Building a design team for Customer Service in Klarna

 

From 0 to 4 designers (June 2022 ~)

I joined Klarna in the summer of 2022, to Customer Service domain of 144 teams (largest domain in Klarna). The re-organization left us with zero designer and a vast amount of design backlogs.
In 6 months, I have built a mid to senior team of 3 designers and 1 content designer to accommodate 3 main groups (total of 7 product teams) in Customer Service domain.

 

Our design mission & problem spaces

A clear definition of mission to our customer experience was much needed. It helped strengthen our bond and remind us of why we can make Customer Service products even better with our design strengths.
In Customer Service, the designers are located in either Consumer, Merchant or Agent-facing product teams; also in different countries (Sweden & Italy). As a domain design lead, I make sure we feel like a team, and have basic understanding of different products even though we all work in different work streams.
I also assist different groups in building the Way of working with design at the beginning of each product development cycle.

 

Our design rituals:

  • 1 on 1 check-in and design review with each designer

  • Design Round-table to update each other on individual feedbacks, and to share our knowledge

  • Design support to different groups for high-priority projects

  • Components/UI inventory every quarter to support Design system operation

  • Team management (calibration, administration & performance review)

  • And team reunion in Stockholm once every quarter! We make sure to have fun together whenever we meet (with Fika & AW of course).

From a laptop screen to sunny Stockholm!

 

Design round-table where we have an open forum to get design feedbacks and align with each other

 

Nurturing a pro-active environment

We ask feedbacks & inputs whenever we can, either casually or officially.

 

Quarterly retro

To understand different ways of working in different groups in the domain. To listen and improve.

 

Design system’s UI inventory

To align with Design System team operation, we also document our UI inventory with a template.

 

What we have achieved

Under my design leadership, we have driven many important business metrics and completed a huge chunk of design backlogs. Altogether we shipped 5+ new features for our Customer Service funnels in the last 8 months. The team also has no turnover since I joined.