If “unprecedented” is starting to feel pretty precedented, you’re not alone.

Shifting economic conditions, evolving workplace expectations, and global events are reshaping how teams operate and how we lead. Underneath it all is a shared reflection many of us are having: what kind of work do we want to create, and how can we shape it to thrive in this environment?

In most creative agencies, nothing ever looks the same twice. Projects vary wildly, directions shift, and teams must adapt at speed, yet traditional DesignOps frameworks rarely survive in this chaos. Guerilla DesignOps is about thriving in that mess.

Drawing on field research in a high-variance studio, Sandy presents a model built on flexibility, micro-systems, and distributed leadership. Instead of rigid processes, success comes from small, intentional moves: lightweight, adaptable interventions you can deploy fast, remix freely, and discard without friction.

From Test Kitchen to Michelin Star

How JP Morgan has evolved rapid experimentation into scalable, enterprise-wide impact by treating DesignOps as an adaptive, flexible product - crafting a tailored “menu” of services that deliver design efficiency across a matrixed portfolio of internal “restaurants.”

Covering:

AI is moving faster than traditional operational models can handle. Design teams are expected to move quickly, adopt new tools, and centralise systems - making static playbooks obsolete. What they need instead is the ability to adapt without losing the essence of design.

Sara presents a practical blueprint for Adaptive DesignOps: shifting from playbook-driven operations to a pilot-driven system that learns, flexes, and scales with technological and organisational change.

Building and Transforming Design from Startups to Scale-ups 

How do you set up design for success in a fast-moving startup? And how do you scale it as the company grows? Over the past four years, Rachel has tackled both challenges: bootstrapping design as the first hire at an early-stage startup and leading design transformation at a scale-up, all informed by playbooks from Chrome and Search. 

This talk is packed with practical examples and insights on: