by UX Designers as System Thinkers: Breaking Silos and Powering Organisational Connection
UX360 Talks with Venessa Bennett, Global UX Director at Dye & Durham
Global UX Director,
Dye & Durham
Venessa is a renowned design leader, speaker, and problem solver who specialises in creating experiences that meet business and customer needs. With a proven track record of building design practices and teams for brands such as Vodafone, Rightmove, and UK tech unicorn Cazoo, she is currently the Global UX Director at Dye & Durham. Through her blog, Venessa shares her invaluable insights and learnings on UX and design leadership.
UX360: What motivates you to join the UX360 conference, and what is the core message of your talk?
Venessa: I’m joining UX360 because I’ve been thinking deeply about how technology is changing UX research practices and our professional relationships. I’m interested in how these shifts affect perceptions of our craft. My talk focuses on using our design expertise to gain influence and create genuinely user-driven products from the start. I believe we’re at an important point where UX professionals can redefine their strategic value.
UX360: How has this impacted your own work and your organisation?
Venessa: In my leadership role, I’ve built a team environment that incorporates experimentation to innovate our working methods. We noticed a gap in our organisation around customer voice integration, so we’ve used this as an opportunity to share user insights more widely and influence decisions earlier in development. This approach has helped us move from being consultants to strategic partners within our organisation.
UX360: How has UX as a practice evolved in the last couple of years, and how would you like to see it evolve in the next few?
Venessa: Recently, UX practice has changed with smaller teams following industry layoffs alongside rapid technological advancement. Looking ahead, I think these smaller teams will actually expand their scope as certain aspects of our role become automated. In this landscape, designers will become connectors, breaking down organisational silos and bridging experience gaps beyond the screen. Future UX practitioners will need to be systems thinkers as much as designers.
UX360: Given this evolution, what are two expected and two less obvious skills UXers should possess, and why?
Venessa: Expected skills:
- Data synthesis – As research tools generate more information, spotting meaningful patterns and creating actionable insights becomes crucial.
- Strategic communication – Explaining user needs in business terms to diverse stakeholders remains essential for user-centred decisions.
Less obvious skills:
- Systems thinking – Understanding complex organisational structures and finding opportunities for user advocacy beyond individual features.
- Ethical awareness – Considering the broader implications of design decisions, particularly as AI and automation become more prevalent.
UX360: Apart from work, what can delegates at the event talk to you about?
Venessa: Beyond professional topics, I’d happily chat with delegates about True Crime podcasts, weight lifting and fashion.
UX360: Last but not least, favourite recommendations to make to industry colleagues for inspiration, innovation, guidance and leadership:
Venessa: In your ears – Podcast: Acquired – This is not a design podcast, but it offers valuable insights into company growth and business strategy that inform how we position UX within organisations.
Must read – Book/Blog: My blog at vanessabennett.com, where I share practical insights from my UX leadership experience, and “The Making of a Manager” by Julie Zhuo, which provides excellent guidance for design leaders. A vision for Product Teams is a key article designers should read, it discusses how AI will change and shape the Product Trio: https://www.svpg.com/a-vision-for-product-teams/
UX360: Thank you so much, Venessa! We look forward to hearing more from you at UX360 Europe 2025!
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