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5 strategies and tactics for Design System Manager

What is Design System Manager strategy?

Team success often hinges on the ability to develop and implement effective strategies and tactics. It's a bit like playing chess, except that you have more than 1 player on each side.

Crafting the perfect Design System Manager strategy can feel overwhelming, particularly when you're juggling daily responsibilities. That's why we've put together a collection of examples to spark your inspiration.

Copy these examples into your preferred app, or you can also use Tability to keep yourself accountable.

How to write your own Design System Manager strategy with AI

While we have some examples available, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. You can use our free AI generator below or our more complete goal-setting system to generate your own strategies.

Design System Manager strategy examples

You'll find below a list of Design System Manager tactics. We also included action items for each template to make it more practical and useful.

Strategies and tactics for ensuring product consistency with design systems

  • ⛳️ Strategy 1: Establish Salesforce design standards and governance

    • Define core design principles aligned with Salesforce and Enterprise Design System
    • Develop a comprehensive design guide that includes usage, examples, and constraints
    • Appoint a design system governance team to oversee adherence to standards
    • Schedule regular audits to ensure design implementations meet defined standards
    • Create a feedback loop for teams to report issues and improvements on the design system
    • Implement a versioning system for updates to the design standards
    • Host workshops and training sessions for designers and developers on standards
    • Utilise design tools that integrate seamlessly with Salesforce for consistent implementation
    • Collate and maintain a library of reusable components within Salesforce system
    • Document and communicate any deviations from the design standards with justifications
  • ⛳️ Strategy 2: Upskill team in Salesforce

    • Identify skill gaps within the team related to Salesforce design capabilities
    • Develop a training plan that focuses on Salesforce design best practices
    • Provide access to Salesforce online courses and certification resources
    • Organise live training sessions with Salesforce experts or practitioners
    • Encourage job shadowing or mentorship programmes within the organisation
    • Set up regular knowledge sharing sessions within the team
    • Track and measure team progress against their learning goals
    • Implement a rewards system to encourage learning achievements
    • Create opportunities for team members to apply new skills in active projects
    • Regularly update training materials according to the latest Salesforce updates
  • ⛳️ Strategy 3: Reduce customisation by prototyping sandbox environment

    • Establish a dedicated sandbox environment for prototyping Salesforce customisations
    • Develop guidelines for using the sandbox environment effectively
    • Encourage teams to prototype and test solutions before deployment
    • Integrate sandbox review processes into project planning cycles
    • Monitor sandbox usage and provide feedback on prototyping efforts
    • Promote the use of sandbox results to inform design decisions
    • Analyse and document successful prototypes for potential standardisation
    • Evaluate the impact of reduced customisation in terms of time and cost savings
    • Share case studies of successful sandbox projects across teams
    • Refine sandbox environment based on user feedback and technological advancements

Strategies and tactics for preparing a comprehensive mall review strategy

  • ⛳️ Strategy 1: Establish a robust mall management structure

    • Appoint a mall general manager to oversee overall operations
    • Set up specialized departments for operations, leasing, marketing, and finance
    • Designate managers for each department to ensure focused leadership
    • Implement weekly cross-departmental meetings for alignment on objectives
    • Create clear reporting structures with department heads reporting to the general manager
    • Conduct quarterly reviews of the management structure to identify areas for improvement
    • Develop a succession plan to maintain leadership continuity
    • Integrate communication and project management tools for improved collaboration
    • Organize bi-annual team-building activities to strengthen team dynamics
    • Set up performance evaluation criteria for department heads
  • ⛳️ Strategy 2: Maximize tenant occupancy through strategic lease management

    • Establish a dedicated leasing department for managing tenant relations
    • Develop a tenant mix strategy to balance retail, F&B, and service stores
    • Introduce a lease expiry management system for timely renewals and negotiations
    • Set up KPIs for monitoring occupancy rate, lease terms, and tenant satisfaction
    • Conduct market research to identify potential new tenants and sectors to enhance the mall's offering
    • Review and adjust lease terms to reflect current market conditions
    • Implement a feedback system for tenants to express needs and concerns
    • Organize regular tenant meetings to discuss and negotiate leasing issues
    • Provide incentives for anchor tenants to ensure long-term occupancy
    • Develop a contingency plan for managing high vacancy rates
  • ⛳️ Strategy 3: Enhance financial transparency and operational efficiency

    • Set up a finance and accounting department for revenue and cost management
    • Implement monthly financial reporting to track profitability and operational costs
    • Introduce a centralized billing system for tenant payments
    • Automate vendor and supplier payments to optimize cash flow
    • Conduct regular financial audits to ensure accuracy and compliance
    • Establish an expense management policy for cost control
    • Analyze financial data to identify trends and areas for cost reduction
    • Train staff in financial literacy to enhance fiscal responsibility
    • Create an annual budget plan aligning with mall objectives
    • Integrate accounting software for streamlined financial operations

Strategies and tactics for enhancing Customer-Centric Approach at Dashen Bank

  • ⛳️ Strategy 1: Enhance personalisation through advanced analytics

    • Employ advanced data analytics to segment customers based on behaviours and preferences
    • Conduct regular customer surveys to gather data on changing needs and preferences
    • Develop tailored banking products and services for different customer segments
    • Integrate a CRM system to track and personalise every customer interaction
    • Leverage customer data to offer personalised marketing campaigns
    • Utilise AI-driven personalisation tools to recommend products and services
    • Create personalised customer journey maps to improve the customer experience
    • Implement a feedback loop to continually refine personalisation efforts
    • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment in personalisation strategies
    • Set and monitor KPIs to measure the effectiveness of personalisation efforts
  • ⛳️ Strategy 2: Improve transparency and communication across all channels

    • Develop standard templates for all customer communications to ensure consistency
    • Create an educational content library consisting of FAQs, tutorials, and guides
    • Ensure all communication channels provide clear information on products and fees
    • Regularly update customers on changes to products or fees through multiple channels
    • Establish a centralised CRM to enhance tracking of customer interactions
    • Train staff on clear and effective communication techniques
    • Provide transparent customer service guidelines across digital and branch channels
    • Implement a feedback mechanism for customers to rate communication clarity
    • Benchmark against industry best practices for clarity and transparency
    • Monitor customer satisfaction and confusion indexes to fine-tune communication strategies
  • ⛳️ Strategy 3: Streamline processes to boost efficiency and digital engagement

    • Map current customer journey processes to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies
    • Implement lean methodologies to streamline workflows and reduce wait times
    • Invest in technology to automate key customer service functions
    • Enhance mobile and digital platforms to provide seamless service access
    • Develop a user-focused design for digital banking interfaces
    • Increase cloud infrastructure investment to support more scalable digital solutions
    • Implement real-time performance tracking tools to monitor service efficiency
    • Create cross-training programs to enhance staff efficiency in multiple roles
    • Use AI tools for proactive customer support and issue resolution
    • Benchmark digital engagement levels against competitors to identify areas for improvement

Strategies and tactics for improving User-Centric Design and Branding Consistency

  • ⛳️ Strategy 1: Implement User-Centric Design Testing Processes

    • Conduct usability testing sessions with 200 users across Edubanc, EdPay, PayFlex, and Tuition Invoicing
    • Collaborate with operations, marketing, and product teams to identify and prioritise the top 5 design issues
    • Organise 2 focus group testing sessions for Edubanc and PayFlex to gather initial usability feedback
    • Design and integrate a systematic feedback collection process into Edubanc and EdPay product workflows
    • Establish a timeline for regular usability testing to ensure ongoing user feedback integration
    • Analyse usability testing data to highlight recurring themes and areas needing improvement
    • Schedule bi-weekly cross-functional meetings to address feedback findings with relevant stakeholders
    • Deploy changes based on identified design issues and re-test to confirm resolution
    • Create follow-up surveys post-testing to gauge user satisfaction and experience
    • Document all findings and improvements as case studies to inform future design processes
  • ⛳️ Strategy 2: Develop and Enforce Unified Branding Guidelines

    • Create a comprehensive branding guide that covers all visual and messaging aspects for all products
    • Apply the branding guide to five key product interfaces by conducting iterative design updates
    • Conduct training sessions for the entire design team to familiarise them with the new branding guidelines
    • Develop a checklist for designers to ensure adherence to branding guidelines in every project
    • Set up a review board tasked with overseeing branding consistency across ongoing projects
    • Create template assets that comply with the branding guide for easy reuse
    • Involve the marketing team in the branding guide creation to align brand messaging with design
    • Track the impact of updated interfaces on user experience and brand perception through feedback channels
    • Host quarterly workshops to revise and update the branding guidelines as necessary
    • Gather cross-team feedback to ensure the branding guide remains practical and user-focused
  • ⛳️ Strategy 3: Optimise Design Processes for Improved Efficiency

    • Map current design processes to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies
    • Set specific time reduction goals for design turnaround, such as reducing feature design completion from 20 to 17 days
    • Establish a shared asset library for design components to boost reuse and efficiency
    • Organise monthly cross-functional reviews to ensure operations, marketing, and growth feedback are integrated
    • Implement A/B testing protocols on onboarding flow designs to validate potential efficiency gains
    • Incorporate design tools and analytics for tracking asset utilisation and workflow progress
    • Run training sessions on advanced design tools and processes to enhance team capabilities
    • Measure and report on efficiency metrics, presenting these findings in team meetings
    • Iterate and refine processes continually based on feedback and performance data
    • Create a culture of continuous improvement through regular feedback sessions and design retrospectives

Strategies and tactics for developing a Comprehensive Strategic Plan for Marketing and Communications

  • ⛳️ Strategy 1: Strengthen brand recognition and awareness

    • Conduct a brand audit to identify strengths and areas for improvement
    • Create a unified branding guideline to be distributed across all departments
    • Organise a series of brand-focused workshops for FNU staff
    • Develop a consistent messaging strategy highlighting FNU's dual roles
    • Engage professional designers to update FNU's visual identity
    • Leverage successful alumni stories in marketing materials and campaigns
    • Launch a digital campaign featuring student testimonials and experiences
    • Collaborate with influencers and media for broader reach
    • Use targeted social media ads to reach potential students
    • Monitor brand perception through regular surveys and social listening
  • ⛳️ Strategy 2: Enhance stakeholder engagement and partnerships

    • Map out key stakeholders and create a targeted engagement plan
    • Develop an alumni relations strategy that includes networking events
    • Launch a newsletter for staff, students, and alumni to foster connection
    • Establish partnerships with local and international businesses
    • Organise industry panels and talks at FNU to increase visibility
    • Promote collaborative research initiatives with partner institutions
    • Host bi-annual stakeholder forums to discuss university progress
    • Develop student ambassador programs to engage current and prospective students
    • Launch campaigns highlighting student achievements in local communities
    • Implement stakeholder feedback mechanisms to improve relationships
  • ⛳️ Strategy 3: Drive a digital transformation and innovation in marketing

    • Adopt advanced digital marketing tools and platforms
    • Create a dedicated content team for social media management
    • Introduce monthly podcasts focusing on trends and experiences at FNU
    • Enhance the FNU website with a user-friendly experience
    • Run SEO and content marketing campaigns to increase organic reach
    • Engage in targeted email marketing for different audience segments
    • Invest in analytics tools to assess digital campaign performance
    • Produce engaging video content showcasing the university's offerings
    • Use virtual reality for interactive virtual tours of campus facilities
    • Launch digital education initiatives to support online learning goals

How to track your Design System Manager strategies and tactics

Having a plan is one thing, sticking to it is another.

Don't fall into the set-and-forget trap. It is important to adopt a weekly check-in process to keep your strategy agile – otherwise this is nothing more than a reporting exercise.

A tool like Tability can also help you by combining AI and goal-setting to keep you on track.

More strategies recently published

We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.

Planning resources

OKRs are a great way to translate strategies into measurable goals. Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the OKR framework:

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