Develop core skills at Talk UX

1. Design and UX Excellence

Advancing the craft of human-centred design to create better products and services

WEF skills you’ll gain:

• Design and user experience (primary)
• Service orientation and customer service
• Dependability and attention to detail
• Quality control

2. AI, Data Analytics and Measurement

Building capabilities in artificial intelligence, data-driven decision making, and impact measurement

WEF skills you’ll gain:

• AI and big data (primary)
• Analytical thinking (primary)
• Technological literacy
• Systems thinking

Designing for trust in Agentic AI

– Zaianne Sparrow

Prepares teams to design trustworthy AI systems as automation becomes increasingly autonomous.

Just take a picture… the research behind our GenAI image recognition tool

– Rhea Ebanks-Simpson & Rebecca Gordon-Watts

Demonstrates practical AI implementation in public services, from research to deployment and measurement.

What (not) to measure: How do we know that UX has really had an impact?

– Clara Kliman-Silver

Develops skills in selecting and communicating metrics that demonstrate design value to stakeholders.

Design actually can save lives… but not by itself

– Daniel Burka & Mahima Chandak

Shows how to measure real-world outcomes, not just outputs, in high-impact design work. 

3. Creative and Strategic Thinking

Fostering innovation through futures thinking, systems analysis, and creative problem-solving

WEF skills you’ll gain:

• Creative thinking (primary)
• Systems thinking (primary)
• Analytical thinking (primary)
• Curiosity and lifelong learning

Time machines for problem solvers: Futures Thinking in action

– Sayani Mitra

Equips teams with strategic foresight methods to tackle complex problems and build design resilience.

Brighton 2050 – Designing a city that designs back

– Shivani Sundar

Develops speculative design skills for innovative thinking and collaborative solution generation. 

Mapping the systems that bind us: Introduction to rapid systems mapping

– Ghaith Nassar

Builds systems thinking capabilities to understand complex challenges and identify intervention points.

‘But I’m not creative’: The role of creativity and connection in content design

– Lauren Pope

Nurtures creative confidence and collaborative creativity in analytical roles. 

Your city/landscape/environment is a stakeholder, let it speak 

– Ellen de Vries

Develops innovative approaches to stakeholder engagement by treating environments as active participants. 

4. Leadership, Collaboration and Team Development

Building cross-functional collaboration, mentoring capabilities, and inclusive leadership

WEF skills you’ll gain:

• Leadership and social influence (primary)
• Teaching and mentoring (primary)
• Talent management
• Resilience, flexibility and agility
• Motivation and self-awareness
• Resource management and operations 

Bridging the gap: The UX designer’s role in cross-functional collaboration 

– Cindy Yeh

Strengthens team collaboration through creative workshop techniques that unite diverse stakeholders. 

Redesigning our inner place: Unlearning bias to build responsible futures

– Sandra González

Develops inclusive leadership through bias awareness and responsible design practices. 

You’re in the room — now what? Thriving as a junior UXer

– Dhiraj Vishwakarma

Builds confidence and strategic thinking in early-career professionals through practical career development insights. 

How do we execute a meaningful discovery phase when time and budget are limited? 

– Chloe Ward-Smith

Develops resource management and prioritisation skills for effective project delivery under constraints. 

5. Service Excellence and User Empathy

Enhancing customer service, empathetic listening, and user advocacy capabilities

WEF skills you’ll gain:

• Empathy and active listening (primary)
• Service orientation and customer service (primary)
• Analytical thinking
• Design and user experience

Unexpected UX: Streamlining CX with design thinking 

– Eniola Ayedun

Transforms customer support into strategic insight generation through design thinking application. 

Co-designing the Period Symptom Checker  

– Beth Granter

Demonstrates inclusive co-design methods with diverse stakeholders for health service innovation. 

Making research accessible: Lessons learned so far   

– Sharon Webster

Builds inclusive research practices and accessibility advocacy skills across organisations. 

Everything is an interface: Designing place-based systems that enable connection   

– Jenni Lloyd

Develops understanding of service design in complex public sector and community contexts.