Docker

Docker redefined how developers “Build, Ship, and Run” container apps—needed our help to push into the enterprise while retaining their developer roots.

APPROACH

We used design thinking to guide Docker’s leadership through a major business and cultural inflection point, creating lasting resilience.

Strategic Design: Restructured the org around a user-centered perspective and built design capabilities starting at the C-level.

Bridge strategy to execution: By embedding staff we brought best-in-class design that made better product decisions and accelerated execution.

SOLUTION

Over 2 years we helped Docker through a critical transition by infusing user-centered design into their culture, processes, and products.

Strategic Design:
C-level alignment

I functioned as VP of Design and championed a user-centered perspective with the COO (now CEO):

—Set a 3 year hiring plan

—Defined x-discipline teams and roles

—Created a holistic user-centered PDP

With focus back on the end user developer, the org made faster, more effective decisions from concept to execution.

Strategic Design:
Cross-functional capability building

We brought our deep expertise in design for SaaS through embedding best staff onsite and conducting regular training and workshops to build capabilities.

Repeatable design processes and rigorous methodology enabled quality at scale, as top-line revenue accelerated through organic growth and acquisitions.

Strategic Design:
From products to ecosystem

Monetizing open source software is fraught with balancing needs of individual developers versus the diverse enterprise.

Design played a critical role in evolving business strategy and accelerating concept to launch.

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Partnered across 8 functional groups, launching 3 products—proving the speed + value of UCD in an engineering culture..

Acceleration by Design
Provided C-level design leadership, up-leveled and grew the design team by 3x, rapidly produced concept to dev-ready designs.

Reinforced Research
Established a UXR practice with personas, user interviews, usability studies: that objectively informed product decisions.

Established Best Practices
Transformed ideas to products by introducing rigorous design methods such as product modeling, task flows, and prototyping.

Note: My design director went on to be Head of Design at Docker, a mark of success.
Docker sold the enterprise business to Mirantis for $91M. As of 2022 both companies reported $50M in increased ARR.