Forme Product + Design Collective Presents: What makes a high impact designer in the world of AI 2026
What Makes a High-Impact Designer in the Age of AI - 2026
AI is reshaping how product design teams work, what organisations expect from designers, and what it takes to stand out. This is a curated, invite-only evening for mid to senior product designers and design leaders who want the real conversation - not the hype.
Join us for a candid panel discussion covering the skills that matter now, what hiring managers are actually prioritising, how portfolios need to evolve, and where the biggest gaps and opportunities sit for designers in 2026.
Expect honesty, debate, and takeaways you can act on immediately.
Proudly supported by Figma, Notion, Heidi and The Onset. Notion will be creating a living document from the event so the insights carry beyond the room, and Figma will be hooking our guests up with some of their famous merch - if you know, you know.
The Panel
Lucy Chen - VP of Design, Upguard
Scott Polchleb - Chief Customer Officer, Lumi + Co Founder, Forme Collective
Mathias Kaestel - Design Lead, Heidi
Dean Hudson - Design Lead, Google
Henry Cho - Head of Design, Immutable
Facilitated by Tania Graham-Brown, Founder of Forme Collective & Principal Consultant at The Onset.
The Evening
5:30pm - Arrive & mingle
6:00pm - Kick off
6:15pm - Welcome & context setting: why this conversation matters now, talent signals and hiring demand across startup, scaleup and enterprise
6:30pm - Panel discussion across five structured topic blocks
7:15pm - Audience Q&A
7:30pm onwards - Networking, drinks and unstructured conversation with panellists and guests