Engineering load sets the number. Team coverage on its own would ask for 8.
5.6 engineers to a designer, after complexity and the design system.
Coverage asks for 8 where the load would never ask for more than 11. The thing to fix is how the teams are cut, and headcount is the expensive way to work around it.
Under ten product engineers, the answer is one generalist designer and no researcher. A second designer is a question about what the first one cannot reach, and that question needs the first one in post before it can be answered.
Under three teams, research is designer-led with coaching. A dedicated researcher at this size spends more of the week waiting for something to study than studying it.
Engineers was below nought and has been read as nought.
Teams was below one and has been read as one. Every figure here divides by it.
The whole practice
Everything below follows from the designer number. Fill in what is there today and the gap prices itself; leave it empty and the gap is the whole recommendation.
17 people in design and research.
Design system engineers: 2. An engineering line, outside the design headcount and outside the design budget.
The first three hires
Largest gap first, with two rules on top of it.
Product designers
The largest gap left.
Product designers
The largest gap left.
Product designers
The largest gap left.
Assumptions
Every factor the model uses, open to be argued with. The defaults are starting values and nothing more: change one and every figure above moves with it, and the address carries your version.
Summary to paste into a ticket
Product designers: 11
Range: 9 to 14
Set by: Engineering load sets the number. Team coverage on its own would ask for 8.
First three hires: 1. Product designers, 2. Product designers, 3. Product designers
https://youex.de/tools/team-sizing/