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Behind the gold: what makes a DBA Design Effectiveness Award winner

Thursday 27 February | 4-5pm GMT | Online

Register now 

DBA Design Effectiveness Awards aren’t just handed out – they’re earned. More than a trophy in your cabinet, they’re a mark of distinction, recognition of the undeniable proof of design’s impact.

Rigorously examined and fiercely contested, these accolades set the benchmark for design that doesn’t just impress, it performs. Winning isn’t easy, and that’s what makes it meaningful.

On Thursday 27 February at 4pm GMT, join us live online for a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a winner. Esteemed judges Olivia Salisbury, former Group VP Global Head of Experience Design at T. Rowe Price and Pernilla Johannson, VP & Head of UX Design Chapter in Volvo Group will dissect standout projects that delivered fundamental change. DBA Chief Executive Deborah Dawton will lead the discussion, breaking down the work that didn’t just meet expectations, it redefined them.

What sets an award-winning project apart? How do judges separate good from truly effective? And what can you learn from the work that made the cut?

See what it takes to win and why it matters.

Thursday 27 February | 4-5pm GMT | Online | Register now 

Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive of the Design Business Association

As Chief Executive of the Design Business Association, Deborah works with the industry to champion the tangible and measurable impact of design and its capability for change in business and government, nationally and internationally.

Her passion for design as a strategic tool that boardrooms must recognise, and her experience of the UK’s diverse and competitive design sector enable her to lead the DBA as it works tirelessly to build universal confidence in design investment and support the design industry to deliver on this promise.

Pernilla Johnasson, VP & Head of UX Design Chapter in Volvo Group

Pernilla has nearly 30 years of design leadership experience in multinational corporations, currently leading UX within Digital & IT at the Volvo Group, driving an ambitious digital and cultural transformation. As Chief Design Officer at Electrolux, she managed a global network of 200 designers across seven locations, following 13 years at Philips Design.

Pernilla is a people-centric leader who fosters holistic, research-based experience development and has built multiple high-performing teams across three continents, resulting in design effectiveness and numerous award-winning solutions. This is exemplified by co-founding the Centre for Organisational Creativity, which aids organisations in building their creative capacity in a systemic way.