About
I’m a founder, strategist, and designer who believes that enduring brands are built on…
Articles by Stephen
-
AI Foundations – Creating space for exploration and experimentation.
AI Foundations – Creating space for exploration and experimentation.
Heading into 2024, it’s clear that AI will be an area of focus for many of our clients seeking to understand what…
2 Comments -
The future is already here – it's just not very evenly distributed.
The future is already here – it's just not very evenly distributed.
Science fiction writer William Gibson coined this quote, referencing the limited access to technology driven by wealth…
-
Canada’s lagging e-commerce ecosystem, and a few thoughts on how retail and e-commerce leaders can fix it.
Canada’s lagging e-commerce ecosystem, and a few thoughts on how retail and e-commerce leaders can fix it.
The Globe & Mail recently published an interesting article on Canada’s (lagging) e-commerce ecosystem…
-
The real cost of digital transformation in government.
The real cost of digital transformation in government.
The National Post recently published a story on the Government of Canada’s web renewal project, bringing to light that…
-
Meet Serjio.
Meet Serjio.
Over the past few weeks our team at Engine Digital has been hard at work developing our own digital product, Serjio…
2 Comments -
The Problem with Category Expertise.
The Problem with Category Expertise.
One of the primary constraints to real change is expecting different results from those of us with 'category…
4 Comments -
Five considerations for getting your mobile web strategy in place.
Five considerations for getting your mobile web strategy in place.
I recently wrote an article about Google’s mobile algorithm updates that went live on April 21st, 2015. You can read…
3 Comments -
Predicting the Future of the Digital Agency Business.
Predicting the Future of the Digital Agency Business.
Last week, I posted a long-read perspective, "the Future of the Digital Agency Business", mostly in reaction to the…
6 Comments -
Why Brands Should Consider Innovation Across the Organization.
Why Brands Should Consider Innovation Across the Organization.
This article was originally published on our blog. It’s been said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over…
6 Comments
Activity
6K followers
-
Stephen Beck shared thisVery excited to see this work go live! 🙌 Our partnership with Brookfield marks another meaningful step forward in our continued growth within financial services, a category in a state of transformation. For decades, most financial institutions competed on products, scale, and operational trust. But as digital channels become the primary interface between brands and customers, the experience itself is increasingly the differentiator. And that experience is increasingly within digital channels. The firms that lead over the next decade will be those that not only communicate with clarity and confidence, but also deliver customer-centric experiences across every touchpoint. This goes beyond brand perception – it’s about how digital experiences inform, support, and serve customers in ways that build long-term trust and loyalty. That’s what made this collaboration with Brookfield so rewarding. A team with ambition, conviction, and a willingness to push for something distinctive in a category that too often settles for sameness. Proud of the work our teams created together, and grateful for the continued partnership with Brookfield as they help shape the future of the industry. See the case study: http://eng.in/brkfldam #FinancialServices #BrandExperience #ExperienceDesignStephen Beck shared thisAs AI reshapes how we search for information, the flagship site remains one of the few truly ownable surfaces a brand has – a place to clearly communicate who they are, what they stand for, how they create value, and how they differentiate. In global financial services, where parity is high and risk tolerance is low, the opportunity lies in breaking from established patterns and using brand expression as a strategic asset. The brands that stand apart are those that communicate trust and confidence with clarity, reinforcing credibility in every interaction. For Brookfield, that meant aligning around a shared vision for what great could be, working closely with our client partners Meredith Feiner, Doria Ruthven, and Ally Kostick, alongside Agency Labs, to create a more intentional and cohesive expression of a business shaping the future of industry. The result is a flagship experience designed for scale, where the verbal and visual brand work together to bring clarity and cohesion. Through immersive design, simplified pathways, and a more structured approach to storytelling, the new site communicates with confidence, giving Brookfield a clearer voice in a category defined by sameness. See the case study: http://eng.in/brkfldam Learn more about Brookfield: https://www.brookfield.com #BrandExperience #ExperienceDesign #FinancialServices
-
Stephen Beck reposted thisStephen Beck reposted thisHello hive mind. I'm looking for panelists for an event. The theme: supporting the development of new marketing / products / initiatives with research. The person: brand-side marketers or research leaders with a point of view. The time and place: NYC, May 13, early evening. Could this be you? Could it be a friend of yours? Please reach out to me. Thank you.
-
Stephen Beck shared thisCan a modern composable tech stack meet the needs of banks, credit unions, and wealth management firms? We thought so, and we proved it...Stephen Beck shared thisMost banks, credit unions, and wealth management firms assume modern platforms can’t meet their security and compliance requirements. In reality, the constraint isn’t the technology. It’s how it’s implemented. When 80%+ of customers research financial products online before making a decision, the bank website is now a critical surface for building trust and driving conversion. We recently partnered with Beem Credit Union to launch a new flagship website on Sanity CMS in under five months, within a regulated environment. No shortcuts on governance, security, or integration. The takeaway: you don’t have to choose between speed and control. You can design for both. We broke down what it actually takes to launch a modern bank website in a regulated environment. → http://eng.in/edbp042726 #FinancialServices #Banking #DigitalTransformation #ComposableArchitecture #HeadlessCMS #CustomerExperience #DigitalExperience #SanityCMS
-
Stephen Beck shared thisWe’re on the lookout for senior freelance strategists to join our bench. Interested? Let us know who you are here: http://eng.in/9ekv9iStephen Beck shared thisWe’re expanding our bench of senior freelance strategists for future work. If you’re a UX Researcher, Experience Designer, or Strategy Lead with a solid track record of shaping thoughtful, well-crafted digital experiences that break the paradigms, we’d love to connect. Open to 🇨🇦 Canadian and 🇺🇸 US based contractors only. If this is you, please reach out to us: http://eng.in/9ekv9i
-
Stephen Beck posted thisWhat does bad CX actually cost a business? More than most people realize. Let’s run some simple math. Poor customer experiences almost always lead to higher call center volume. And call centers aren’t cheap. Industry estimates put the average cost of a customer service call between $6 and $12 🤯 depending on complexity and service model. But here’s what should give you pause. Research suggests 20–30% of support calls are actually avoidable. These “failure demand” calls happen because something in the experience didn’t work the first time. – Broken journeys – Confusing UI – Unclear processes – Bad design Now consider the economics. For enterprise organizations, call centers often handle 5,000–7,000+ calls per day. That’s $30,000–$84,000 in operating cost every single day. But let’s look at a more modest company receiving just 1,000 calls per day. At $6–$12 per call, that’s $2.19M – $4.38M per year. Now, imagine if improving CX reduces call volume by just 5%. That equals: – 50 fewer calls per day – 18,250 fewer calls per year – $109,500–$219,000 in annual savings Over several years, these savings add up. And sure, AI can certainly help automate support. But that’s really just treating the symptom, not the cause. The real issue is usually a broken customer experience. Improved design → better CX → fewer support calls → lower operating costs. Better CX = better business. Sometimes the fastest way to reduce costs isn’t automation — it’s fixing the experience. #CustomerExperience #ExperienceDesign #BrandExperience
-
Stephen Beck shared thisIf you’re in licensing, consumer products, or brand partnership, you’ll want to see what my friend Serkan Yel is up to …Stephen Beck shared thisMost licensing deals die before they're signed. Not because the parties don't want to do business — because the process makes it not worth it. After 15 years across legal, licensing, and general management at Red Bull and consulting work with FIFA and PUMA, I kept seeing the same pattern: endless back-and-forth, unclear approval chains, legal costs that made smaller deals uneconomical. Commercial momentum disappears. Partners move on. Budgets get reallocated. What looked like a great opportunity quietly dies. Most licensing deals follow a repeatable structure: term, territory, category, royalty, approvals, reporting. Almost none of the infrastructure exists digitally. That's the gap we're building into. Pazar takes a deal from first conversation to signed contract to royalty reporting in one platform; in days, not months. We're live with our first pilot and opening a small number of additional slots. I'm building this with Leonard Schellenberg, a mathematician-turned-engineer who has led engineering teams building scalable platforms from the ground up. If you're involved in licensing, consumer products, or brand partnerships and want to run your next deal through Pazar, let's talk.
-
Stephen Beck posted thisAgencies... Covid > we no longer need an office! Metaverse > we no longer need reality! AI > we no longer need humans!
-
Stephen Beck posted thisWhen a company starts buying back shares or paying a dividend, we often assert they’ve run out of runway for new ideas. So, what do we call it when a company voluntarily cuts 40% of its headcount to take advantage of new found efficiencies? Kinda feels like the same thing honestly.
-
Stephen Beck reposted thisStephen Beck reposted thisAn exceptional opportunity has emerged with RBW, based in the West Coast region. Let’s take lighting to the next level. Learn more by connecting with me.
-
Stephen Beck liked thisExcited to be heading back to ICFF — the show where it all started. It's where we first introduced RBW as a design studio and manufacturer, and where we were honored to take home the Best New Designer award. That early recognition set the tone for everything that followed. A decade and a half later, the energy of NYCxDESIGN week still inspires me. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with customers, architects, designers, developers, and industry friends — and making some new introductions along the way. Javits Center, May 17–19 booth 931 See you there! #ICFF2026 #NYCxDESIGN #LightingDesign #ArchitectureAndDesign #RBWStephen Beck liked this𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝟵𝟯𝟭? RBW is teaming up with Arkoslight for 𝗜𝗖𝗙𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 to bring you an immersive look at the future of lighting. With a broad range of decorative and architectural lighting from our two catalogs, we are excited to showcase our combined, complementary product line. 📍 Javits Center, NYC 🗓️ May 17-19 🎫 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗖𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗫𝗛𝟮𝟵𝟭 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://lnkd.in/e7Gymxk9
-
Stephen Beck liked thisNew week. New set of killer results from our client Paige coming directly from a newly refreshed Shopify case study. Premium retail at scale. You love to see it. Check the numbers out below and hit the link in the comments for the full case study (definitely worth a read)Stephen Beck liked thisWith a 50% increase in online conversion rates, PAIGE proves what happens when premium retail experiences meet the right commerce foundation 🚀 We’re proud to have partnered with the PAIGE team to help reimagine their digital flagship on Shopify and unify commerce across 20+ retail locations. Together, we helped create an experience designed to scale globally while staying true to the brand’s elevated, fashion-first identity. The impact speaks for itself: - 44% higher customer value from omnichannel shoppers vs. single-channel shoppers - 60% reduction in customer service resolution time in the first quarter alone - 100% adoption of clienteling tools by store teams - 69% email open rates and 24% higher AOV - 30% of support tickets resolved by an AI customer service agent This project was about more than migration. It was about helping PAIGE evolve from a denim leader into a true lifestyle brand. Read the full Shopify case study here: https://lnkd.in/g4p9SBSr
-
Stephen Beck liked thisStephen Beck liked thisAfter reading this article (Thank you for sharing Frédéric) I find Ethan Mollick articulated beautifully a concept I have struggled to communicate regarding how to implement AI in an enterprise: "Leadership, Crowd, and Lab": -Leadership: Direction must come from the top. -Crowd: When employees are given access to AI tools and the freedom to experiment, they uncover use cases the AI firms never even expected. -Lab: Those crowd-sourced ideas are refined by a dedicated team of technical and non-technical employees working on generative AI full-time. Google has lived this structure for years by providing us with the Gemini Enterprise platform. I am living the "Crowd" phase of AI at Google Cloud. Luckily we have an "unwritten green light" to experiment. Recently, I built a no-code Prompt Engineer agent that made it to the Lab, where it was integrated with a peer's idea. It’s now available to 20,000 Googlers. I’m now shipping no-code agents weekly with my team to boost productivity. Last week alone, I tracked my output and saved 6 hours on internal processes using Gemini Enterprise. I’ve even had the chance to brainstorm with our Office of the CTO—a room I never would have entered pre-AI as a non technical business user. Giving your "Crowd" access to AI will change your business, surface ideas you would have never imagined, and I believe, will change the world. https://lnkd.in/efE7upzF
-
Stephen Beck liked thisStephen Beck liked thisMarking the close of the inaugural INSEAD IAA Global Mentoring Programme — and what a cool journey it’s been. My congratulations to the mentors and mentees who committed their time, energy, and insight to this pilot, and to the INSEAD Alumni Association team who supported it throughout. Designing a mentoring programme is never straightforward. Add a global scope, multiple time zones, and the coming together of GEMBA and EMC communities, and the complexity increases quickly — as do expectations. What stood out most to us was how much thoughtful structure enables meaningful flexibility. Together with Geert Vercaeren and Roger, we focused on creating just enough scaffolding to support high-quality relationships without over-engineering them. Our goal was to enable, not interfere. Three program design objectives proved especially important: 1. Clarifying how mentoring differs from coaching and consulting 2. Empowering mentors to take ownership of the relationship and contribute their expertise 3. Facilitating mentees to define goals and anchor conversations in their reality These elements created a “good enough” structure for what is, ultimately, an infinitely variable human process. They also allowed the matching process — often the hardest part — to be significantly enhanced through the support of People Grow's AI tools specific to mentor programs. For those designing mentoring initiatives, I’m sharing what is arguably the most useful slide in our toolkit. We’re also encouraged to see elements of the EMC Mastering Change Global Club playbook already being adapted across the INSEAD alumni network. Mentoring is very in demand and helpful these days. Finally, a personal note of thanks to Geert — a thoughtful, flexible, and deeply professional partner throughout this pilot. I look forward to what we build next.
Experience
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Publications
-
How digital consultancies are changing client-agency relationships
Campaign US
See publicationA short op-ed I wrote for Campaign on how the digital consultancy model is changing how clients and digital agencies work together.
-
Why Brands Should Consider Innovation Across the Organization.
See publicationFor many organizations, creating an environment that broadly supports digital innovation can be incredibly challenging. Who is responsible for leading the effort? What is the right framework and process? What are realistic budgets that support success? In this post, I outline a few considerations for brands that have a desire to make digital innovation a core value across the business.
-
Getting on The Right Side of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation.
Engine Digital
The Canadian government are rolling out a strict policy on commercial email marketing. We've put together a comprehensive overview of what you need to know to get onto the right side of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation.
Other authors -
-
Making Content a Core Part of Your 2014 Digital Marketing Plan
Engine Digital / Perspectives
See publicationThis is a long-form article providing a perspective on the importance of content within an organization's overall digital marketing strategy.
Organizations
-
Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA)
Agency Member
- Present
Other similar profiles
Explore more posts
-
Robert Fransgaard
This is what investing in AI in design looks like. As with many other job families, the design industry focuses on what might the impact of AI be: will it lower the quality with slop? Will it replace humans? Etc But I don't see much focus on to understand and really capitalise on the potential AI brings to design. We are largely treating it as any other tool: a way to get incrementally better. At best it's a short course for the designers, at worst it's expecting designers to already know how to use it. But AI has the potential for making radical shifts and leaps. I'd love to hear, and learn, from anyone who is making significant strides to drive AI transformation in design.
1 Comment -
Patrick Frend
A little ICYMI for your Monday: Design Thinking As Tim Brown puts it, design thinking blends human needs, tech potential, and business viability. It’s often broken down into five steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test, but the reality is messier. And that’s a good thing. Design thinking isn’t linear. It’s flexible, iterative, and collaborative. It’s how we align strategy, design, and engineering. It’s how we make decisions with clarity. And it’s how we ensure our solutions actually work for people. The best design? It starts with thinking. And keeps thinking, all the way through. #DesignThinking #DesignResearch #ProductInnovation
-
Goran Paun
Most redesigns focus on visuals. The meaningful ones focus on systems that aligning design, technology, and user experience into one framework that can scale. I break this down in my latest Forbes Agency Council piece: Design as a System: How Strategy Shapes Every Experience. https://lnkd.in/gekgMZyr
1 Comment -
Scott Parker
With no affiliation, sharing this as I know it will be good. Peter Merholz's ideas have been instrumental in my shaping of design teams. As iF Design point out here - the right environment around the design team is key to producing a successful team. The role of the leader is to create that environment.
2 Comments -
Jonelle Chandler
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾This report articulates something many teams struggle to quantify… Design systems aren’t just internal tools. When they’re treated as real infrastructure, they shape customer trust, speed, and how a brand shows up. When they’re not, people feel the gaps long before teams see the impact.
1 Comment -
Skand Bhandarkar
Most enterprise leaders treat design as an aesthetic luxury. But as CDO at eleopard, I see it differently. When your software is clunky, you aren’t just looking at an ugly interface. You are looking at frictional loss. You are paying for your employees to fight their tools instead of using them. I’ve seen companies waste millions on "pretty" templates that don't scale and "quick patches" that just hide deeper architectural failures. At eleopard, we’ve drawn a line in the sand. We don’t do patchwork, and we don't do "flashy" for the sake of trends. In my latest article, I break down our engineering-first approach to UX: ✅ Custom over Templates: Why "off-the-shelf" is a long-term liability. ✅ Design as a Blueprint: How we use Figma to eliminate the "interpretation gap" for developers. ✅Risk Mitigation: Using interactive prototypes to kill bad ideas before they become expensive code. ✅Implementation Freedom: Why we favor WordPress + Elementor to keep your architecture out of "walled gardens." If your enterprise software has become a bottleneck rather than a bridge to growth, it’s time to stop patching symptoms and start solving root causes. Read the full manifesto here: https://lnkd.in/gDAW4fuV #EnterpriseUX #ProductDesign #ROI #eleopard #DigitalTransformation #Leadership
-
Gregor Mittersinker
Join us this Thursday for a live conversation with design leaders Carly Price and José Manuel dos Santos. They’ll share practical strategies for building stronger teams, shaping cross-functional partnerships, and navigating leadership at scale. With decades of experience across industrial design, digital innovation, and organizational leadership, Carly and José will explore how to: > Embed design in key decisions > Maintain creative momentum > Align with evolving business needs Whether you’re leading a team, collaborating across functions, or planning your next leadership move, this session will offer real-world insights you can put to use immediately. Don’t miss it. #DesignLeadership #CrossFunctionalTeams #Innovation #CreativeLeadership #LiveSession #DesignThinking #ProductDesign Read more about the panel here: https://lnkd.in/guvFFEwD
-
Aquent Australia
What happens when every design principle you've built your career on gets inverted? 🤔 That's the challenge for design leaders today. Our latest blog is a must-read for anyone in a design leadership role: https://lnkd.in/gDb7cZZV Inside Riley Coleman, Founder & AI Enablement Coach at AI Flywheel, shares three essential actions for every design leader to build their own AI literacy, create adaptive capacity within their teams, and lead with confidence. This isn't just about surviving; it's about pioneering.
3 Comments -
🏴☠️ Ced Funches
Leveling up your design career means improving in three areas: AI tools: Assembling an evolving AI design stack to ship fast — My stack: Cursor, v0, Prismic, Magic Patterns — AI fluency: Learning how to design for unpredictable systems Human-advantage: Strengthening moats like craft, agency and judgment to stay ahead of automation Together with strategic thinking and human-centric skills, these pillars shape your path toward becoming an AI-native designer. #design #architect #AI
Explore top content on LinkedIn
Find curated posts and insights for relevant topics all in one place.
View top contentOthers named Stephen Beck in United States
780 others named Stephen Beck in United States are on LinkedIn
See others named Stephen Beck