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Designing for Impact: Leadership, Capability Uplift & Scaling Experience Teams
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In this episode of The Tech Trajectory Podcast, host Chris Davies sits down with Amir Ansari to explore what it takes to build resilient design practices that scale. Through stories, frameworks, and some personal philosophy, Amir talks about aligning with executive stakeholders, balancing design literacy with capability uplift, and adapting leadership styles to suit context.
1. Building design leadership like a Lego set
[02:04] Amir likens his leadership journey to receiving a surprise Lego set—thrown into leadership before he felt ready, but discovering joy in experimentation and adaptation.
2. What makes a strong design practice?
[05:28] Buy-in from executives is essential. Without it, designers risk being underutilised and misunderstood. Success depends on assessing appetite, leadership culture, and adapting the playbook accordingly.
3. Reframing design for business impact
[12:50] Many organisations still view design as a cost centre. Amir urges teams to “talk design without using the word design”—using business language like engagement, risk reduction, and evidence-based decision-making.
4. Uplifting capability vs. uplifting literacy
[20:18] Start with uplifting literacy across all teams before diving into design capability. This top-down approach ensures buy-in, sets expectations, and uncovers budget realities.
5. Internal advocacy and selling design
[30:00] Leaders must become internal salespeople—showcasing wins, tapping stakeholders, and building internal networks to create pull for design.
6. Democratising design
[40:41] Amir shares a model for enabling non-designers to take on basic HCD tasks—spreading capability across teams and creating internal evangelists.
7. Structuring design teams at scale
[52:15] From centralised to decentralised to hybrid models, Amir breaks down the pros and cons. The hybrid approach—with clear reporting lines and shared tooling—is his go-to for maintaining cohesion and autonomy.
8. Mentorship, values, and staying human
[01:06:33] Amir advocates for mentorship, honest conversations, and leading from a place of empathy. Supporting individual strengths helps create lasting team culture.
Where to find Amir Ansari
- LinkedIn: Amir Ansari
- Website: amiransari.com.au
Amir also offers mentoring and coaching for emerging design leaders.
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