Balanced Experience Design with Livia Bernardini

Recently when talking to my freshman class about time management strategies, part of me started to feel sorry for them knowing that the challenge of time management only gets harder and not easier. I’m sure it feels overwhelming to have so many classes, social activities, for some sports obligations, joining clubs, and even hopefully sleep. There is a lot to balance, and achieving that balance seems like a never-ending struggle.

And of course that only gets worse. Add in children, household chores, more demanding jobs, maintaining relationships, bills, exercise, and any number of other commitments, having that balance can feel pretty impossible. I’m always trying to balance the things that I am supposed to do, the things that I want to do, and the things that I have avoided doing but still think about. I know I’m not alone in this struggle, as most people feel that their lives are out of balance, or at least the kind of balance that they would like to have. 

Leadership also requires a lot of balance not only for yourself, but for those for whom you are responsible. Leaders are supposed to be decisive and show direction. At the same time, modern leadership also requires giving people agency and autonomy, leaving room for others to help decide how the group moves forward. There is the balancing of stakeholder perspectives in an ever-widening circle that goes beyond customers and employees to communities and even society. If an agency is involved, then there is the issue of balancing the desires of clients with your own insights and expertise. 

My guest today on Experience by Design knows quite a bit about these balancing acts. Livia Bernardini has spent her life trying to balance different cultures. Born and raised in Italy, then moving to Paris, Australia, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and now England. Her own personal challenges led to find balance through artistic endeavors such as painting, drawing, and sewing. Today she is the CEO of the agency Future Platforms, an agency that helps clients transform their businesses through digital products and experiences. Their clients include Domino’s, Liv Golf, Ralph Lauren, the Premier League, PSG, and many others. 

We talk about the balancing act that she experiences as a CEO, speaker, moderator, and author. She describes her philosophy of “pragmatic progress” to evaluate her success in balancing. In her work, Liv discusses balancing the potential of emergent technology like AI with its inherent limitations as well. LIv’s degree in Communication and Media Studies as well as Marketing gives her a deep insight into culture today, especially how the digital environment of social media is shaping our perceptions of the world. While much can be accomplished through the digital tools we have available to us, not all of it is good. As a result, we have to prioritize people, then planet, and finally profit.

Finally, we explore the balancing of client requests with the insights that your team might have. Ultimately, to achieve balance in experience design, we need to look at the entire experience ecosystem, including the contexts and stakeholders that are present in it. When doing so, we need to think in terms of ethical and sustainable solutions that create better outcomes for those involved in that ecosystem. 

Livia Bernardini LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/livia-bernardini/

Future Platforms: https://www.futureplatforms.com/