose in the face of ambiguity

A conversation covering:

Every product-tech company is scrambling to implement AI, but few recognise where the real power lies.

While regulations and corporate policies slowly take shape, design and product teams are making dozens of daily decisions that collectively determine AI's trajectory. Every choice—from data selection to interface transparency, from workflow automation to human oversight—puts a finger on the scale of our shared future. You didn't ask for this responsibility, but design operations professionals and the teams they support have their hands firmly on the wheel.

In today’s fast-evolving business landscape, mastering design leadership, design management and DesignOps - spanning strategic to operational levels - can drive transformative change and create measurable impact across the triple bottom line. 

By identifying and developing the right talent, aligning on high-impact projects, and implementing industry-leading practices, design teams can enhance operational efficiency, fuel innovation, and position DesignOps as a key strategic business partner.

Key Takeaways: