Hoda Dehmeshki

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Hoda Dehmeshki

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Case Studies

Embedding UX into Product Strategy and Development

At Bank OZK, UX initially lacked a defined role in product strategy and delivery. I matured the function by embedding UX into roadmaps, setting operational foundations, and integrating UX across the product lifecycle.

At Bank OZK, UX initially lacked a defined role in product strategy and delivery. I advanced maturity by embedding research into roadmaps, establishing operational foundations, and integrating UX throughout the product lifecycle.

Embedding UX into Product Strategy and Development

My Role and Responsibilities

UX in Agile & Planning: Introduced processes that kept UX design cycles at least three sprints ahead of development and embedded user insights into quarterly planning and backlog priorities.
Problem-Driven Delivery Workflow: Redesigned Jira intake to frame work around user problems and outcomes rather than feature requests, improving prioritization and stakeholder alignment.
UX Ops & VoC Alignment: Provided research and VoC tools, along with supporting processes, enabling UX, Product, and Marketing to consistently capture and share user insights.
Design System Implementation: Established the Bank OZK Design System as a scalable foundation for compliant, efficient product delivery.

Experience Design in the Agile Process

The Experience Design Framework I established at Bank OZK connects UX with business strategy and Agile delivery to identify opportunities, evaluate feasibility, and define scope that balances user needs, business goals, and technical capabilities.

Exploration & Solution Alignment

Activities

Outcomes

Problem Identification

Conduct SME interviews, market scans, and competitive analysis to define problems.

Problem Definition:

Clear scope, target users, goals, KPIs, and problem framing.

User Research

Conduct research to understand the current experience.

Insights Report:

A prioritized list of pain points and opportunities.

Ideation

Run co-creation workshops to develop and validate solutions based on the insights.

Future State Vision:

Validated journey maps reflecting the future state experience.

Value Assessment

Assess viability, feasibility, and desirability of proposed solutions.

Value Matrix:

Selected solutions prioritized by business impact, feasibility, and desirability.

I lead this process end-to-end, transforming insights into action.

Agile Implementation

Activities

Outcomes

Roadmap & Backlog Planning

Product Manager sets up tools and infrastructure and aligns priorities.

User Stories

Defined epics and user stories for aligned delivery.

Sprints

Product and UX teams collaborate through each sprint.

Backlog Refinement

UX stays 2-3 sprints ahead, applying usability testing to refine design solutions before development.

I ensure UX participation is embedded throughout the process.

Design System

I established the Design System as a strategic foundation that scaled UX beyond individual projects. To accelerate delivery, I adapted Google Material as the base framework and tailored it with the bank’s brand elements, compliance requirements, and accessibility standards. This allowed me to move fast while ensuring the system reflected the organization’s identity and met regulatory expectation

Here’s another view of the same framework, highlighting the three core areas: Client Insights, Experience Design Strategy, and Agile UX.

Client Insights

IDENTIFY ISSUES

I partner with analytics, marketing, and call center teams to spot friction points and prioritize UX opportunities by

Analyzing Google Analytics reports

Reviewing call center themes (recurring support issues)

Interpreting client survey results (NPS, CSAT)

Experience Design Strategy

CONDUCT RESEARCH

I lead mixed-methods research to uncover user needs and workflow gaps.

My toolkit includes:

In-depth interviews

Usability testing

Workflow observation

Survey

STAKEHOLDER ALIGNMENT

I work with stakeholders and product partners through workshops and ideation sessions, translating research into shared priorities, concept validation, and actionable design direction.

STAKEHOLDER ALIGNMENT

I work with stakeholders through co-creation workshops translating research into shared priorities, concept validation, and actionable design direction.

Agile UX

DESIGN AND DELIVER

I partner with product and engineering teams to embed UX throughout delivery by

Creating design concepts and prototypes

Providing design reviews and guidance during development

Conducting usability checks before launch

Bank OZK Design System

I established the Design System by tailoring Google Material with the bank’s brand elements and compliance requirements, refining visual styles, extending component patterns for banking workflows, and reinforcing accessibility to meet ADA and financial regulatory standards beyond baseline WCAG.

Reduction in Design Rework

50%

Early UX planning and a shared Jira workflow lead to a significant drop to design inconsistencies and last-minute rework across major initiatives.

Faster Dev Hand-offs

3x

The updated design operations and design system streamlined collaboration with engineering and accelerated delivery across sprints.

Adoption

100%

By the end of Q2, UX was fully integrated into product development life cycle leading to fewer missed requirements, more user-centered decisions and smoother collaboration,

Key Outcomes

Reduction in Design Rework

50%

Early UX planning, a shared Jira workflow, and the implementation of the design system cut design inconsistencies and reduced rework by 50% across major initiatives

Faster Design Hand-offs

3x

The updated design operations streamlined collaboration with engineering, enabling 3x faster hand-offs and accelerating delivery across sprints.

Adoption

100%

By the end of Q2, UX was fully integrated into the product development life cycle, achieving 100% adoption. This led to fewer missed requirements, more user-centered decisions, and smoother team collaboration.

Go to Case Studies

Embedding UX into Product Strategy and Development

My Role and Responsibilities

UX & Agile Integration: Introduced a structured model embedding UX across discovery, delivery, and validation — shifting practice from reactive to proactive.

Strategic Product & Backlog Alignment: Aligned UX with product leadership to integrate research into quarterly and sprint planning, enabling iteration cycles several steps ahead of development.

Problem-Driven Delivery Workflow: Redesigned Jira intake to prioritize user problems and outcomes over features, improving alignment with business value.

UX Ops & VoC Alignment: Equipped product teams with research and VoC tools, establishing processes that surfaced insights consistently across UX, Product, and Marketing.

Design System Implementation: Established the Bank OZK Design System as a scalable foundation for consistent, compliant, and efficient product delivery.

Experience Design in the Agile Process

The Experience Design Framework I've established at Bank OZK connects UX with business strategy and delivery to identify opportunities, weigh feasibility, and define scope that balances user needs, business goals, and technical capabilities.

hdehmeshki@gmail.com

Hoda Dehmeshki

Home

Case Studies

Hoda Dehmeshki

Home

Case Studies