Navigating the Shift: A 2026 UX Community Retrospective

About the Meetup
2026 brought rapid change to the design landscape. Between evolving roles and shifting teams, many of us had to adapt and rethink our direction. While it can sometimes feel like you are navigating these uncertain times alone, it is clear that your fellow UX professionals share many of the same challenges. We want to create an open space for candid, practical conversations and real opportunities to learn from one another.

Whether you are redefining your path after years in the field or breaking into UX for the first time, your experience matters. Join us for this edition of Thursday Talks to unpack the year's lessons and look toward what comes next - in 2027 and beyond.

🚀 Meetup Program
This evening consists of two parts: an inspiring talk to set the theme, followed by interactive discussion among attendees.

Part 1
Featured Talk: "Getting Off My Island: Lessons from an Unplanned Year"
Speaker: Claire Paddison

Roles change, teams restructure, and it happens to people at every level, including senior ones. After 18 years at Autodesk, Claire left in early 2026 and had to work out what came next. Instead of rushing into the next thing, she treated the transition as an internal design project. Claire will share what worked, the friction points along the way, and the questions worth asking ourselves as we close out the year.

About the speaker
Claire is a designer and design leader with two decades of experience shaping product ecosystems, most recently as Senior Director, Experience and Analytics at Autodesk, where she led a global, multi-disciplinary team transforming 3D modelling software for architects and engineers.

Part 2
Community Retrospective & Open Panel

Following Claire’s talk, the floor opens to the room. We will take time for some reflection using “Rose Thorn Bud” (a design thinking technique born out of the Scouts), followed by “speed-sharing” to compare notes, find common themes, and share insights. When the horn blows, you find somebody new. We will wrap up with an open panel featuring Claire and the meetup hosts alongside voices from the audience.

What you get: proper time to reflect on your own year, several new people to meet, the relief of hearing your own challenges in someone else’s words, and an open panel at the end to put your questions to Claire and the hosts.

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💬 The Talk is in English

📍 The event will be held at ETH Zürich, CHN E 46
We kindly ask you to arrive 10 minutes early of the event start, so everyone can find a seat due to high attendance. Thank you!