Summary
Is there such a thing as enterprise UX? If so, is it a new challenge? Is it different than consumer-facing UX? And where might enterprise UX be heading? Interesting questions for interesting times. John Maeda has been around the block a bit. Long enough to have almost forgotten that he started off, many years ago, in… enterprise UX. Since then, he’s bounced around many corners of the design world, from higher education to venture-backed startups. In his closing keynote, John will view enterprise UX through the lens of his varied career to help us make sense of where it’s been–and where it might go.
Key Insights
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Enterprise UX is fundamentally different from consumer UX, often involving complex, critical systems that demand deep expertise and offer job security.
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Design can sometimes delay customer decisions by making products appear more desirable than necessary, a perspective from a VP of design's CFO.
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Leadership's vocal commitment to design, like John Donahoe's at eBay, can transform organizational culture through visible executive advocacy.
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Followership holds enormous power as leaders can only lead those willing to be led, a dynamic witnessed in executive engagement with designers.
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The influence of UX on startup funding decisions is increasing, with investors urging engineering founders to include designers, though the definition of designer is flexible.
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Many foundational pioneers of computing and design, especially women like Muriel Cooper and Red Burns, remain underrecognized in historical accounts.
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Creative professionals should embrace financial literacy and business understanding, including MBAs, to navigate and influence business environments effectively.
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The word 'design' is ambiguous, encompassing engineering-focused planning (secke) and human-centered creativity, blending rational and emotional approaches.
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True leadership often manifests quietly and indirectly, empowering others to feel ownership rather than publicly seeking credit or ego validation.
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Educational and institutional change is difficult but possible by re-centering focus on student needs, learning from failures, and emphasizing art’s integration into STEM education (STEAM).
Notable Quotes
"Sometimes design can be so powerful that maybe I need that, but then later realize I actually didn’t need it."
"It was a privilege to talk to so many people on behalf of the CEO, and tell them, John really cares about design."
"Leaders can’t help but lead those who seek someone to lead them."
"A senior partner told engineers just get a designer co-founder if you want your startup taken seriously."
"Many people don’t know the key pioneers in computing were women like Muriel Cooper and Red Burns."
"Money is not an evil thing; creative people should accept it without fear."
"The best leaders lead so quietly you barely know they exist, and when their work is done, people say we did it ourselves."
"In Japan, two words frame design: secke meaning planning and engineering, and design meaning the human heart part."
"I was voted no confidence by RISD faculty but survived by focusing on students as customers and parents as investors."
"Take the next step — hearing Joe Gebbia say that to freshmen always inspires me to keep moving forward."
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