Future London Academy took achievement badges to a whole new level. Participants unlocked leadership skills during their Design Leaders programme and received beautifully designed pins in a peer-to-peer ceremony.

1-year journey
The programme had 5 modules: Company, Product, Startup, Team and World – each covering various business and leadership topics including Business Strategy, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Investment, Legal, Team Culture, Sustainability and Leadership. By the end of each of the 5 modules, the cohort gets awarded a badge, celebrating a new set of skills they unlocked.

In June they are awarded the pin which says “Design Leader” – laying the foundation for everything that is to come in the next 4 modules

They were followed by an “Audacious Creator” pin in October to highlight their ability to build better products and services.

In January, the delegates travel to San Francisco for Module 3 to explore the startup and VC ecosystem and receive a “Changemaker” pin that marks their ability to make a real difference in a complicated world.

In March, the cohort dove into things that make a great team and receive a “Culture Shaper” pin.

And, after the last, 5th Module, which is all about impact and our planet the delegates are awarded with a “Global Thinker” pin.

The Award
When the journey is complete, all five shapes come together in one — forming the award which the alumni receive during the final ceremony together with their post-graduate title of Exponential Design Leaders (DLX).

Just like leadership is multifaceted, each side of the award has a different texture, corresponding with the shape of each pin, and symbolises alumni’s ability to redesign the future and make the world better through their humanity, products, teams, and companies.

The award is given during a spectacular Gala Ceremony that gathers some of the most brilliant minds from design, innovation, sustainability, psychology, politics, technology, and finance in the world.

Design Leaders programme is a 9‑week Executive Programme for creatives with 15+ years of experience broken down into 5 intensive modules in London and California.