Design ↔ HR Collaboration Guide

Why This Collaboration Matters

Design and HR might seem like distant teams, but in a human-centered organization, they play a vital role in shaping the employee experience, employer brand, and internal communications.

HR understands what employees need to feel engaged, included, and supported. Design has the skills to visually communicate culture, make tools more accessible, and create meaningful moments across the employee lifecycle—from onboarding to internal platforms, DEI campaigns, and wellbeing programs.

When these teams work together, employees feel informed, inspired, and connected. When they don’t, HR programs may lack impact, and design talent may go underutilized internally.

Benefits of Strong Collaboration

  • Stronger employer branding: Design brings visual clarity and emotional appeal to HR's messaging.

  • More engaging internal comms: HR initiatives (benefits, DEI, policy changes) are better received when well-designed.

  • Inclusive experiences: Design ensures that HR materials are accessible and aligned with DEI principles.

Perils of Misalignment

  • Onboarding materials and HR comms feel generic or inconsistent with company brand.

  • Critical employee programs lack engagement due to poor design or messaging.

  • DEI efforts lack clarity or visibility due to uncoordinated execution.

Monthly Meeting Agenda: Design ↔ HR Sync

Duration: 45 minutes
Cadence: Monthly or Bi-monthly

Agenda:

  1. Upcoming HR Initiatives (15 mins)
    HR shares plans for employer branding campaigns, internal policies, DEI events, or wellness programs.

  2. Design Resource Planning (10 mins)
    Align on design capacity, timelines, and priorities for upcoming HR needs.

  3. Internal Comms & Visual Experience Review (10 mins)
    Review key documents or platforms (onboarding decks, HR portals, Slack visuals).

  4. DEI & Accessibility Alignment (5 mins)
    Collaborate on inclusive visual design and accessible language/layouts.

  5. Feedback & Improvements (5 mins)
    Reflect on what’s working, what needs iteration, and what’s next.

Collaboration Audit Checklist

Rate each item 1 (never) to 5 (always):

Audit QuestionScoreAre HR communications designed with clarity, accessibility, and branding in mind?Does HR involve Design early in the planning of major campaigns or programs?Are onboarding, DEI, and internal content reviewed for visual consistency?Do Design and HR have shared visibility on priorities and timelines?Are employees surveyed for feedback on the usability of HR-related materials?

Scoring:

  • 20–25: People-first, design-enabled culture

  • 15–19: Coordination happening, but needs structure

  • <15: Risk of internal disengagement due to weak execution

Joint KPIs / OKRs

Shared KPIs:

  • Employee engagement with internal campaigns (email click rate, intranet visits)

  • Time to deliver design-ready HR materials

  • Employee satisfaction scores on onboarding or internal comms

  • Accessibility compliance rate on internal documents

Sample Joint OKRs:

Objective: Improve employee experience through design-enabled HR programs

  • KR1: Launch 5 major HR initiatives with full design support this quarter

  • KR2: Increase employee satisfaction with onboarding materials to 90%

  • KR3: Ensure 100% of HR comms meet brand and accessibility standards

  • KR4: Conduct biannual usability survey on HR platforms and documents

Design, HR, InterdisciplinaryFrancesca Tabor