The WiCX 2026

Manifesto

Responsible CX by Design

Customer experience is shaping the future of business — whether we design it intentionally or not.

Every journey, system, and interaction reflects a set of choices. Choices about who we design for. What we prioritise. And what outcomes we’re willing to accept.

In 2026, Women in CX is taking a clear position.

We believe the future of customer experience must be Responsible CX by Design — led with intent, shaped through thoughtful design, and owned by leaders willing to take accountability for the experiences they put into the world.

Why this matters now

Across industries, customer experience has become more complex, more automated, and more visible than ever before.

Yet too often, we see:

  • Experience designed around internal efficiency rather than real human needs

  • Technology introduced faster than experiences are redesigned

  • Limited testing, learning, and iteration before scaling technology

  • CX leaders accountable for outcomes without the authority to influence systems

  • Short-term wins prioritised over long-term trust

  • Insufficient change management for the employees expected to deliver these experiences

The result is fragmented experiences, rising customer effort, and teams under pressure to deliver impact inside broken models.

This is not a failure of ambition. It is a failure of design — and leadership.

What Responsible CX by Design means to us

Responsible CX by Design means designing experiences deliberately, with a clear understanding of their impact.

It means:

  • Designing end-to-end experiences, not just isolated touchpoints

  • Balancing commercial outcomes with human outcomes

  • Considering customers, employees, partners, and society — together

  • Making responsibility a core design principle, not a compliance exercise

Responsible CX is not about being perfect. It is about being intentional, transparent, and accountable for the experiences we create and scale.

Design and leadership go hand in hand

Good CX design does not happen in isolation.

It requires leadership that:

  • Creates the conditions for good design to succeed

  • Aligns teams around shared outcomes, not competing metrics

  • Questions existing models, even when they feel comfortable

  • Takes responsibility for the downstream impact of decisions

In 2026, WiCX is focusing on design and leadership because sustainable customer experience depends on both.

Design shapes the experience.

Leadership determines whether it is allowed to succeed.

A responsible approach to technology

Technology — including AI — is now a defining force in customer experience.

Used well, it can reduce friction, improve accessibility, and unlock insight.

Used poorly, it can scale bias, complexity, and poor design at speed.

At WiCX, we believe technology should support good design, not replace it.

Responsible CX by Design means:

  • Redesigning experiences before automating them

  • Ensuring transparency, governance, and human oversight

Measuring success by outcomes achieved, not tools deployed.

What this means for Women in CX

This manifesto guides everything we do at Women in CX.

It shapes:

  • The conversations we host

  • The events we design

  • The partners and sponsors we work with

  • The leaders and voices we amplify

We create spaces that prioritise participation over performance, learning over hype, and outcomes over optics.

We believe better customer experience comes from better decisions, made by diverse, confident leaders who understand the responsibility they carry.

An open invitation

This manifesto is a statement of intent — and an invitation.

To CX practitioners, experience designers, contact centre operators, customer success leaders, product developers, vendors and executive leaders who believe customer experience can deliver better business outcomes and better human outcomes.

To organisations ready to move beyond surface-level metrics and take responsibility for the systems they design.

To partners who value long-term impact over short-term exposure.

Responsible CX by Design is not a trend. It is a commitment.

And in 2026, Women in CX is proud to lead this conversation — with design, leadership, and responsibility at the centre.

Be part of the movement

Responsible CX by Design doesn’t happen by accident.

It happens when people come together to challenge assumptions, share responsibility, and design better experiences — collectively.

There are many ways to get involved…

👉 Join the Movement, get our newsletter for manifesto updates, free webinars, events, and thought leadership shaping the future of customer experience

👉 Become an Inner Circle Member, where women in CX move from insight to influence through collaboration, contribution, and collective leadership

👉 Attend WiCX Events or UnConferences, participatory, agenda-shaping experiences where you don’t just listen, you help design what comes next for CX

👉 Work with WiCX through partnerships, sponsorships, and co-created programmes that align purpose, leadership, and long-term business value

You don’t need a title to take part.

You don’t need to have all the answers.

If you believe customer experience should deliver better outcomes — for customers, employees, businesses, and the people designing and delivering them — there is a place for you here.

This is Responsible CX by Design.

This is the WiCX movement for human-centred business.