Summary
Is there such a thing as enterprise UX? If so, is it a new challenge? Is it different than consumer-facing UX? And where might enterprise UX be heading? Interesting questions for interesting times. John Maeda has been around the block a bit. Long enough to have almost forgotten that he started off, many years ago, in… enterprise UX. Since then, he’s bounced around many corners of the design world, from higher education to venture-backed startups. In his closing keynote, John will view enterprise UX through the lens of his varied career to help us make sense of where it’s been–and where it might go.
Key Insights
-
•
Understanding enterprise UX is crucial in today's tech landscape.
-
•
Effective design can provoke strong reactions from stakeholders, reflecting its power in corporate environments.
-
•
Listening to users is essential for meaningful innovation, not just at the surface level.
-
•
Design is a multi-dimensional concept that communities within UX must constantly redefine.
-
•
The relationship between enterprise design and consumer design can yield valuable insights and tools.
-
•
Design leaders can make a significant impact by advocating for the importance of design in strategy meetings.
-
•
There is a need for greater representation of women and diverse voices in the history of technology and design.
-
•
Collaboration between business and design is vital for effective product development.
-
•
Failure is a learning opportunity for leaders; acknowledging mistakes fosters growth.
-
•
Creatives should embrace financial success as part of their journey, not see it as an evil.
Notable Quotes
"I'm the guy preventing you from all the beer."
"Leadership is best when people barely know she exists."
"The power of followership is pretty amazing."
"Design can be so powerful that it influences decision-making."
"Innovators can listen to what is unsaid."
"Design is a poorly designed word."
"Job security in design is high because the work is complex."
"Money is not an evil thing."
"Designers are mutants, bridging gaps between disciplines."
"Never underestimate your ability to change the world through design."
More Videos
"This session will teach you how to organize things to get productive with AI."
Noz UrbinaRapid AI-powered UX (RAUX): A framework for empowering human designers
May 1, 2025
"Not just making things up here on stage; there's actually an underlying structure."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
June 4, 2019
"Talking to the people that I work with about the experience of doing their job in order to improve their job experience is probably the most overlooked skill set that we have."
Holly ColeUnderstanding Experiences: When you have to do more than work
November 8, 2018
"We're not doing just a simple flip of our boards, this is actually contained code."
Jack BeharHow to Build Prototypes that Behave like an End-Product
December 6, 2022
"Welcome to day two of Design Ops 2023. If you can believe it, we are halfway through our programming today."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
October 3, 2023
"We are the ground control, building our systems gradually to reach our organizational 'moon'."
Erika FlowersAI-Readiness: Preparing NASA for a Data-Driven, Agile Future
June 10, 2025
"Every student has unique strengths that should be recognized and nurtured."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"If we had to make up the rules of engagement as we went along, it wouldn’t be nearly as smooth."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
November 6, 2017
"There's so much creative talent in 8 billion creative humans on planet Earth."
Surya VankaUnleashing Swarm Creativity to Solve Enterprise Challenges
June 10, 2021
