Context
As the Design Lead and Product Manager at iMedicina, I played a crucial role in structuring both the product and design departments, ensuring the company had strong foundations for growth. This task included developing processes, governance frameworks, and a strategic approach to product development and delivery.
Challenge
When I joined, I was the unique designer working with 3 developers. After 2 years, we were 7 designers and 6 developers, which made it difficult to scale efficiently and maintain consistency across projects. My challenge was to build a framework to support product development and the scaling of the design team.
Solution
To address these challenges, I started the creation of the iMedicina Product Playbook, a comprehensive guide outlining best practices, methodologies, and tools. The playbook covered everything from the discovery phase, prioritization, agile UX methodology, and governance for ongoing product development. We implemented tools like Jira and Confluence for task and process management, alongside Hubspot for CRM, ensuring efficient cross-team collaboration.
In addition to process governance, I was responsible for team development, hiring and mentoring designers, and aligning product strategy with business goals. We implemented SCRUM methodologies to ensure predictable and timely deliveries while emphasizing iterative development. This framework allowed us to structure roadmaps, manage backlogs, and prioritize features based on user needs and business impact.
Results
By structuring the product and design teams, we were able to improve operational efficiency and product quality. The governance introduced through the playbook allowed for more predictable delivery cycles, better cross-functional collaboration, and clearer prioritization of features that aligned with business goals, especially when hiring a new team member. This framework also played a crucial role in supporting our successful transition to a Freemium model and scaling the iMedicina PRO initiative. Furthermore, this structured approach laid the groundwork for future innovations, contributing to the company’s overall success and eventual acquisition.