Jack Stevens

New entry for The 1% Diaries: A quick-fire masterclass on upcoming UX trends for 2026, with Product & Service Design expert Megs Armour We talked about: → How proactive product design means products now bring features to users → Interfaces are becoming conversations - always in your ear suggesting, optimising, and assisting everyday tasks. → When conversations are done right, they’re not just problem solvers, they’re strategy starters. → The two new camps in software design:  • Embedded - layering conversations into existing products.  • Orchestrated - being visible within LLMs, where you’ve lost native context and control. → Early adopters like Expedia and Figma are building apps within LLMs, focused purely on tasks, transactions and intent. 💡 Megs’ take? 2026 will be the year brands learn to operate in both worlds – embedded and orchestrated - while maintaining brand authenticity. And that ties to something we’ve heard Phil say last night: Don’t obsess over your direct competition. Be confident your brand is differentiated enough that even LLMs can’t swallow your proposition. We filmed this one at Farzi London during the GOODFOLIO Ventures Insiders launch - huge thanks to Megs for sharing such sharp, thought-provoking insights, and to Jessica for putting on a brilliant evening. PS. Forgive the concentration face - I was absorbing info like a sponge 🧠 #The1PercentDiaries #UXDesign #AI #Innovation

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Two weeks on from Klarna’s IPO, my feed is still full of RSU angst. Klarna’s former RSU programme is a reminder that design details decide outcomes. Reports describe employees learning at listing that units converted at roughly 4 to 1, which turned headline grant sizes into fewer tradable shares, denting trust. The timing of tax hurt too. Staff were taxed at vest on earlier, higher valuations, then watched the share price fall, with some bills swallowing much of a monthly paycheque.  Context matters, the IPO priced near $15 billion versus a 2021 peak of about $46 billion. What to build into your plan next time 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 in offer packs and FAQs. If 4 RSUs equal 1 share, say it clearly and model the effect at different prices. 2️⃣ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆. Pre-agree sell-to-cover and guarantee usable windows at, or immediately after, vesting and listing. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀-𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲. Share tables that show take-home after tax under bear, base and bull scenarios, not only the on-offer headline. 4️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. Anchor comms with simple, dated facts on pricing and valuation so employees know what changed and why. 👉🏼 If a plan needs perfect markets, perfect timing and perfect understanding to feel fair, it is not fair. Design for clarity, liquidity and downside. ______________ Disclaimer: this post is not a critique of Klarna. It summarises themes widely discussed by press and by employees to extract practical lessons for HR and Reward leaders.

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It’s been almost a year since we started our experience management journey at Lloyds Banking Group; it’s becoming our design system for CX. We’re about to scale it, so I thought I would reflect on what we’ve learnt over these last 12 months. 1. Your experience hierarchy and journey framework are the backbone of your system. It is the shell that structures experiences at different levels across customer types, products, and channels. You won’t see results until everyone can embrace it. 2. Your hierarchy and framework must work on paper, on a digital whiteboard, and in sophisticated software. There cannot be barriers to entry. 3. This system turns journeys into data products that require structured inputs (like OKRs, analytics, quant and qual research), and structured outputs (like opportunities, propositional bets, and solutions). 4. This, in turn, invites your whole company to align on how you structure and classify metrics, research, opportunities, and solutions cohesively. This is a hard task at enterprise level. 5. This system isn’t a design thing or a CX thing; it’s a real-time outside-in view of how your business is serving customers. It only sticks if product, design, engineering, marketing, operations, etc., all embrace it. This takes a hell of a lot of storytelling and pitching. 6. You can see and feel results such as reduction of siloes and duplication, more efficient delegation of backlog items, and faster design-to-delivery cycles after (approx) 10 end-to-end journeys go live. The language and way of working becomes a domino effect across the organisation, at all levels. 7. This opens the door to conversations about journey-centric operating models— what would that look like, and what would it take? 8. Like a design system, it needs a governance model (and a core team) to create, maintain, and remove components.

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We talk a lot about the “design process,” but at enterprise scale, processes aren’t enough. What we really need are Enterprise Design Requirements (EDRs). EDRs define what “good” and “done” look like across journeys, UI, content, accessibility, AI behaviour, and handover, giving leaders confidence that design is consistent, compliant, and ready for build. I unpack how EDRs connect to design frameworks, principles, and design systems in my new Medium article. If you’re leading design, product, engineering, or AI teams, this one’s worth a read. 👉 https://lnkd.in/dZXB2aZr #DesignSystems #DesignLeadership #EnterpriseUX #AIDesign #DesignOps #UXStrategy

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The Future of Banking: Built on Empathy, Not Just Code I recently watched an interview with TS Anil, CEO of Monzo, and it completely reframed my perspective on the future of our industry. It was a masterclass in how to think about innovation, and he made a powerful point: the biggest barriers to progress aren't technological—they're cultural. He spoke with incredible clarity about the challenges holding many traditional banks back: Legacy banks often prioritize defending old business models over embracing truly disruptive innovation. Endless stakeholder meetings and organizational inertia create a culture of stagnation, killing momentum for meaningful transformation. Many incumbents are afraid to cannibalize their historical revenue, which makes genuine, customer-first change nearly impossible. This cycle is frustrating, and it's something many of us have seen firsthand. But here’s what’s exciting: Monzo is tackling this from a completely different angle. Their entire mission is built on a single, powerful question: “How do we put better tools in our customers’ hands, so they make better choices and feel less anxiety about their money?” This question is their North Star. Every decision, from engineering to design, is focused on making banking interfaces human, accessible, and genuinely supportive. It’s not about flashy features; it's about alleviating stress. Anil shared his vision for how this philosophy will shape the next decade of banking: Moving beyond generic alerts to tailored guidance that simplifies financial decisions. Imagine your bank helping you proactively navigate a big life change. This goes beyond a slick app. It's about building tools that actively reduce financial anxiety and put control back in the user’s hands. Leveraging an "always-on" feedback loop with a vocal, engaged community to build with users, not just for them. Ultimately, Anil predicts a future where your bank doesn’t feel like a faceless institution. It feels like a “best friend in your pocket”—a partner that nudges you supportively, adapts to your life goals, and genuinely has your back. The lesson for us all, whether in a legacy institution or a nimble startup, is profound: True banking innovation isn't just about the product; it's about empathy. It’s about empowering people to make smarter, less stressful choices with their money. The banks that remember the human on the other side of the screen will be the ones that win the future. https://lnkd.in/gFprViWy

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💷 Bank of England - new design notes for a potential digital pound 💷 Two design notes published today: 1️⃣ Product strategy: ➡️ Outlines the Bank of England's (BoE) emerging thinking on the product strategy for a potential digital pound. 2️⃣ Interoperability models for UK based payments: ➡️ Sets out the BoE’s emerging thinking on potential interoperability models for a digital pound. Today, we look at the first. Later this week, the second. 🔴 Product strategy Two primary motivations in considering a digital pound: ✅ Preserving the singleness of money (all forms of sterling money are valued equally and interchangeable with each other). ✅ Supporting innovation, choice and efficiency across the UK payments system. These guide the BoE’s work during the design phase. In the proposed public-private platform model: 👉 BoE operates the core ledger 👉 regulated private firms deliver user-facing services ➡️ Initial product strategy would focus on enabling intermediaries to deliver a compelling proposition for individuals. ➡️ Individuals are the primary focus in early stages, but merchant readiness at launch is also necessary. ➡️ Intermediaries (not BoE) would design and provide the digital pound ‘product’ to their customers (individuals and businesses). ➡️ BoE, through its design choices, would enable intermediaries to offer services that meet individual and business needs and provide value.  ➡️ Payment interface providers (PIPs) would design the product. Each stage of the product roadmap would prioritise intermediaries delivering a specific set of capabilities for digital pound end-users, with each creating new digital pound use case possibilities. BoE has used a high-level, three-stage structure to reflect its product strategy – Initial, Near and Later. But before then, there would be preparations to ensure a functioning digital pound ecosystem at launch.  This would involve: ✔️ pilot testing of product features ✔️ securing participation from intermediaries and businesses ✔️ setting expectations to the public Then, the ✳️ Initial ✳️ stage would involve a nationwide launch of a digital pound and extend for a period afterwards (e.g. up to two years). The primary focus would be the product proposition for individuals. The ✳️ Near ✳️ stage would be significantly longer, with more capabilities enabled, some specifically targeted at improving the business proposition. By the end of this stage, the digital pound should be well positioned to deliver on the core policy motivations. The ✳️ Later ✳️ stage would ensure the digital pound product continues towards the BoE’s vision, remaining adaptable to feedback from ecosystem participants, emerging technologies, and new payment trends, and continuing to support the core policy motivations. 💡 The vision?  A future state of the world where a digital pound is used and the BoE is delivering on its core policy motivations. Thoughts? 👇 #BankofEngland #cbdc #payments

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The Future of Banking: Human, Helpful, and Proactive This recent interview with Monzo Bank’s CEO was both truly insightful and highly pragmatic. If you’re a banker or fintech professional passionate about building the digital bank of the future, this insight is a must-watch. He highlighted some major challenges facing traditional banking: → Legacy banks often protect their old business models instead of embracing true innovation. → Organisational inertia and “stakeholder management” slow down meaningful transformation. → Incumbents avoid bold action that might disrupt their historical business, making meaningful change almost impossible. Monzo is tackling this differently: → Their mission: “How do we put better tools in customers’ hands, so they make better choices and feel less anxiety?” → Design and technology focus on making banking interfaces human, accessible, and supportive. Monzo’s CEO shared how banking can evolve: → AI & Personalisation: Tailoring tools and guidance to make decisions simpler. → Customer-Centric Design: Putting better tools in customers’ hands to reduce financial anxiety. → Community-Driven: An “always-on” feedback loop with a vocal, engaged user community. TS Anils predicts a future where your bank feels less like a faceless institution and more like a “best mate in your pocket”—nudging, supporting, and adapting to your life goals. The lesson? Banking innovation isn’t just about products—it’s about empathy, design, and empowering people to make smarter choices. #Banking #FinTech #Innovation #CustomerExperience #DesignThinking #Monzo https://lnkd.in/eBrt_RYN

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Monzo Bank is catching the investment wave and quietly preparing for its next chapter. The UK neobank is reportedly exploring a private share sale, allowing existing investors and employees to sell shares to new backers. It’s not about raising fresh cash. It’s about signaling confidence, unlocking liquidity, and setting the stage for what comes next. The highlights of such a move: ✨ It gives Monzo flexibility without dilution. A secondary sale lets the company test investor appetite and benchmark its valuation ahead of a potential IPO. ✨ It strengthens trust and talent retention. Liquidity events like this reward early employees and keep top talent motivated. ✨ It attracts strategic investors who could accelerate Monzo’s global ambitions, including its long-term plans for expansion in the US. But this move also sends a deeper message. Monzo is no longer just a UK challenger bank. It’s evolving into a global fintech player, one balancing growth, profitability, and compliance maturity after a record year of revenues surpassing one billion pounds. For users, this could mean: ✅ More innovative features and product investments ✅ A stronger and more stable partner as it scales internationally ✅ Access to new markets and currencies through future expansion The challenge? Maintaining the same user experience, transparency, and community-driven brand that made people fall in love with Monzo in the first place. #Fintech #DigitalBanking #Monzo #Innovation #Investments #FutureOfFinance

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