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Deconstructing design effectiveness | DBA webinar

Thursday 27 February | 4-5pm GMT | Online

Register now 

What makes design effective?

Ultimately, it’s about impact – design that changes behaviours, transforms businesses, saves lives. Design that performs.

What does that impact look like in reality and how can you measure it?

On Thursday 27 February at 4pm, join us live online for an unfiltered look at design that reshaped markets and shifted human behaviour. Esteemed judges Olivia Salisbury, former Group VP Global Head of Experience Design at T. Rowe Price and Pernilla Johansson, VP & Head of UX Design Chapter in Volvo Group will dissect standout projects that delivered change. DBA Chief Executive, Deborah Dawton will lead the discussion, breaking down work that didn’t just meet expectations, it redefined them.

Industrial design that put Guinness back on the bar

Guinness was being pushed off the counter and onto generic T-bars. Instead of following the trend, they rewrote the rules with the Hero Harps. A bold industrial design solution that didn’t just win space back – it changed customer behaviour and shaped decisions at the point of sale, boosted sales, and cost 10% less to manufacture. Proving investment in industrial design can turn around a business’s fortunes.

An exhibition experience that changed the game 

Spanning two galleries and blending with permanent collections, Hockney’s Eye needed design to do more than guide visitors – it had to connect them to Hockney’s world. A bold visual identity and immersive experience didn’t just enhance engagement, it drove action – proving that exhibition design isn’t just about wayfinding, it’s about impact.

From start-up to market leader, without following the rules

With a premium price in a price sensitive category, Mockingbird Raw Press didn’t just use design to enter the market, it reshaped it. With no consumer testing and no big marketing spend, design led this challenger to outsell established giants. Beyond disrupting the market – it forced competitors to rethink their entire strategy proving that a brand built on design can drive a new business model.

A life-saving tool transforming access to maternal care

In remote communities where maternal mortality is high, a digital-first approach wasn’t the answer. Instead, the High-Risk Pregnancy Referral Tool used design that addressed the realities of the environment – using visual, low-tech tools that volunteers could trust and use. The impact? More women identified early and more lives saved. And a scalable design solution that proves effectiveness isn’t just about commercial success.

 

Thursday 27 February | 4-5pm GMT | Online | Register now 

Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive of the Design Business Association

As Chief Executive of the Design Business Association, Deborah works with the industry to champion the tangible and measurable impact of design and its capability for change in business and government, nationally and internationally.

Her passion for design as a strategic tool that boardrooms must recognise, and her experience of the UK’s diverse and competitive design sector enable her to lead the DBA as it works tirelessly to build universal confidence in design investment and support the design industry to deliver on this promise.

Pernilla Johansson, VP & Head of UX Design Chapter in Volvo Group

Pernilla has nearly 30 years of design leadership experience in multinational corporations, currently leading UX within Digital & IT at the Volvo Group, driving an ambitious digital and cultural transformation. As Chief Design Officer at Electrolux, she managed a global network of 200 designers across seven locations, following 13 years at Philips Design.

Pernilla is a people-centric leader who fosters holistic, research-based experience development and has built multiple high-performing teams across three continents, resulting in design effectiveness and numerous award-winning solutions. This is exemplified by co-founding the Centre for Organisational Creativity, which aids organisations in building their creative capacity in a systemic way.

Olivia Salisbury, Customer Experience, Design, Delivery & Transformation

Olivia is a global leader in customer experience strategy, service design, and transformation. As the former Global VP, Head of Customer Experience Design at T. Rowe Price, she built and led high-performing design teams, driving inclusive, user-centred experiences in complex, data-driven, and regulated environments.

Now an independent consultant, Olivia is driven by a passion for unlocking the power of design to solve business challenges, often where it’s least expected. She helps organisations of all sizes harness user-centred design methods to shape customer experience strategies, embed design-led transformation, and evolve business operating practices to generate continuous business value.