This case study examines the strategy behind a community-first approach and the metrics-driven evolution of the office hours support framework for Wayfair's design system. For a deep dive into the technical implementation of this initiative, check out my Medium article Leveling up Office Hours with Airtable for Wayfair's Design System, Homebase.
At Wayfair, our design system—Homebase—enables product teams to create exceptional user experiences with efficiency and consistency. Building an engaged, informed, and collaborative design systems community is critical to driving adoption and creating meaningful impact.
Office hours became a cornerstone of how our team connected with people using our design system, providing a space for collaboration, feedback, and support. However, as Wayfair grew, so did the demand for these sessions. Managing office hours became increasingly complex, requiring a more intentional and scalable approach.
I led the effort to evolve office hours into a structured, data-informed program that met the needs of our growing community and scaled effectively with the organization.
Office hours are a space where designers, engineers, and product managers can meet with the design system team to:
These sessions go beyond providing answers—they’re about creating meaningful connections and fostering a collaborative dialogue. By hosting office hours, our team could:
As demand for design systems office hours grew, the team faced three primary challenges:
1. Scaling support
The manual processes for managing sessions—scheduling, follow-ups, and tracking insights—were time-consuming and inefficient.
2. Consistency across sessions
Without defined processes, the quality of support varied depending on who was facilitating the office hours session.
3. Leveraging insights
We were gathering valuable feedback during office hours sessions but lacked a centralized way to analyze themes, track trends, or act on them systematically.
To address these challenges, I designed a new operational framework for office hours, focusing on scalability, user experience, and continuous improvement.
1. Streamlined Operations
We implemented a standardized scheduling system and pre-screened appointments to ensure they were focused and actionable. If a question was better suited for another channel, we redirected users to the right resources.
2. Defined Roles for Facilitation
Each session had clearly defined roles, including a session lead and note-taker. This ensured that the necessary expertise was present and created opportunities for team members to learn by observing experienced colleagues.
3. Embedded Feedback Loops
Post-session surveys provided valuable insights into user satisfaction and session outcomes. Internal team ratings measured how effectively we addressed user needs and highlighted areas for growth.
4. Made Data Actionable
We tracked session data to identify recurring themes and trends. This informed updates to components, patterns, and documentation, ensuring that the design system evolved in alignment with user needs.
Data is a powerful storytelling tool. We want to be able to tell a story about the effectiveness of office hours and how we are supporting our community.
To make continuous improvements to office hours, we monitored the following key metrics:
By implementing a structured, data-driven approach to office hours, we were able to significantly improve their effectiveness and value for both the Homebase team and our community of users. Here’s how the changes made a measurable difference:
Through these improvements, office hours were transformed from a simple support mechanism into a key driver of adoption, trust, and continuous improvement for Wayfair’s design system. This initiative not only strengthened the Homebase design system but also reinforced the role of community engagement in achieving design excellence at scale.