Introducing the new day format at UXLx 2026 — Leadership & Strategy Day

3 min readOct 13, 2025

A speaker delivering a workshop at UXLx 2025.

UXLx is back in 2026 🎉 and we have a slight change in what’s been the programme lately.

Instead of a first day with 2 full-day workshops to choose from, this year we’re introducing a new format: a dedicated first day focused on leadership & strategy. It’s set for 12 May 2026. 🗓️

As for the rest of the conference days (13 to 15 May 2026) you can expect three practical days packed with in-depth learning, inspiring people from all over the world and the unforgettable Lisbon charm. 🤩

So why the change? You might ask.

Leaders have a busy schedule. Clearing four days for a conference isn’t always easy. UXLx always had workshops focused on leadership and strategy, but they were normally scattered over the conference days. Now we’re concentrating those in a power-packed day for design leaders.

This allows leaders (specially European) on really tight schedules to fly in on Monday, join us Tuesday, and head home Wednesday morning. A short trip but perhaps a necessary one to boost your leader skills and get a dose of inspiration and connection.

What’s the Leadership & Strategy day like?

The day will start at 8h30 with check-in and an intro and some welcome words by our conference curator, Bruno Figueiredo. Then we’re getting into full training/networking mode: 🔛

3 Masterclasses (90 min. each) — Led by top design leaders where you’ll learn the strategies and skills to guide your team with confidence, clarity, and vision
Q&A Session (1h) — Your chance to ask, share challenges, and discuss directly with the speakers
3-course Networking Meals — From lunch to dinner, keep the discussions flowing over great food and company. At the table you’ll find some famous Portuguese flavours, but there’s always vegetarian/vegan options.
2 Coffee Breaks (morning and afternoon) — A perfect opportunity to unwind in-between sessions and connect with your peers.

A speaker and an attendee speaking during a coffee break at UXLx 2025.

What will be covered?

In a fast-changing design landscape, where new challenges constantly emerge, equipping yourself with the right tools and mindset to lead with clarity and confidence is more important than ever. That’s why we’ve designed this day around three core topics:

Becoming a better leader in times of change
Leading and empowering your team side by side with AI
Tackling today’s biggest challenges in the design process

Who is this day for?

UX / Design Leads
Design Program Managers
UX Research Managers
Directors of Product Design
Heads of User Experience
Anyone shaping the future of design and leading teams to success 🚀
Anyone aspiring to become a leader in the forthcoming future

I’m in! How can I join? 🎟️

Leadership & Strategy Day Tickets will be available at 15 October, 3PM (Lisbon time). First up are the Super Early Bird tickets where you can save 300€.

This will be your pass to all the training and events of the day, including lunch and dinner. Plus, a Welcome kit.