Design Leadership Summit

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Let’s cut to the chase: leading a design team today is tough. Between the constant pressure to do more with less, shifting organisational priorities, keeping design teams at the forefront of practice, and the need to continually prove design’s value, it can sometimes feel like you’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of challenges. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or isolated, you’re not alone. We’re all navigating these rough waters together.

That’s why we’re gathering for the Design Leadership Summit — a space for design leaders to come together, share our experiences, and tackle these challenges head-on. This isn’t your typical conference with glossy presentations and generic advice. It’s a day designed to be present with peers and co-develop practical insights and meaningful connections.

Why This Gathering Matters

We know that the usual leadership programs don’t always hit the mark for design leaders. They often overlook the unique pressures we face and the specific context in which we operate. This summit is different. Designed by design leaders for design leaders, it’s tailored for those of us who are deep in the trenches, leading design teams through complex and often challenging environments. It’s a chance to connect with peers who truly understand and to leave with actionable strategies that can make a real difference.

What to Expect

We’re not here to lecture you from the sidelines – but create a shared learning and growth experience. This gathering is all about rolling up our sleeves and diving into the real issues. We’ll spend the day in facilitated conversations and hands-on activities that are designed to tackle the core challenges we’re all facing.

• Pre-Gathering Dinner (optional): Start the experience with a dinner in Auckland CBD the night before. It’s a chance to unwind, connect with others, and set the stage for a day of genuine dialogue.
• Flat Learning Structures: Instead of the traditional expert centred model, you can expect peer-led and context literate learning experiences, drawn from community experiences and inate knowledge sources. 
• Honest Conversations: Engage in discussions about the things that keep you up at night—whether it’s navigating change, proving design’s value, or leading your team through uncertainty. We’re here to be open, honest, and supportive.
• Interactive Sessions: Participate in practical exercises that will help you refine your leadership skills, enhance your impact, and better advocate for design within your organization.
• Reflection Time: Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned and how it applies to your specific situation. This isn’t just about new ideas; it’s about finding what works for you.
• Ongoing Support: Join our excusive WhatsApp group after the gathering to keep the conversation going, share updates, and support each other as we continue to navigate our leadership journeys.

Key Takeaways

• Build Genuine Connections: Form meaningful relationships with fellow design leaders who are experiencing similar challenges. This isn’t just networking; it’s about creating a supportive community.
• Gain Practical Insights: Get actionable advice on leading your team through today’s complex environment, making a tangible impact in your organization.
• Demonstrate Design’s Value: Learn effective ways to communicate the importance of design to your stakeholders, ensuring that your work is recognised and valued.
• Create a Personal Action Plan: Develop a clear plan for applying what you’ve learned, with the support of your new network to help you stay on track.
• Sustain the Momentum: Keep the energy and support going through our post-event WhatsApp group, ensuring that you continue to grow and succeed.

Why You Should Join Us

If you’re a design leader feeling the weight of these challenges, this summit is for you. It’s a chance to connect with others who truly understand your struggles and to leave with practical tools and a renewed sense of purpose. 

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Your Commitment 

Time

One full business day, plus self-funded dinner night before.

Cost

Early bird (until 30 September) 2024:

• $950 + GST for corporates and agencies
• $750 + GST for public sector, not for profit, small business owners or solo practitioners available until 29 September.
• 10% discount for CXC members

Standard Ticket

• $1200 +GST for corporates and agencies
• $1000 + GST for public sector, not for profit, small business owners or solo practitioners
• 10% discount for CXC members

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Your Facilitators for the Day

Sarah Clearwater – Founder CX Collective & Managing Director at Reframr

Moving between both strategy and operations, Sarah facilitates the delivery of innovative and future-focussed business and service models hands-on, while also advising senior leaders on shaping the conditions for more human centred cultures to emerge. ​She is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading Design Strategists and works with a diverse range of NFP, government, scale up and corporate clients to co-design outcomes that put people first.

Sarah is well known for her efforts to build design maturity in Aotearoa New Zealand through the establishment of the CX Collective, New Zealand’s largest community of in-house design teams. Together, they are working and learning to uplift outcomes for customers, citizens and communities across the motu.

Through her work and passion projects, Sarah loves contributing to conversations and causes that hold space for critical thinking and bold actions to help create greater equity, justice and compassion for people and places around us.

Lucy Ratcliffe – Founder & Managing Director – Tūrama Consultants

Lucy has designed and facilitated hundreds of successful, inclusive workshops that make impact and drive positive change. Lucy specialises in design thinking, leadership and team culture sessions, and can turn her hand to just about any kind of workshop to bring people together to collaboratively solve a problem or realise an opportunity.

When Lucy isn't wielding sharpies, post its, or making magic happen on a Miro board, she's a volunteer crew member aboard the Spirit of New Zealand tall ship assisting with the facilitation of youth development programmes.

Lucy has worked in a variety of settings, including corporates like Fidelity Life, Spark, 2degrees and Fairfax, as well as not for profits, government agencies and small businesses, including the Mental Health Foundation, Te Whatu Ora, Healthify, and others.

Lucy runs her own consultancy, specialising in leadership, culture, facilitation and design coaching, as well as, experience design services. She’s also part of the REFRAMR collaborators circle and supports projects through her specialist skill sets across design, facilitation & leadership development.

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Devil’s advocate FAQs

If design leaders just need to connect, why can’t they do it at a free met up?

Free meetups are less focused and less exclusive. Our summit is specifically for senior design leaders, not juniors, not salespeople, not vendors.  This summit will have limited attendance (25ppl) and is not open to everyone.  Participants are chosen based on their willingness to contribute and accept feedback.  Informal gatherings often stay superficial, while our summit fosters deeper, more impactful interactions. This summit will be indoor and outdoor – involve exercise as well as thinking, talking, sharing food it won’t be death by powerpoint. It’s quite a different vibe. The conversation will be deliberately facilitated and focused, and allow for deep connection as well as reflection. How often do you get asked a hard question and then reflect on your answer when you get home and wish you’d given a different/better/whatever answer? This won’t be a problem at this summit.

Why is it so expensive?

This summit is led by two of Aotearoa’s most experienced CX leaders and facilitators. It’s also an intimate gathering, which means the price per person is higher than it would be for higher number numbers of attendees.  We could invite more people and charge less, but that takes away the intimacy and bespoke nature of what’s on offer. We’re asking what we believe is a fair price for our expertise and the work we’ve put into this event – it’s just the two of us – no vendors to pay, or others to delegate to. Compared with other transformative programmes of an intimate nature on the market, this is a steal.

The design leader in my team could learn these skills from others in the company, why should we spend this money?

We have no doubt that individuals can learn from their peers and seniors within an organisation. In fact, it’s well-known that 70% of career growth and learning occurs just doing your job, 20% comes from on the job secondments, just 10% is learned in formal/classroom settings.     Consider this: what can they learn at your organisation, or from you, about being a design leader? If the answer is: “I’ve taught them everything I know”, or “I want to teach them more, but I don’t have time”, or “I can only coach them in the context of our current industry”, or “I’m not a designer, but they’ve learned lots of other things from me” – then how else are you supporting their growth as a design leader?    This summit is no classroom, formal setting. Consider it an extension of their job, falling into that realm of where 90% of the learning happens.

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For any questions, please contact sarah@cxcollective.co.nz