The Setup
As a self-proclaimed coffee nerd, I was stoked for the opportunity to work for the largest coffee brand in the world. I joined as a UX Design Manager with a focus on the retail side. More specifically, to lead a team of UX Designers to work on in-house barista experiences around fulfilling and managing customer orders. This space never had a dedicated team. Recent changes in the company meant more money and focus was to be put into this area, and thus my team was born. There was also a newly formed operating model being implemented and our portfolio would be the first to test out this new way of working. I knew I had my work cut out for me to make my team successful.
The Approach
I quickly immersed myself in the retail sector to gain a deeper understanding of our space and the UX needs, collaborating closely with strategic partners across our portfolio. The challenge with transitioning to a new operating model was that it required dedicated teams. Unfortunately, we were outnumbered—there was roughly a 2:1 ratio between product and UX designers, and about a 10:1 ratio between engineers and UX. Our portfolio spanned 7 pods, yet we only had 4 designers (myself included) to manage the workload. To make matters more challenging, there were also several high-priority leadership requests with tight deadlines that required our attention. Additionally, there was an expectation that our portfolio would serve as a test bed for the new operating model, pressure testing it to ensure it could be scaled across the company.
The Solution
In order to set my team up for success and support the new operating model, I partnered closely with product to understand the focus of each pod across our portfolio. Specifically to grasp the UX needs of each pod, and determine how the high priority leadership asks would be broken up. I chose to have a UX point person for every pod in our portfolio, so each person would cover multiple pods. While balancing coverage was initially challenging, it was beneficial to keep things streamlined and allowed each product owner to have a single point of contact for UX work. I regularly reassessed workloads and introduced tracking methods through kanban boards and Slack automation. This approach proved successful and enabled consistent UX support across the portfolio while keeping the team nimble as priorities shifted. We refined processes and built strong partnerships across Product, Store Operations, and Engineering, and ushered in a new way of working that would scale across the company.
Team Accomplishments
- Spearheaded and launched Order Status Boards experience to over 1,000 stores
- Created and launched Food Warming Station Views experience to all USA stores
- Crafted and rolled out 3 phases of Digital Prodution Manager enhancements
- Designed and launched cup label redesign to all USA stores
Personal Wins
- Built team from ground up to support the retail space
- Grew and promoted team, with 3 promotions and 2 new hires
- Built strong partnerships between UX, Product, and Store Operations
- Systematically organized team around a new operating model
Things I Learned
- Humility. Leading with bottom-up servant leadership
- Transparency. Communicating what I know, the good and especially the bad.
- Trust building. Trust is everything and required for a high functioning team.
- Listening. Leading a team requires a patient ear to listen before speaking.
Some of the digital experiences my team supported
Endorsements from my team and peers
"Mat is a fantastic manager who cares deeply about his team. He is transparent, great at communicating the important things at the right times, and very kind. He cares deeply about the work and is a fantastic advocate and team member for those who need it. Mat makes the time to ask questions that matter and care for people. He is a great friend and an incredible asset to whatever team he is on.
Thank you for all of your support."
"I’ve had the privilege of working with Mat, and he has been an exceptional leader in every sense. He transformed our UX team into a true strategic partner for the Starbucks retail organization, elevating the role of design in driving business impact. Mat guided the team through major project launches with clarity and vision, while fostering a culture built on collaboration and trust. He is proactive, an outstanding cross-functional communicator, and consistently champions the value of UX in relation to business goals. Mat’s leadership not only empowered the team to deliver at a high level but also helped us grow as designers and collaborators. Any team would be fortunate to have him at the helm."