Design was sidelined. I made it matter again.

The challenge

The culture was fractured and the impact was clear - design wasn’t influencing growth, it was just styling the edges.

The political landscape

Design wasn’t seen as risk rather than strategy.

Design was cut off from strategy and product decisions. Every vertical had a different idea of design and none of it scaled.

Speed was prioritised over visibility.

PMs blamed design for delays and pushed UI changes directly to engineers. No sign off, no accountability.

The culture was fractured and retention suffered.

The team was strong, but with no shared direction Processes were broken. Culture was weak. Designers didn’t feel growth, ownership, or impact.

I led a transformation that rebuilt design’s role, systems and credibility.

What emerged wasn’t a new process. It was a new culture where design drives clarity, growth and pride.

The solution

  • I highlighted the cost of bypassing design with broken layouts, off-brand UI, wasted sprint cycles

  • Embedded Design QA directly into the sprint cycle

  • Ensured nothing shipped without design review and approval

Design needed presence, a strong voice & immediate change.

  • I redefined design leadership to align across multiple verticals

  • We rebuilt trust through consistent delivery and visible impact

  • Made design integral to product reviews and strategic planning

Design rapidly went from styling to strategy.

  • I gave design leads true ownership and accountability

  • We stopped guessing and created a clear playbook for success

  • With my team we built mentorship and growth programs

I designed the systems that created clarity, growth and pride.

  • Delivered a design system that reflected our product strategy and reduced process friction

  • Unified design, product, and engineering through governed Figma libraries

  • Increased delivery speed and increased confidence

We rebuilt the design system to match our ambition

Before, Design came late, PMs owned experiences & quality was inconsistent. Now, by building a strong design culture the business wins.

The impact

Increase in early-stage product involvement

40%

300%

Improvement in design team satisfaction

Faster delivery by aligning earlier and reducing rework

30%

2x

Increase in promotions and designers turning into leaders

Design didn’t get better because we added process - it got better because we changed how the org saw its purpose.

  • I redefined design’s role from styling to shaping product strategy

  • I elevated visibility and made design a non-negotiable part of product reviews

  • I rebuilt trust by delivering consistently and proving design’s value through outcomes

  • I drove clear growth paths, mentoring to allow more designers to step into leadership

  • I shifted the culture and gave design a voice equal to product and engineering

My impact

If you need a design leader who builds clarity, culture, and systems that scale - let’s talk.

luke@makeitaconversation.com