Dimension 2: Structure
How is the Design Org structured? Centralized, decentralized, hybrid? Organized by subfunction, product, stage in the journey?
Having established the Design organization's purpose, a question is begged: how best to structure the organization to deliver on that purpose?
Too often, Design organizations simply mimic the structure of the organization around them—so if Product Management is structured 'by product,' then the Design organization is structured that way as well. And while there may be good reasons to mimic the structure, that should be an intentional decision. In my experience, the Purpose and Measures of Success from the Charter work will suggest that the Design organization should have a distinct structure that serves its agenda.
Additionally, there will likely be broader organizational strategies, such as operating as a set of autonomous business units, or adopting a "team of teams" approach, or a strong top-down hierarchy, which need to be accounted for when making your organizational decisions.
Dimension 2 explores how to determine which structure is best suited for your Design organization.