Ep.16 - Designing for Impact: From UX to CX - Thomas Caliman

Thomas Caliman, Chief Experience Officer at ADEO, shares insights on the evolving role of design and customer experience in large organizations. He discusses how design and CX teams collaborate to drive business impact, the power of journey mapping for alignment, and the importance of connecting UX with business objectives. Thomas also explores the role of generative AI in customer research and experience design, offering a glimpse into the future of AI-powered personas and synthetic user testing.

Guest Bio

Thomas is the Chief Experience Officer at ADEO, the parent company of renowned brands like Leroy Merlin and Bricoman. With over 500 million customers, ADEO is committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences.

With more than 15 years of experience, Thomas has led 350 projects for 230 clients, earning nine prestigious awards for his expertise in user-centered design, customer experience (CX), and design team management. His innovative approach blends creativity with data-driven insights to drive transformative solutions.

Previously a trailblazer at Amazon and Microsoft, Thomas now serves on Adobe Think Tank’s Innovative Design Board, helping to shape the future of design thinking and customer-centric strategies.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Thomas Calimaux and His Background

01:19 Shaping the Future of Design Thinking at Adobe’s Design Board

04:05 The Role of Design in Business Performance and Growth

06:39 Aligning UX and CX with Business Goals

10:18 A Practical Example of Design Driving Business Impact at ADEO

13:33 The Amazon PR FAQ Method for Customer-Centric Design

17:17 The Evolving Role of Generative AI in Design

21:51 AI-Powered Personas and the Future of User Research

26:32 From Design to Chief Experience Officer: Thomas’s Unique Career Path

30:07 Bridging UX, CX, and Business Strategy

34:20 Organizational Structure and the Role of Tech in UX/CX

37:56 Journey Mapping and Opportunity Prioritization

42:35 How ADEO Prioritizes Business and Customer Experience Initiatives

49:52 The Shift Towards a Customer-Centric Culture at ADEO

53:06 Making Customer Journeys Accessible to Business Leaders

58:21 The Power of Customer Journeys in Aligning Organizations

01:03:06 Thomas’s Best, Worst, First, and Last Customer Journeys

Jochem’s Profile - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/⁠⁠⁠

Thomas’s Profile - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-caliman/