Remote Design Leader by Yvonne Doll | Senior Design Director & UX Expert

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People leadership

Design Leadership: Senior Design Director Yvonne Doll

Company

Jetpack (WordPress)

Role

Design Director, Process Architect

App Audience

27 million

I subscribe to a people-first lead from behind philosophy (HBG.org Leading from Behind ↗). I have extensive experience in prioritization frameworks and cross-functional collaboration, driving faster iterations and impactful results. As a hands-on, full-stack designer and emotionally intelligent leader, I support designers' growth, promote collaboration, and foster a positive team culture where everyone can thrive.

Impact Numbers

↑58%

Team Productivity YOY

↑20%

Feature Release

∞Joy

Team Engagement

How we got there

Permission to fail

Tailored design strategy

The vibe matters

In my six years as Senior Design Director, my team consistently ranked in the top three for team member engagement as measured by a quarterly company-wide engagement survey; members felt supported and contributed to a positive company culture. I’m very proud of this achievement.

Vibe Check

Processes that work

I led a shared service team of 8 designers supporting 6 development teams, 14 applications, and over 40 features at Jetpack/WordPress. six

Without a centralized system for handling requests, the influx of ad-hoc tasks can stretch the team’s capacity. I implemented structured processes, which are key to maintaining high standards and avoiding burnout.

Productivity in design teams; Senior Design Director Yvonne Doll

Key Strategies

Optimizing Tools and Processes

Created a standardized intake process to prioritize impact and manage ad-hoc requests via GitHub, Zap, and Slack.

Prioritization and Workflow Alignment

Initiated and led a weekly 15-20 min sync up where stakeholders from product, design, and engineering aligned on project priorities.

Enhancing Cross-Functional Communication

Introduced a quarterly designer rotation to streamline planning and reduce bottlenecks.

Tracking and Improving Velocity

Monitored team velocity in GitHub to ensure focus on impactful work.

My leadership philosophy

FOCUS

I believe it's my job to inspire the team to pursue graceful, innovative solutions with a laser focus on the user problems we're trying to solve.

LEAD FROM BEHIND

Mentor and guide, but let the team shine. Foster a culture of autonomy and self-leadership. Build trust and collaboration so team members feel confident to experiment and grow.

ADAPT

One size doesn't fit all. People are unique, and I mentor and lead them accordingly. I'm wildly interested in team dynamics and enjoy facilitating an organic flow.

REMAIN CURIOUS

Outstanding leadership isn’t about having all the answers but asking the right questions. It’s about staying curious and continually learning from your team.

BE KIND, BE CLEAR

Inspired by books like Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, I follow a "clarity is kindness" approach.
I lead with curiosity, empathy, and authenticity, fostering a team culture built on the same values.

" A Rising tide lifts all boats"

This is one of my favorite expressions, often attributed to JFK, who used it to promote inclusive economic growth. I love it in the context of innovation and a team spirit of lifting each other up.

Kind words from excellent humans

Company culture is everything. I'm proud of the strong relationships I've built with my colleagues. I help build supportive, innovative, and action-oriented teams that uplift one another and collaborate to create exceptional work.

I had the pleasure of working alongside Yvonne during her time as a Design Director at Automattic, where she made a big impact on the Jetpack design team and our company culture overall. Yvonne created a supportive and inspiring environment, making everyone feel valued and motivated to do their best work, and it showed!She was a fantastic mentor to me, always leading by example and pushing for creativity. Yvonne is an empathetic leader and genuine creative spirit!
Andrei Slobstov Brand Design | automattic
Yvonne was my Design Director at Automattic for nearly 4 years. Exceptionally creative and organized, she built incredibly efficient UX Research workflows, led the division's roadmap and strategy, and mentored a team of 8 senior designers. Yvonne excelled at both detailed design feedback and strategic, big-picture thinking across products. Yvonne is a true multiplier—uplifting everyone around her and giving them the tools to become the best person they can.
Caiti Vincel Lead Product Manager | Sprout Social
Yvonne was my Design Director at Automattic for nearly 4 years. Exceptionally creative and organized, she built incredibly efficient UX Research workflows, led the division's roadmap and strategy, and mentored a team of 8 senior designers. Yvonne excelled at both detailed design feedback and strategic, big-picture thinking across products. Yvonne is a true multiplier—uplifting everyone around her and giving them the tools to become the best person they can.
James Grierson CEO | Jetpack
Yvonne was my Design Director at Automattic for nearly 4 years. Exceptionally creative and organized, she built incredibly efficient UX Research workflows, led the division's roadmap and strategy, and mentored a team of 8 senior designers. Yvonne excelled at both detailed design feedback and strategic, big-picture thinking across products. Yvonne is a true multiplier—uplifting everyone around her and giving them the tools to become the best person they can.
EDER RENGIFO Senior ai designer | automattic
Yvonne was my Design Director at Automattic for nearly 4 years. Exceptionally creative and organized, she built incredibly efficient UX Research workflows, led the division's roadmap and strategy, and mentored a team of 8 senior designers. Yvonne excelled at both detailed design feedback and strategic, big-picture thinking across products. Yvonne is a true multiplier—uplifting everyone around her and giving them the tools to become the best person they can.
Ilona Jaudžemytė Senior UX Designer | Jetpack
Yvonne Doll is a one-in-a-million, multi-talented designer, artist, musician, and, above all, design leader. It was my pleasure and privilege to watch Yvonne mentor, encourage, inspire, and support the Jetpack design team. Beyond being a model colleague, she’s also tremendous fun, supremely cool, and somehow, despite being fun and cool, a grownup and mensch. I would hire her myself if I were in a position to do so, and consider myself fortunate indeed if she accepted the offer. Meet her. Hang out with her. Interview her. You’ll be glad you did.
Jeffery Zeldman Executive Creative Director | Automattic
Yvonne has a gift for unifying teams and keeping everyone focused on delivering the best possible experience for the user. She brought her deep expertise in user research and implemented practical, effective research processes that have seeped through the entire company. Yvonne is highly impact-driven and doesn’t waste time on unnecessary fluff. She’s as pragmatic as they come, always focused on what will move the needle and deliver results, fast. But what really sets her apart is her integrity and the genuine care she has for her team.
FILIPE Varela Design director | Jetpack
I was very lucky to be able to work for Yvonne. She's a fantastic UX design leader and product thinker. She has a data-driven approach to UX that fuels excellent product design. 10/10 would work with her again.
Nick Kovacevich Head of UX Design & Research | AWS Marketplace
I had the pleasure of working alongside Yvonne during her time as a Design Director at Automattic, where she made a big impact on the Jetpack design team and our company culture overall. Yvonne created a supportive and inspiring environment, making everyone feel valued and motivated to do their best work, and it showed!She was a fantastic mentor to me, always leading by example and pushing for creativity. Yvonne is an empathetic leader and genuine creative spirit!
Andrei Slobstov Brand Design | automattic
Yvonne was my Design Director at Automattic for nearly 4 years. Exceptionally creative and organized, she built incredibly efficient UX Research workflows, led the division's roadmap and strategy, and mentored a team of 8 senior designers. Yvonne excelled at both detailed design feedback and strategic, big-picture thinking across products. Yvonne is a true multiplier—uplifting everyone around her and giving them the tools to become the best person they can.
Ballio Chan Creative Director | Automattic
Yvonne was my Design Director at Automattic for nearly 4 years. Exceptionally creative and organized, she built incredibly efficient UX Research workflows, led the division's roadmap and strategy, and mentored a team of 8 senior designers. Yvonne excelled at both detailed design feedback and strategic, big-picture thinking across products. Yvonne is a true multiplier—uplifting everyone around her and giving them the tools to become the best person they can.
Jeff Golenski Principle Designer/ Product Mgr. | Automattic