Synoptro Consulting
Synoptro is a Design Operations consultancy built by people who have lived both sides of the work: the creative demands of design and the operational systems required to make it thrive. We understand how design teams actually function — the bottlenecks, the rituals, the cross-functional friction — because we’ve been embedded in modern product teams ourselves, shaping both the craft and the processes that support it.
Our approach is grounded in real practice, not theory. Synoptro was founded by a former designer, UI engineer, and entrepreneur who spent years building and running a business before stepping into DesignOps leadership for high-scale organizations. That blend of design thinking, operational rigor, and startup scrappiness helps us meet teams where they are — whether they’re just getting started or looking to mature their systems at scale.
Today, Synoptro partners with companies of all sizes to bring clarity to delivery, alignment to teams, and structure to growth. We focus on practical improvements, not heavy frameworks — helping product and design orgs move faster, think clearer, and build healthier ways of working. Our goal is simple: make design teams more effective by strengthening the systems behind the work.
A Little About Me (And Why This Work Matters)
Hi! I'm Dennis, a designer, an operator, and the founder of Synoptro Conusulting.
I’ve spent my entire career sitting at the intersection of design and operations. Sometimes by accident, sometimes because no one else wanted to do the work, and sometimes because things were on fire and someone had to fix them. I’ve seen teams thrive when their systems support them, and I’ve seen them grind to a halt when everything around the design work is messy, unclear, or constantly shifting. That’s why this matters to me: designing an excellent user experience is too important to be slowed down by easily avoidable friction.
In every role I’ve held — Comcast Advertising, Comcast’s ULearn org, GSK, and now Taco Bell — the pattern has been the same: talented people doing their best while withstanding processes that weren’t designed to help them succeed. I’ve built Centers of Excellence, designed zero-to-one platforms, overhauled workflows, and stood up an entire DesignOps function because I’ve truly lived how chaotic things get when teams don’t have structure, clarity, or a partner who understands both the creative and operational sides of the work.
I built Synoptro because I genuinely believe design teams deserve better support than they usually get. Not shiny frameworks or org charts in slide decks, but actual, real-world, practical, make-your-life-easier support from someone who has been in the meeting where everyone is confused, the Jira board where no one agrees, and the Slack channel where designers quietly lose their minds.
What We Offer Your Design Team
DesignOps Audits
A comprehensive evaluation of your team’s workflows, tooling, rituals, and pain points to identify where operational friction is holding you back.
Workflow Optimization
Refine how design, product, and engineering collaborate to reduce rework, clarify expectations, and accelerate delivery.
Team Foundations
Establish the operating model, principles, rituals, and onboarding structures your design team needs to grow with clarity.
Process Enablement
Create or improve repeatable processes—from intake to reviews to handoff—that keep your team aligned and moving efficiently.
Collaboration Coaching
Strengthen cross-functional collaboration with frameworks, communication patterns, and alignment practices that boost team performance.
Fractional Leadership
Ongoing DesignOps partnership to guide strategy, planning, prioritization, and operational excellence without adding headcount.
Why choose Snyoptro over the competition?
Designer-Led Operations
We bring DesignOps expertise shaped by hands-on design experience. Synoptro understands how creative teams actually work, which helps us build systems that support designers rather than over-structure them.
Practical and Pragmatic
Our approach is grounded in clarity, efficiency, and simple routines that teams can adopt immediately. We avoid heavy frameworks and focus on improvements that reduce friction and make day-to-day work smoother.
Entrepreneurial at Heart
Synoptro blends operational rigor with the adaptability of a founder-led background. We know how to move quickly, prioritize what matters, and build systems that scale without slowing teams down.
Ready to work together?
Pick a time that works for you and we’ll help you confirm the right next step. Prefer to start over email? That’s totally fine too.
Typical response time is within one business day.