WUD workshop – Design in decision-making: building bridges with business

She specialises in connecting inductive and creative process with business objectives, helping organisations develop products, services, and strategies.Her approach focuses collaboration with diverse stakeholders, from creative teams to business leaders, to create solutions that are impactful,needed, and sustainable. She has extensive experience building and facilitating workshops, strategy sessions, and professional education programs that enhance design’s role and influence on business decisions.Currently, Justyna serves as a Learning Designer & Facilitator atHyper Island in Stockholm, supporting teams and organisations in developing skills in design, innovation management, and cross-sector collaboration. She is also the co-founder of Change Pilots, a sustainability-driven design consultancy.

Design does not exist in isolation within organisations. To act responsibly and strategically, designers must work across business functions, decision-making structures, and competing priorities. This workshop builds on insights from the work on ten editions of Design Talks Business conference and a decade of service design consultancy experience, offering a hands-on approach to strengthening collaboration between design and business.

Through interactive exercises and case examples, participants will learn how to:

• Communicate the value of design in business terms without diluting its creative core.
• Map and understand stakeholder needs, motivations, and decision-making dynamics.
• Strengthen design’s contribution to decision-making, positioning it as a strategic partner rather than a support function.
• Prototype collaboration, experimenting with methods that make interdisciplinary work more productive and effective.

By the end of the session, participants will leave with actionable tips, and frameworks to engage stakeholders confidently, bridging the gap between creative vision and business reality. Whether you are working in an agency, in-house teams, or as a consultant, this workshop helps you to elevate your impact and inspire meaningful collaboration.

• Duration: 4 hours
• Maximum number of participants: 20-25
• Workshop format: group work, chairs with tables, 5 tables with 5 people
• Can we share the slides with workshop participants: yes
• Attendance format: on-site
• Category: mix of case study & methodology
• Workshop is meant for experienced designers