Talk UX is an annual conference run by Ladies That UX, and the Ladies That UX Brighton Chapter were chosen to host this year. Having attended many Ladies That UX events over the years, it was exciting to have the opportunity to give back.
With my co-presenter Lucy Blackwell, Head of UX, Design and Research at the University of the Arts London, we had the privilege of kicking off a brand-new talk: "Putting the user at the centre of your design system."
Our talk focused on our recent project to reinvent and relaunch UAL’s multi-product design system. In particular, we focused on our human-first approach to encourage the design system’s future adoption.
Getting the talk ready was a great challenge. We prepared collaboratively, blending our perspectives to create a presentation that flowed. We refined our core message and honed our story, weaving in the realities of design and production. There were moments of “is this good enough? Will people actually get it? Are we addressing the key challenges?" I was grateful to have an extra pair of eyes and ears to bounce ideas off of as we got through the ‘messy middle’ of writing a talk.
In the week before the conference, Lucy and I did a dry run with the Clearleft team. The Clearleft hive mind is always reliable and gave great pointers for where we could add more context and where we needed to edit. We finished the run-through with some reassuring “good job” comments, and we were on our way!
The day of the talk itself was a blur. Stepping up to the front of the room, with everyone looking at us, felt like a massive leap of faith, a moment where all the preparation culminated in this one public offering. But as I found my groove, connecting with Lucy and seeing the engaged faces in the audience – nodding, smiling, and intently listening – those initial butterflies transformed into a surge of energy. It’s always reassuring when you get audience chuckles when and where you want them, too.
Sharing my passion and connecting with so many brilliant, like-minded people made all the hard work totally worth it. The sense of community and shared purpose was truly inspiring. Talk UX delivered a great experience, and I'm excited for the next opportunity to connect and share with our community.
