UX Engagement

A UX community thrives when the foundations are in place to build trust, create a sense of belonging and keep people motivated.

Why Is Engagement Important?

In my leadership roles, I’ve helped organisations see the value of Content Design, strong UX engagement, community and culture. By working closely with peers and teams, I’ve shown how building a sense of community around UX creates belonging, encourages collaboration and drives shared purpose. It brings people together and unlocks collective creativity. When UX is part of the culture, teams stay focused on what matters most, creating products that truly meet user needs.

The Approach

Getting the basics right is always a great place to start. I focus on building strong foundations that set teams up for long term success, from mission and vision to learning and development, feedback and design standards. And of course, we make room for fun along the way.

Mission & Vision

At Cazoo, defining the mission gave the team a shared sense of purpose and helped everyone understand the bigger impact of their work. We shaped it together through workshops, making sure it reflected both our values and individual goals. That alignment sparked genuine motivation and commitment.

We also crafted a clear vision of our future state, something inspiring that pushed us to aim higher and think more boldly. It became our north star, guiding design decisions and shaping our roadmaps. The team felt empowered because they could see the goal and knew how their work moved us closer to it.

Feedback

I prioritise regular 121s to check in on progress, challenges and goals in a way that feels personal and meaningful. It’s also a chance to show that every contribution matters. My role as a leader is to make sure each team member feels heard, supported and motivated to do their best work.

I build a culture of openness where feedback flows both ways and people understand the impact they have on each other. Thoughtful, constructive feedback helps the team grow with confidence, building skills, making better decisions and strengthening trust across the board.

Career & Learning

Creating a strong learning and development plan is key to helping designers grow and to elevating the overall user experience. Here’s how I approach it:

Start by understanding each person’s skills and goals
Identify skill gaps and training needs
Set clear, SMART learning objectives
Offer a range of training options
Encourage skill building and cross-training
Support continuous learning through regular check-ins
Create space for hands-on application
Track progress and celebrate growth
Provide pathways for advancement

Alongside this, I use a career matrix to give the team a clear structure showing how roles, responsibilities and skills evolve, and what’s expected at each level. It’s a practical tool that helps people plan their next step with confidence.

Community

Creating a sense of community is the finishing touch that brings team engagement to life. When people feel part of something bigger, it builds a culture of respect, empathy and inclusion. That positive atmosphere naturally leads to stronger collaboration and better work.

To support this, I’ve wrapped more formal engagement efforts with activities that strengthen connection and team spirit:

Team health monitoring through anonymous surveys
Monthly UX All Hands
Guest speaker sessions
Regular socials to unwind and have fun together