LUKE DACEY • DESIGN LEADERSHIP • DUBAI
23 years building from zero to global scale.
From early-stage startups to products serving 70M+ users across multiple markets, I’ve built and led from zero to scale.
HOW I WORK
Most design issues aren’t about design. They’re about decisions.
I’ve worked across fintech, consumer, automotive, B2B, maritime and government. I’ve been a founder, IC, design leader and product strategist. Most failures come down to the same causes - unclear direction, weak ownership and teams moving without alignment.
The playbook changes, the problems don’t
I’ve built from zero and led teams of 40+ across multiple markets. What breaks isn’t design quality, it’s applying the wrong approach at the wrong stage. Knowing what the situation actually needs is the job.
Direction is set early or paid for later
When design isn’t part of how decisions are made, teams don’t just ship worse UX. They burn time, reset constantly and scale the wrong things. I set direction before execution, not fix it after.
AI changes how teams actually work
Most teams bolt it on or use it in the wrong place. I research and use it daily to remove friction and speed up decisions. Not just better output, faster alignment and fewer dead ends, less wasted work.
Weak structure kills output
At Careem, I moved the design team eNPS from -24 to +78 in 3 months by fixing clarity, ownership and how decisions were made. Get that right and output follows.
What sets Luke apart as a leader is his ability to combine vision with collaboration. He communicates ideas with clarity and passion, bringing others on the journey and motivating them to raise their own standards.
~ Jay Tulloch, Head of Product Design - Platform, Careem
SELECTED WORK
Where I’ve defined direction, built from zero, or changed how teams operate.
CAREEM • GLOBAL HEAD OF DESIGN • 70M+ USERS
40+ designers across 10 verticals, shipping fast with no shared direction.
-24 to +78 - 102 point eNPS improvement.
300% - Improvement in team satisfaction.
40% - Increase in early stage design involvement
THE AA (AA-X) • HEAD OF UX • 14M+ USERS
Legacy services, built without a shared product model.
27% - Increase in bookings in app
18% - Increase in upsell conversion rate
57% - Decrease in customer service call volume
CASIM • FOUNDING • MENA
Defined the product, designed the platform & how the team delivered it
9 months - Zero to market-ready
5 early adopters - Secured through strategic positioning
Strategic playbook - Built and used from day one
CAREEM • UBER • MENA
A core product at scale, where broken flows cost users and revenue.
140 - Features updated and redesigned
23% - Fewer driver related cancelations
95% - CSAT scores improved
"Luke is the leader who always raises the bar - for quality, for accountability and for the culture of the team."
~ Linden Dance, Lead Product Designer, Careem
"His ability to balance hands-on execution with big-picture thinking makes him an invaluable example in any team."
~ Nadia Roeleveld, Product Designer, Koos
HOW I LEAD
I don’t manage people, I manage the conditions around them.
Clear direction, honest feedback, no surprises - that’s how I run a team. My job is to create the conditions for good work. Clarity on the brief, protection from noise and honesty about where things stand.
I trust people to do their jobs. I stay close to the work to catch problems before they compound. When something isn’t working, I say it early. When it is, I say that too. The teams I’ve led keep delivering at scale. That’s the point.
HOW I WORK WITH AI
Figma is dead, Designers will be replaced, just prompt your way to production... This is wrong.
THE STRATEGIC SHIFT
The biggest mistake is thinking one AI prompt can do it all. Single tools don’t solve it, prompts don’t replace thinking and most teams haven’t moved past surface-level use.
I build AI into workflows - multiple tools, each doing a specific job, connected in a way that actually reduces friction across research, design and delivery. I use it daily, not to generate output, but to speed up decisions, remove bottlenecks and cut wasted work. That’s where the real leverage is.
Most teams apply it in the wrong place. They ship AI features before they’ve used it to improve how they think, design and deliver. That’s why most implementations underperform. I design the system behind the work. What to use, when to use it and how it fits together at scale.
TEAMS & PRODUCTS I’VE SHAPED
BACKGROUND
I’ve spent 23 years working across product, design and strategy, from early definition to deliver. I’ve built from zero, led global teams and worked across fintech, consumer, automotive, B2B, maritime, and government.
Whether it’s across early-stage companies, or products at scale, the environments are different, but the underlying challenges are the same.
I operate across product, design, and strategy, from early definition to delivery.
Casim - VP of Design
Make it a Conversation - Founder, Fractional Design Leader & Advisor
Careem (Uber) - Global Head of Product Design
Careem (Uber) - Head of Design - Rides, Captains, Pay
The AA (AA-X) - Head of User Experience Design
YTree - Head of Design
EARLIER
Pace Revenue (FLYR) - Lead Product Designer, Ninety Percent of Everything - Design & Product Manager, Aviva - Senior Product Designer, Simply Business - UX Specialist, Digital Catapult - Senior UX/UI Designer, iDirect - Interaction & Visual Designer.
