Designing Against the Odds
It’s easy to assume that great design comes from perfect conditions — a clear brief, a fully staffed team, the right tools, and enough time to explore. The reality is: perfect conditions rarely exist.
This talk takes you behind the scenes of how we evolved IBM Cloud’s experience without dedicated development resources, a clear roadmap, or established tools — turning limitations into fuel for creativity. It’s a story of persistence, clarity, and designing for impact when the setup was anything but perfect.
But this isn’t just about the system and the outcomes. It's about the people and the process design can influence.
We’ll explore the principles that guided this journey, the scrappy methods that kept us moving, and the collaborations that made progress possible.
From reframing constraints as opportunities to finding sparks of innovation in unexpected places, we’ll uncover the secrets that sustained momentum and unlocked meaningful outcomes.
Whether you’re a designer, product leader, or simply working with limited resources, this talk will leave you with practical insights, fresh inspiration, and a new perspective on the true value and impact of design today.
