Partner with Design Leaders
Meaningful partnerships.Shared expertise.Real impact.
Design Leaders brings together experienced design leaders from around the world to build trusted relationships, learn from one another and shape the future of design.
We work with a select number of organisations that want to contribute to that ambition.
Our approach
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Our approach is simple. The best partnerships create value for everyone involved.
Our partners bring expertise, technologies, perspectives and experiences that help members navigate change, strengthen their leadership and explore what comes next.
In return, we create opportunities to collaborate with experienced practitioners, contribute to relevant industry conversations and build relationships through shared interests and meaningful participation.
Two ways to partner
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Two ways to partner
Ecosystem Partner
£30,000 + VAT annually
Contribute to the conversations shaping the future of design.
For organisations working across technology, AI, design, collaboration and business transformation.
Ecosystem Partners collaborate with Design Leaders on industry events, private leadership discussions, research and content.
This partnership is designed for organisations that want to share expertise, learn from practitioners and build credibility through meaningful contribution.
What's included
- Recognition as one of a maximum of six Ecosystem Partners
- 20 annual memberships for eligible leaders in your organisation
- 1 co-hosted flagship event
- 2 curated private leadership sessions
- 1 opt-in research or product-feedback activity
- 2 editorial features, interviews or programme outputs
- Opportunities to contribute to relevant programming
- Quarterly partnership reviews and an annual impact summary
What you contribute
An annual investment of £30,000 + VAT, relevant expertise, credible senior contributors and a meaningful benefit for Design Leaders members.
Direct production costs for your co-hosted flagship event are agreed separately.
Member Advantage Partner
£7,500 + VAT annually
Make membership more valuable through meaningful benefits and experiences.
For organisations offering products, services, rewards or experiences that bring genuine value to our members.
Member Advantage Partners provide benefits that go beyond standard public promotions, helping experienced design leaders access useful services, new experiences and preferential opportunities.
What's included
- Official Member Advantage Partner recognition
- 5 annual memberships for eligible leaders in your organisation
- A dedicated offer within our membership platform
- Up to 3 agreed member campaigns annually
- Inclusion in relevant member communications
- 1 virtual member activation
- Anonymised reporting on benefit engagement and uptake
What you contribute
An annual investment of £7,500 + VAT and an agreed member benefit with at least £15,000 of realistic potential value across the community.
Benefits must be clearly defined, straightforward to redeem and meaningfully better than publicly available offers.
More than sponsorship
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Built around the questions that matter.
Our partnerships begin with a shared interest in the challenges facing design and product leaders.
Together, we develop relevant conversations, experiences and opportunities for learning.
These might explore how AI is changing design practice, how organisations develop stronger design capability, how teams collaborate or how design demonstrates its impact on business and society.
Through curated discussions, working sessions, research, interviews and events, partners can contribute expertise while learning from the experiences of practitioners.
The objective is not to promote products to a captive audience. It is to create useful exchanges that benefit members and participating organisations.
Trust
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A partnership built on trust
Trust is central to Design Leaders.
Our members join to build relationships, exchange experiences and have conversations they may not be able to have within their own organisations.
We protect that environment.
- Partners do not receive unrestricted access to members or their personal information. Participation in research, feedback and introductions is voluntary and requires appropriate consent.
- Design Leaders maintains editorial independence and curates its own programming, audiences and speakers.
- Commercial relationships are built through relevant contribution, not guaranteed introductions, sales leads or procurement opportunities.
Clearly defined
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Your partnership, clearly defined
Both programmes run for twelve months.
Before starting, we agree your objectives, annual deliverables, member benefits, responsibilities, programme schedule and measures of success.
For Ecosystem Partners, we also agree the scope and direct costs of any co-hosted event before delivery.
Your included memberships are subject to the same eligibility criteria and community standards as other Design Leaders memberships.
Additional activities outside your agreed package are scoped and priced separately.
How we measure success
We assess partnerships by the value they create, including:
- Quality of participation and member feedback
- Useful insight and shared learning
- Engagement with events, research and content
- Uptake of member benefits and experiences
- Consented professional relationships and follow-up
- Contribution to the wider Design Leaders experience
We want partners to become respected contributors to the community, not simply names on a sponsorship page.
Enquire
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Let's build something valuable together.
We are looking for organisations that believe in the value of design leadership and want to play a meaningful role in its future.
Whether you want to contribute industry expertise, collaborate on emerging challenges or provide exceptional member benefits, we'd welcome a conversation.