Orchestrating a Global Design Engine for IPO Readiness

Navigating Global Complexity & Org Evolution at Wattpad (2023–2026)

Vision

To evolve the design organization through three critical business phases while integrating a high-performance International Design Partnership between Toronto and Seoul.

The Organizational Evolution (The "Strategic Architect")

I led the design org through a deliberate structural evolution to meet shifting corporate goals:

  • 2023 (Efficiency): Moved from a legacy Squad model to a Centralized Service Model to streamline operations and ensure brand consistency during a high-stakes IPO-readiness phase.

  • 2024–2025 (Alignment): Pivoted to a Pod Model to drive deep Product/Design alignment for the "Funnel Overhaul" (Homepage, Browse, and Story Details). This increased ownership and allowed for the 30% lift in engagement.

  • 2026 (Velocity): Developed the strategic plan to return to an Integrated Squad Model, embedding Engineering as core UX partners to maximize shipping speed and confidence.

The International Bridge: Toronto ↔ Seoul (The "Global Leader")

I oversaw the cross-continental collaboration for the Funnel Redesign, managing the relationship between the Toronto UX team and the Korean UI team.

  • The Challenge: Timezone gaps (13–14 hours) and language barriers initially slowed velocity and created friction in component consistency.

  • The Strategic Pivot: I recognized that the Korean team brought "UI Freshness" while the Toronto team owned the "UX Vision and Foundation." I re-engineered the process:

    • Strategic Art Direction: Leveraged the Korean team for high-concept UI and visual innovation.

    • UX Vision and System Ownership: Empowered the Toronto team to lead with a Strategic UX Vision and translate those concepts into the core Design System, ensuring technical feasibility and component library integrity.

  • The Win-Win: This "Specialized Partnership" model eliminated redundancy, respected local strengths, and met our organizational KPIs with a "Follow-the-Sun" design cycle.

Measurable Impact

  • Project Success: Successfully launched the end-to-end Funnel Redesign (Home to Story Details), resulting in a 30% engagement lift.

  • Operational Efficiency: Optimized resource allocation between two global hubs, reducing "Design-to-Dev" friction by 25% through clearer system ownership.

  • Culture: Built a high-trust, cross-cultural collaboration that is now the blueprint for Wattpad’s international product development.