Project Highlight
Project Name: Scaling Platform Adoption Through Governance-Aligned Documentation & Self-Serve Systems
Role: Product Designer & Project Lead
Company: Meta
Duration: 6-Month Program (Two 12-Week Execution Cycles)
Team: 5-person core team | 10+ direct stakeholders | 1000+ partner builders impacted
Role: Product Designer & Project Lead
Company: Meta
Duration: 6-Month Program (Two 12-Week Execution Cycles)
Team: 5-person core team | 10+ direct stakeholders | 1000+ partner builders impacted
The Challenge
Minimal, outdated documentation forced platform teams to:
- Spend 3–6 hrs/week per team member answering repeat questions
- Run ~2.5+ hrs/week of office hours due to partner confusion
- Manage inconsistent design implementations and governance issues
- Slow partner launch timelines and increase maintenance workload
My Contributions
- Identified systemic documentation gap affecting 70+ partner teams
- Initiated and led a cross-functional platform transformation program
- Built governance-aligned documentation framework adopted org-wide
- Implemented scalable partner intake workflow reducing support burden by 70%
- Modernized platform widget design system to improve consistency and launch speed
Key Outcomes
Internal Team
- 70% of partner questions resolved via documentation
- ~10–15 hrs/week reclaimed across core team
- Office hours reduced by ~60% (from ~2.5 hrs/week → <1 hr/week)
Partner Teams
- 3+ hours reduced per project in alignment & review
- Faster onboarding through self-serve resources
Organization
- Documentation used to onboard 50–120 new employees
- Framework integrated into governance and design playbook
- Process adopted as required step before launching new widgets
Operational ROI
- ~400 hours invested across project
- ~500–700 hours/year reclaimed in team productivity
- Estimated $40K–$80K annual operational value (industry averages)
Project Details
Background
As a Product Designer on Meta’s Account Overview platform team, I observed growing operational strain caused by partner teams building onto the platform without accessible documentation or consistent design guidance.
In a single half-year:
- 70+ partner intake requests were submitted
- Team members spent 3–6 hours weekly supporting partners
- Office hours expanded to ~2.5+ hours/week with overflow sessions
- Inconsistent implementations created long-term maintenance risks
Repeated questions, undocumented historical decisions, and inconsistent governance practices made the platform difficult to scale.
I initiated and led a cross-functional program to redesign our documentation ecosystem, design system artifacts, and partner onboarding process to support scalable growth.
In a single half-year:
- 70+ partner intake requests were submitted
- Team members spent 3–6 hours weekly supporting partners
- Office hours expanded to ~2.5+ hours/week with overflow sessions
- Inconsistent implementations created long-term maintenance risks
Repeated questions, undocumented historical decisions, and inconsistent governance practices made the platform difficult to scale.
I initiated and led a cross-functional program to redesign our documentation ecosystem, design system artifacts, and partner onboarding process to support scalable growth.
Program Structure
Core Project Team
- Project Lead (myself)
- Content Designer
- Product Manager
- Two Cross-team Product Designers
Stakeholders
- Product & Engineering Managers
- Governance & Design Program Management
- 70+ Partner Teams
- ~1000+ platform builders influenced
Governance Models
- Weekly working sessions & status meetings
- Data-driven prioritization
- Final decision authority held by me as project lead
- Decisions refined collaboratively through cross-functional review
Program Timeline (6 Months)
The initiative ran as a two-cycle rollout:
Cycle 1 (Months 1–3): Pilot & High-Usage Widgets
Weeks 1–2
- Facilitated workshops to redefine mission, vision, and product principles
- Established shared design philosophy across teams
- Created foundational “living documentation” aligned to long-term platform goals
Weeks 3–6
- Audited existing widgets and partner usage patterns
- Prioritized high-impact components
- Partnered with content design to rebuild documentation structure
- Developed decision-tree wayfinder to guide partner solution selection
Weeks 7–10
- Updated Figma sticker sheets
- Added component variants and interaction properties
- Merged updated widgets into broader Ads Manager design system
- Reduced design inconsistencies and review load
Weeks 11–12
- Secured governance approval for updated behaviors
- Integrated documentation requirements into feature launch process
- Launched adoption campaign across org channels
Cycle 2 (Months 4–6): Scaling Across Remaining Widgets
- Replicated process across lower-usage components
- Integrated documentation into ongoing governance workflows
- Expanded adoption across partner teams
Cycle 1 (Months 1–3): Pilot & High-Usage Widgets
Weeks 1–2
- Facilitated workshops to redefine mission, vision, and product principles
- Established shared design philosophy across teams
- Created foundational “living documentation” aligned to long-term platform goals
Weeks 3–6
- Audited existing widgets and partner usage patterns
- Prioritized high-impact components
- Partnered with content design to rebuild documentation structure
- Developed decision-tree wayfinder to guide partner solution selection
Weeks 7–10
- Updated Figma sticker sheets
- Added component variants and interaction properties
- Merged updated widgets into broader Ads Manager design system
- Reduced design inconsistencies and review load
Weeks 11–12
- Secured governance approval for updated behaviors
- Integrated documentation requirements into feature launch process
- Launched adoption campaign across org channels
Cycle 2 (Months 4–6): Scaling Across Remaining Widgets
- Replicated process across lower-usage components
- Integrated documentation into ongoing governance workflows
- Expanded adoption across partner teams
Problem Definition
Root causes identified:
- Outdated and difficult-to-find documentation
- Inconsistent internal alignment after re-orgs
- Outdated Figma components
- Lack of governance-aligned guidelines
- Heavy reliance on synchronous support
Without intervention:
- Increased overtime workload
- Degraded platform usability
- Inconsistent user experience
- Slower partner launches
- Rising technical and design debt
Execution
Strategic Alignment
- Facilitated workshops to redefine mission, vision, and product principles
- Created living documentation guiding long-term design decisions
Documentation Transformation
- Audited all widgets and prioritized by partner usage
- Partnered with content design to create structured documentation
- Developed decision-tree “wayfinder” enabling partners to match solutions to widgets quickly
Design System Monetization
- Updated outdated Figma sticker sheetsAdded variants and interaction properties
- Merged components into Ads Manager design system
- Reduced design inconsistencies and review cycles
Process & Workflow Implementation
- Created documentation-first partner intake process
- Introduced guided navigation and ticket tracking
- Socialized new workflows across org communication channels
- Embedded documentation requirements into feature launch process
Stakeholder Management & Change Leadership
Key challenges:
- Low prioritization from non-design stakeholders
- Engineering teams preferring reactive workflows
- Governance complexity and legacy behaviors
Strategies used:
- Benchmarked successful internal orgs with scalable documentation
- Framed initiative around launch velocity and product quality
- Secured governance leadership support
- Used escalation pathways when deadlines were missed
- Implemented structured socialization campaigns across teams
Risk Management & Iteration
Primary risks included:
Risk
Mitigation
Low adoption
Documentation-first workflows + organization-wide rollout
Stakeholder prioritization
Data-driven advocacy + leadership sponsorship
Governance delays
Early governance involvement
Outdated documentation recurring
Required documentation for all new features
Team capacity constraints
Phased rollout & prioritization by usage volume
Operational Investments & ROI
Estimated project investment:
- ~360–400 cross-functional hours
Productivity gains:
- ~10–15 hrs/week reclaimed across core team
- ~520–780 hours/year saved
Estimated operational value:
- ~$40K–$80K annual productivity return (industry averages)
- ~360–400 cross-functional hours
Productivity gains:
- ~10–15 hrs/week reclaimed across core team
- ~520–780 hours/year saved
Estimated operational value:
- ~$40K–$80K annual productivity return (industry averages)
Outcomes
Internal Team
- 70% partner inquiries resolved through documentation
- Office hours reduced from ~2.5 hrs/week to <1 hr/week
- Reclaimed 2–3 hrs/week per team member
Partner Teams
- ~3+ hrs reduced per project in alignment & design review
- Faster onboarding and implementation
Organization
- Documentation used to onboard 50–120 new employees
- Integrated into official design playbook
- Governance process strengthened
- Reusable documentation framework adopted
Sustainability
- Documentation required before new widget launches
- Maintenance ownership transferred to feature teams
- Governance reviews incorporated documentation checks
- System adopted beyond original team