The Irreplaceable Designer
Build influence, make better decisions, and become harder to replace
Great designers don’t just create great work. They know how to get people behind it.
If your ideas are being overlooked, challenged, watered down, or struggling to get buy-in, this course will help you communicate your thinking, influence decisions, and connect your design work to what the business actually cares about.
You will learn how to:
👉 Present your ideas with confidence and clarity
👉 Get stakeholders aligned around better decisions
👉 Turn design thinking into clear business value
👉 Build the credibility to become a trusted voice in the room
💸 Government Funding & Design Skillnet subsidy available, including support for jobseekers and a 25% Design Skillnet subsidy.
Next round kick-off
November 6, 2026
Limited to 8 participants
Applications for next cohort open until
November 5, 2026
Fee
€225.00* – with Design Skillnet funding for IDI Member (25% subsidy applied)
€300.00* – Standard price
Mid to Senior
Skill level
1 day, in person
Duration
min 1 year
Experience
Dublin 4
Location
Being a good designer is no longer enough.
✔️ You can do the research.
✔️ You can create the flows.
✔️ You can build the prototype.
But when the room gets difficult, different skills become important.
❓ Can you understand what your stakeholder actually cares about?
❓ Can you connect your UX work to a business outcome?
❓ Can you make a clear recommendation?
❓ Can you handle pushback without losing your position?
The designers who become difficult to replace are not necessarily the ones who produce the most work, but the ones who help the organisation make better decisions.
BEFORE
- “Here is the design.”
- “Users told us…”
- “I think we should…”
- Defending the work.
- Trying to get buy‑in.
- Talking about UX.
AFTER
- “Here is the decision we need to make.”
- “Here is why this matters.”
- “Based on the evidence, I recommend…”
- Explaining the trade‑off.
- Helping the room decide.
- Connecting UX to outcomes.
This is not a workshop where you sit and take notes.
You will work, interact and present.
Read the room
Know who matters and what they care about.
Land your work
Build a business case with the UX KPI Tree and Decision Tree.
Hold your ground
Push back with confidence. Keep the relationship intact.
Leave with a plan
Three changes. One deadline. Someone holding you accountable.
HOW IT WORKS
The journey from UX practitioner to strategic influence
1 day | 6 modules | 4 tools you can use straight away
Every module has a short input, a real exercise, and peer feedback.
You leave with skills you have actually practised, not just heard about.
Read the room, who actually holds the decision, what they care about, and what will make them say yes or no:
- Map the stakeholders in the room
- What they care about
- Who the real decision maker is
- What objections you are likely to face before you walk in
Learn to connect UX work to measurable product and business outcomes instead of talking only about screens, features or usability.
You’ll learn the 3-Level KPI Tree:
- Business Metric ➔ Product Metric ➔ User Behaviour
Build a structure that turns research and evidence into a clear, defensible recommendation.
You’ll learn how to use the 5-Level Decision Tree framework:
- Problem ➔ Evidence ➔ Options ➔ Value ➔ Validate
Learn to lead with the point, make your recommendation explicit, communicate with authority and structure the conversation around the decision rather than simply presenting design work.
- Get comfortable in front of a room.
- Handle difficult questions.
- You will pitch a real recommendation to the room and get direct feedback.
When someone challenges the work, the instinct is to defend it. There is a better response, and it is a skill you can practise.
- Defend your work without getting defensive.
- Push back on bad decisions without damaging the relationship.
- Practise the three most common difficult UX scenarios.
Turn the workshop into a behaviour change rather than a collection of notes. You choose what you will change, when you will do it and who will help you follow through.
- 1 thing you are stopping,
- 1 thing you are changing next week
- 1 stakeholder relationship you are actively working on.
You leave with 4 tools in your hand, ready to be used on Monday.
- Stakeholder Mapping Toolkit
- UX KPI Tree
- UX Tree Decision Framework
- Difficult Conversations Playbook
“I recently took the Irreplaceable Designer course with UX tree. It’s a really interesting and essential course that every designer must take. The course is meticulously designed and based on what designers deal with in real life working at the job. It was extremely engaging and had great takeaways!!”
– Isha Kulkarni, Senior UX Designer at The Friday Agency
“The Irreplaceable Designer is a great workshop opportunity for anyone looking to work on soft skills like presentation, stakeholder engagement and making informed design decisions. Would highly recommend.“
– Dylan Reilly, UX Designer at Each & Other
Our graduates work in companies such as
You will learn from
Valentina Antunovic
Founder & CEO at UX Tree
Summary
- 10+ years of experience
- MSc in UX Design
- Based in Dublin, Ireland
- Founder, 2021
Top Skills
- Feedback and Critique Skills
- UX Research
- Project Management Guidance
- Industry Knowledge and Experience
Why I created The Irreplaceable Designer
“I have seen too many strong designers lose influence, not because their UX was weak, but because they were not equipped for the conversations surrounding the work.
Over years of running UX mentorship and workshops at UX Tree, the same pattern kept showing up: the designers who advanced were not always the most technically skilled. They were the ones who could read a room, connect their work to what leadership cared about, and hold their ground under pressure.
This workshop teaches that, directly and practically.
With support from Design Skillnet, I created this workshop to help designers build the skills that drive real career growth and impact.”
– Valentina, Founder
Why this workshop?
This course teaches UX designers how to turn good design work into decisions that get approved.
Not how to design better, but how to get already-good design work through a room of people who don’t think like designers and don’t automatically trust it.
UX Tree & Design Skillnet
Design Skillnet subsidy
How is the co-funding from Design Skillnet allocated?
Co-funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to successful, eligible applicants. For more detailed information, please check the Design Skillnet website.
What if I am not a member of any of the eligible organisations but want to apply for co-funding?
If you are not a member, you should email info@idi-design.ie to find out how to join the IDI.
Who funds Design Skillnet?
Design Skillnet is co-funded by Skillnet Ireland and network companies.
Skillnet Ireland is funded from the National Training Fund and the European Union through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
Who is eligible for this co-funding?
To be eligible for this co-funding, you must be a member of one of the following organisations: IDI (Institute of Designers in Ireland), ICAD (Institute of Creative Advertising and Design), IAPI (Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland), or 100 Archive.
Is there a special membership option for recent graduates?
Yes, if you have graduated within the last three years, you can get started with a special €30 graduate membership with IDI.
What is the cost of a standard IDI membership for non-recent graduates?
The standard/full (non-graduate) membership of IDI costs €197 per annum, plus a one-off €50 application fee.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Our FAQs provide quick, easy answers to the most common questions about our products and services, helping you find the information you need without hassle
Yes. This workshop is designed specifically for people currently working in product design, UX, UI, or design management who want to sharpen their communication skills and stakeholder influence on real projects.
It’s tailored for mid-level designers, senior designers, and design leads. If you are actively dealing with stakeholders, presenting work to leadership, and want to build business credibility so you’re not treated like an order-taker, this course is for you.
Full refunds are available up to 7 days before the workshop. Within 10 days, your place can be transferred to another person or held as credit toward a future UX Tree workshop.
Yes! Upon completion, you’ll receive a UX Tree certificate, which you can showcase on your LinkedIn and portfolio.
Your UX work is only as influential as your ability to move the conversation forward.
Become the designer people want in the room when the decision is being made.
Discuss your payment options
Got questions?
We’re here to help! Contact us at +353871607207 or ask below.
Product reviews
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The Irreplaceable Designer is a great workshop opportunity for anyone looking to work on soft skills like presentation, stakeholder engagement and making informed design decisions.
Would highly recommend.
UX Designer at Each & Other
I recently took the Irreplaceable Designer course with UX tree. It’s a really interesting and essential course that every designer must take. The course is meticulously designed and based on what designers deal with in real life working at the job. It was extremely engaging and had great takeaways!!
Senior UX Designer at The Friday Agency