Speakers
Maria Giudice
Innovator, artist, protagonist, activist, and positive provocateur, Maria has pursued a vision of intelligent, elegant, people-centered design throughout her professional life. Her grasp of the pragmatic, the authentic, and the essential have kept her at the forefront of design and business for over 30 years.
Under Maria’s leadership, Hot Studio, the award-winning experience design firm she founded in 1997, grew into a full-service creative agency with an impressive list of Fortune 500 clients. In 2013, Facebook acquired the talent behind Hot Studio, where Maria worked as a Director of Product Design. From 2015 to 2017, Maria led a global team of designers as Autodesk’s first VP of Experience Design.
Maria’s third book, Rise of the DEO: Leadership by Design, is available in several languages. She speaks at conferences all over the world. Today, Maria is a Leadership Coach and consults with individuals and organizations who wish to grow their design practices. Maria serves on several Advisory Boards and is a Trustee at California College of the Arts.
About the talk
Lessons from the Battlefield: The Life of a Changemaker
After many years of attempts and countless explanations to business leaders, Design finally has a seat at the table. Chief Experience Officers are increasing presences at the C-Suite where “customer experience” is considered in all areas of operation. Experience design has become one of the great differentiators in businesses today.
As designers and design leaders are being hired at record rates inside of large companies, the company itself must transform its culture, its systems, and operations in order for these new leaders to thrive. In order for design leaders to be successful, they must think of themselves as the Changemakers. Based on real-world on-the-job experience, design leaders have discovered how to navigate change in large organizations. This talk shares stories of their successes as well as challenges they’ve encountered along the way.
Topics discussed include:
- The importance of executive sponsorship
- How to break the silos
- Ruthless prioritization
- The importance of small wins
Interview
Talk details coming soon.