The Challenge
Diageo's decentralised ecosystem lacked standardised UX processes, causing inconsistent e-commerce experiences and brand risk. The business needed to scale design capability across 40+ global agencies while moving UX upstream — from downstream execution to a strategic driver.
The Approach
- The UX playbook. Authored an end-to-end Double Diamond framework, embedding design principles and consumer research into the earliest product phases.
- Tool centralisation. Standardised the global design stack, moving 40+ agencies onto centralised instances of Figma, Miro and Mural.
- Accessibility by design. Partnered with WCAG consultants to embed strict accessibility standards, reducing defects and protecting brand equity.
- AI piloting, with guardrails. Evaluated GenAI for automated alt-text, then paused rollout after documenting a 40% failure rate — protecting compliance over speed.
The Impact
- Accelerated maturity. Shifted Diageo's UX adoption curve to match best-in-class market competitors.
- Operational efficiency. Global standardisation cut cross-agency defects and accelerated time-to-market.
- Brand protection. Institutionalised inclusive design principles, protecting global brand equity and mitigating legal risk.
