Speaker
Doug Powell
Lead Lecturer, iF Design Academy
Doug Powell is an internationally recognised design executive, educator and advocate for the strategic value of design. With extensive leadership experience at some of the world's most influential technology companies, including serving as Vice President of Design at Expedia and IBM, Doug brings a unique perspective on the relationship between design, business strategy and organisational transformation.
Who is Doug Powell?
Throughout his career, Doug has focused on elevating design as a strategic capability, building high-performing design organisations and helping creative professionals demonstrate the business impact of their work.
Through his work with IF Design and his research with graduate students at Washington University in St. Louis, Doug explores the evolving expectations placed on design leaders and the capabilities required to succeed in an increasingly complex and AI-driven world.
His research, Emerging Patterns: Design Leadership in 2026, draws on insights from design leaders worldwide to examine the challenges of leadership development, mentorship, organisational influence and the enduring importance of human capabilities such as intuition, adaptability, resilience and stewardship.
Today, Doug is passionate about helping the next generation of designers and design leaders move beyond delivering excellent design work towards building the influence, confidence and strategic capabilities needed to create lasting organisational impact.
What is your vision on our creative industry?
Doug believes the creative industry is entering a defining moment. As artificial intelligence transforms how design work is produced, the profession must rethink how it develops leaders, measures its contribution and communicates its value.
For too long, designers have struggled to demonstrate their impact in ways that resonate with business leaders. Doug argues that measuring design's value requires looking beyond business outcomes alone.
By understanding the Inputs, Throughputs and Outputs of design, organisations can better recognise how design creates value throughout the entire process, from building capabilities and enabling collaboration to delivering meaningful results.
At the same time, Doug sees an urgent need to rethink design leadership development. His research highlights the absence of clear leadership pathways, gaps in mentorship and the importance of preparing designers for responsibilities that extend far beyond their craft.
In a world increasingly shaped by AI, he believes that distinctly human capabilities will become even more important: intuition, adaptability, resilience, navigation and stewardship.
These are the qualities that help designers make sense of uncertainty, build trust, influence decisions and guide organisations through change.
What are you bringing to UX Rotterdam?
How do we demonstrate the true value of design? And what does it take to become an effective design leader in a rapidly changing world?
Drawing on his international research Emerging Patterns: Design Leadership in 2026, Doug will explore the emerging challenges facing design professionals, from unclear leadership pathways and limited mentorship to the growing pressure to connect creative work with business priorities.
He will also share practical perspectives on measuring and articulating design's value, introducing ways to look beyond traditional business metrics and better understand the contributions design makes throughout an organisation.
Rather than treating leadership as something reserved for senior roles, Doug encourages designers to start making small, meaningful changes from wherever they sit, building evidence, strengthening relationships and connecting their work to what matters most to the business.
As AI continues to reshape the profession, his perspective offers an important reminder: the capabilities that make great leaders are still fundamentally human.
Expect an inspiring and thought-provoking perspective on the future of design leadership, combined with practical insights that designers can apply within their own teams and organisations.
April 22 & 23, 2027
2 DAYS CONFERENCE TICKET
€649,-
+21% VAT
REGULAR PRICE TICKET
Regular price of tickets ends 1st of March 2027
Your ticket gives you access to:
All keynote talks on the main stage big theater and in the small theater
Any workshop (first come, first seated) across both days
Evening events: To be announced
Daily lunch, coffee, and snacks
Networking lounges (including the exclusive recruitment lounge)
Selected video & keynote slides archive after the event
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