Scaling Craftsmanship Through Systems Design

Standardizing workflows and quality systems across multiple workshops to reduce errors and improve throughput.

Role: Head Lead Painter / Ops Lead

Scope: Multi-site operations

Timeline: 2021–Present

Tools

Figma • FigJam • Prototyping • Design Systems • User Research • Workshop Facilitation

Note: To comply with my Non Disclosure Agreement, I have omitted confidential information.

Context

As Goyard expanded across the Americas, each workshop operated with its own interpretation of processes and standards. Knowledge was informal, documentation was limited, and quality varied by location. This led to frequent rework, delayed orders, and inconsistent client experiences.

My role evolved beyond painting into designing systems that could scale operations without compromising craftsmanship.

Problem

  • No shared standards across workshops

  • Inconsistent training and onboarding

  • Frequent production mistakes and rework

  • Delays impacting customer experience

  • Tribal knowledge instead of documentation

My Role

I led the design of internal tools, documentation, and training systems across workshops. I partnered with managers, painters, and sales associates to identify bottlenecks, define standards, and implement scalable processes.

  • Research & observation

  • Process mapping

  • System design

  • Documentation

  • Training & rollout

Approach

Discover

Shadowed painters and managers, mapped workflows, and tracked where mistakes occurred. Identified translation gaps between French standards and U.S. execution.

Define

Documented core workflows and established a shared definition of quality. Prioritized repeatable systems over individual expertise.

Design

Created visual step-by-step protocols, QA checklists, and standardized documentation that made expectations explicit and easier to follow.

Rollout

Trained teams across locations and embedded standards into onboarding and daily operations.

Solutions

Standardized Painting Protocols

Developed the first U.S.-specific operational standards with visual guides and checklists.

QA System

Introduced repeatable quality checkpoints to catch errors earlier in the process.

Train & Documentation

Built onboarding materials and reference guides to reduce reliance on tribal knowledge.

Impact

  • Reduced average mistakes from 5/week → 2/month

  • Improved turnaround time across workshops

  • Increased consistency across 3+ locations

  • Enabled faster onboarding for new hires

  • Systems still in use today

What I Learned

Designing internal systems requires the same rigor as customer-facing products. Clear documentation, shared language, and thoughtful process design can dramatically improve both team efficiency and user outcomes. This experience strengthened my ability to lead through ambiguity and design for scale.