In today’s landscape of dwindling brand trust, exceptional customer experience (CX) is no longer a nicety – it’s a survival tactic. As companies strive to differentiate themselves in crowded marketplaces, those who prioritize thoughtful, user-centric design are emerging as clear leaders. It’s against this backdrop that we turn our attention to Alfie Martin, a visionary force reshaping the landscape of design leadership.
As the Design Director at Breakthrough 6, Alfie brings a unique perspective to the world of user experience and strategic design. With a background that spans professional artistry and collaborations with influential figures like Simon Sinek, Alfie has cultivated a design philosophy that goes far beyond aesthetics. She delves deep into the “why” behind every project, understanding of human behavior, ethical considerations, and the delicate balance between user needs and business objectives.
We at IMPAAKT had a detailed conversation with Alfie to understand how companies should approach design as a catalyst for meaningful change and business success.
Below are the excerpts from the interview:
What initially sparked your interest in design, and how did you know you wanted to pursue a career in this field?
I have been designing since I was a teenager. I have also worked as a professional artist, for some of the wealthiest people in the United States, and for inspiring people like Simon Sinek. I see working in design as a way to understand people in new and interesting ways.
Can you walk us through your design philosophy? What drives you to create impactful user experiences?
My design philosophy starts with a high-level look at what I am working on and from there I work into the granular details. A common misconception about design is that it is a linear process. This is rarely the care in practice. What drives me to create impactful user experiences is improving people’s lives. Designers rarely discuss ethics and integrity. These are two things that I never compromise to launch products that would cause harm to the people using them. Designing in tech is a balance of balancing the user needs and business needs, the two are symbiotic. They always have been. User experience design helps establish trust during a time in history when the trust between brands and consumers is at an all-time low.
Transparency is a competitive advantage.
As Design Director, how do you influence strategic decision-making at Breakthrough 6 to ensure customer experience remains a top priority?
I facilitate collaborative sessions of co-creating with leadership. This helps communicate the reasons behind design choices, so they are seen as business decisions. Additionally, it also helps with stakeholder alignment, so everyone is on the same page about the direction we are going.
You must have faced a lot of challenges along your leadership journey. Can you share a specific instance where you learned a valuable lesson that has shaped your leadership style?
I was a lead at a Consultancy. A sudden and unexpected promotion. Looking back at this promotion seemed to be in name only. The sales-led organisation had over-promised the client work in a short time span which would have led to the designers on the team being burnt out, and the lack of quality the client required. Once I started to make decisions on how to effectively work on this project with the team, I was ignored. This was a time in my work experience that I was intentionally put in a position and set up to fail. In the USA, we refer to this as something that happens most commonly to women. It is referred to as a glass cliff. What this taught me is to not waste my time attempting to show the value I bring to people who are intent on being blind to it.
As we move forward, what exciting advancements or trends do you see shaping the future of design within the customer experience landscape?
I do not see design trends as real. The very foundations of designing products and services that have good experience in design do not change. This is from a leadership position. I can’t speak to how things will go in the future, but I can say what I would suggest. I think we will shift to placing more emphasis on service design. The mass layoffs in tech, and the behavior of leadership in some of the largest tech companies on the planet, have left many of the tech industry’s employees jobless and pessimistic. Service Design approaches problems by designing for a good employee experience, ultimately leading to a better customer experience.
Technology plays a crucial role in CX. How do you see design and tech working hand-in-hand to create even more seamless and impactful customer experiences?
I consider every touchpoint a customer or potential customer has with a company as a part of the customer experience. All these channels, digital, in-person, and social media, should be aligned and consistent. The attention we place on the customers’ experience in person should be consistent across all channels. Technology is great for removing friction from the customer experience; it’s why we often have an easier time remembering bad design than we do good design. Bad design can stop our day in its tracks and prevent us from getting to where we want to be.
Developing future design leaders is crucial. How do you approach mentoring and skill development within your team, and what advice would you give to aspiring design professionals?
I have mentored many designers in my career, and I am proud of each of them. How I approach skills development starts with creating intentional hiring processes. I care about the candidate’s experience. This contributes to a company’s reputation. Whoever is interviewing potential candidates needs to be trained in the design interview process. It should be a conversation, not an interrogation. I do not accept resumes. They do not provide me with a picture of the human that is interested in working for me. Attrition costs companies in the United States around a trillion dollars. That is an unfathomable number of lost resources. Investing in talent development programs and creating career development programs to help your employees advance internally while communicating that you value them goes a long way.
The advice I give to aspiring designers is to understand business and understand how design contributes to increases in profitability in business. Then learn how to communicate this to anyone. Being a good designer is easy. Being an effective designer is difficult. Being effective is about communication and storytelling.
Imagine a CEO reading this interview and wanting to elevate their company’s customer experience. What’s one key piece of design-focused advice would you give them?
Do not neglect to consider all the different avenues that are contributing to the current state of your company. Design is not pretty visuals, it is not a luxury, it is a requirement. Design is a method for strategic business decisions and can be a lever you pull to gain extraordinary competitive advances.
