Designers have infiltrated the C-suite. Countless studies extoll the tremendous impact design can have on business. Companies are investing capital more than ever in improving their user and customer experiences.

Yet, the realities of being a designer in a corporation aren’t always so rosy. Why are great user experiences still the exception rather than the norm? Why does practicing human-centered design feel like fighting the status quo? And why do so many designers still feel like strangers in a strange land?

In this talk, Mirko will share observations from a decade of building human-centered organizations in large enterprises and early-stage startups alike. He’ll discuss the reality-altering potential of organizational infrastructure, the expanding role of design systems, and practical advice for designers to feel a little more at home in these alien worlds.

Miroslav Azis (or Mirko for our friendly community), is the Design Principal, at the Experience Ecosystem in IBM Design.  He has spent the last decade at IBM transforming the company and its clients to be more mission-driven and people-focused. In addition to his research into what it takes to make organizational transformation last, Miroslav leads design, business and technology teams to deliver digital products and services that help enterprises better manage the experiences they deliver to their users.

Outside of IBM, Miroslav is a trusted advisor to startups and NGOs, and regularly convenes communities of business, technical and academic leaders building human-centered enterprises. In his off-time, Miroslav can be found pushing his limits on a bicycle. He tends to get really, really lost.