Making Design Visible, Valuable, and Undeniable
I built advocacy systems that positioned design as strategic—elevating UX from feature factory to business driver through storytelling, education, and consistent executive engagement.
MY APPROACH TO DESIGN ADVOCACY
I don't believe in waiting for permission to make design matter. Advocacy is active, intentional, and consistent. Here's how I've built design influence across organisations:
Telling design stories that executives actually care about
Design work presented in design language doesn't land with business stakeholders. I coach teams to translate their work into business outcomes: How did this research reduce churn? How does this redesign impact conversion? How will consolidating these tools save money?
At Cazoo, we established a rhythm of presenting research findings directly to the executive team—not just sharing insights, but connecting them to OKRs and revenue targets. When the exec team sees that repositioning UX research reduced post-sale costs by 36%, design stops being a nice-to-have and becomes a strategic lever.
Creating communication systems that reach beyond design
Visibility requires consistency. I've implemented:
Design newsletters
that share exemplary practices, lessons learned, and insights with the entire tech community—making design thinking accessible to engineers, PMs, and business stakeholders
Monthly CTO check-ins
to discuss team contributions to business goals and surface support needed before problems escalate
Weekly stakeholder updates
that outline progress and plans, keeping cross-functional partners informed without requiring meetings
These aren't status reports—they're strategic communication that positions design as essential to how the business operates.
Contributing to the design community externally
External visibility builds internal credibility. I've organised design events, spoken at conferences across Europe, and shared our practice publicly. This doesn't just attract talent—it signals to internal stakeholders that design here is worth talking about. When your team is recognised externally, it's harder to dismiss internally.
Educating the wider business in design thinking
I've run training bootcamps, design sprints with stakeholders, and pairing sessions with engineers to demystify the design process. When non-designers understand how we work and why, they become advocates themselves. At Cazoo, engineers who participated in design sprints started proactively involving designers earlier because they'd seen the value firsthand.
The Impact
Internal Influence
Research findings directly informed executive-level OKRs and strategy
Design had standing agenda item in CTO monthly reviews
Cross-functional teams proactively involved design in early-stage planning
Design thinking methodology adopted across product and engineering
Team & Culture
Design sprints became standard practice for major initiatives
Non-designers fluent in design language and processes
Increased inbound applications from designers wanting to join high-profile team
External Recognition
Team members speaking at industry conferences
Company featured in design publications for UX practice
Candidate quality improved through external reputation
What Makes Advocacy Work
Consistency beats perfection
A monthly newsletter that actually ships beats an aspirational quarterly report that never launches. Regular, simple communication builds more trust than occasional grand presentations.
Make it easy for others to champion design
When I give stakeholders compelling stories, clear data, and business context, they become advocates. The goal isn't to be the only voice for design—it's to create an army of people who understand and value what we do.
Speak their language, not yours
Executives care about revenue, costs, and competitive advantage. Translating design work into business impact isn't "selling out"—it's ensuring design gets the resources and influence to do great work.
External visibility creates internal leverage
When your team is speaking at conferences, publishing insights, and being recognized in the industry, internal stakeholders pay attention. External credibility translates to internal influence.