Speakers
Yoel Sumitro
Yoel has spent over 13 years navigating the ever-evolving world of UX, taking on roles in product design, UX research, and design leadership. Along the way, he has helped shape user experiences at global companies like Uber, Adidas, Delivery Hero, Tiket.com, and Bukalapak.
His career spans three continents—North America, Europe, and Asia—where he has driven product innovation and user-centred strategies at scale. In his recent roles as Senior Director, VP, and SVP of Product Design, he has led teams of up to 125 designers, fostering a culture of collaboration, ethical design, and business impact.
A passionate advocate for design justice and participatory research, Yoel has worked to ensure UX benefits underserved communities, from gig workers at Uber to emerging markets in Southeast Asia. His contributions to the Indonesian UX industry are particularly notable—he founded the country’s first UX research conference, championed salary transparency through annual surveys, and curated UX Stories 2024, a magazine highlighting resilience in the industry.
About the talk
"But… that won’t work here!" - Pragmatic design leadership in business-first organisations
Design leaders often dream of crafting seamless, user-centred experiences—but what happens when you’re in an organisation where design isn’t a priority? In operations-driven, resource-constrained, or design-immature environments, pushing for design excellence can feel like swimming against the current.
In this talk, I’ll share lessons from leading design in a low-maturity, business-first organisation, where operational efficiency often takes precedence over user experience. We’ll explore the tension between aspirational design principles and real-world constraints, and I’ll offer pragmatic strategies for making an impact, even when design isn’t front and centre.