​Join us for the comeback UXCrunch event.

​We’re kicking things off with a lineup of design leaders exploring the future of design in an increasingly AI-driven world. How design leaders need to think differently, the skillsets that will matter most going forward and how we're rethinking design's positioning, value and process.

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​Agenda

​6:30pm — Doors open
6:50pm — Welcome & intro
7:00pm — First talk
7:30pm — Food & drinks
8:00pm — Second talk
8:30pm — Closing talk

​📍 Location: Lloyds Banking Group

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​Speakers

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​Martin Dowson - Interim Design Director TUI

​For years, designers have argued that they have value to add at a strategic level of decision making in organisations, shaping what gets built, not just how it looks. That moment is here. And most of us are too busy worrying about AI to notice.

​The production layer that defined the last fifteen years of design is being commoditised. Rather than a crisis, Martin Dowson argues this is exactly the opportunity the industry has been asking for, a chance to return design to where it was always most valuable: choosing the right problems, making the difficult judgments, and bringing the human perspective that matters more now than ever.

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​Louise Williams & Dan Clarke - Lloyds Bank

​Customer Lifecycle Management @ Lloyds Bank

Leveraging Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) as a strategic influence tool to improve the experience our customers have with our brands and products. Enabling enterprises to shape decisions, elevate customer centricity for commercial success, and guide teams toward delivering joined‑up, high‑value experiences.

​This session is designed to help you influence the direction of design work:
from reacting to tasks → to steering outcomes
from advocating for features → to championing lifecycle-led priorities
from contributing at a team level → to influencing at a business level.

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​Venessa Bennett - Global Director of UX at Dye & Durham Corporation

​Why Soft Skills Are the New Hard Skills

As AI takes on more of the execution in design, the real competitive advantage has shifted, and it isn't prompt engineering. It's the ability to think critically, frame problems with clarity, and bring others along on the journey.

​Designers are now the essential friction in the process: the humans who translate ambiguity into direction, challenge the obvious solution, and ensure speed doesn't come at the cost of depth. But knowing you need to push back is only half the battle; the other half is doing it in a way that builds trust and gets buy-in. In this talk, Venessa Bennett draws on her experience to explore the soft skills that are becoming non-negotiable for designers in 2026: storytelling, influence, authenticity, and the art of being diplomatically disruptive.

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​The event will be hosted by Format-3's Strategy Officer & UXCrunch Director, Kevin Stewart

​Our Partners

​A huge thank you to the partners helping bring UXCrunch back.

​Host & Venue Partner
Lloyds Banking Group

​Supported by
Format-3.co

​Beer Sponsor
Bellfield Brewery

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​Our Vision

​Bringing the best thinkers, speakers and leaders from across design together in intimate meet-up environments where real conversations can happen.

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​Why We Charge for Tickets

​Our vision is to bring the best speakers to a premium meet-up environment with a high bar for the overall experience, including great food, drinks and production.

​Ticket revenue helps cover:

​• Refreshments and drinks
• Speaker travel and expenses
• Event marketing and operations
• Venue and production costs

​We strongly believe in community and are committed to reinvesting everything UXCrunch makes back into future events.

​The more support the community gives, the bigger and better the events can become.