In 2019, I joined Elsevier as a Senior UX Designer. Within nine months, I was promoted to UX Lead, overseeing a distributed team across Dayton, New York, and Amsterdam.
By 2021, Elsevier had completed its relocation strategy. I was asked to build a brand-new UX team in Amsterdam from scratch — a challenge I took on together with UX Director Ingrid Halters. Around this time, I also became part of the Scopus management team, gaining a seat at the table for product strategy and cross-functional leadership.
It was a rare opportunity to shape a team, define our culture, streamline processes, and strengthen collaboration with product and tech — all while building meaningful user-centered experiences at scale.
Challenge
Transform design from support function to strategic partner, while building a UX team from the ground up in a complex, multi-location product org.
My role
As UX Lead and member of the Scopus management team, I was responsible for building and leading a multidisciplinary UX team from the ground up while shaping how design contributes to product strategy across the organization. My role combined hands-on design leadership with team coaching, cross-functional alignment, and culture-building.
I focused on four key areas that would lay the foundation for a high-performing, user-driven design practice:
Building a UX Team
I hired and onboarded a multidisciplinary team of 2 UX researchers, 5 designers, and 1 UX copywriter. Together with myself, we created a well-rounded group with diverse strengths. We mapped out our craft and culture values to ensure balance, clarity, and growth potential.
Creating a Design Culture
I introduced team rituals to support feedback, learning, and collaboration: weekly UX Week Starts, critiques, Design Jams, team retros, asynchronous Silent Critiques and Final Reviews, shared design principles, and hybrid-friendly knowledge sharing.
Establishing Scalable UX Practices
To improve consistency and accessibility across Scopus, I introduced a design system, moved the team from embedded squads to an initiative-based structure, and ensured every designer earned their yellow belt in accessibility.
Supporting Growth
I created a Career Track Document to clarify roles and growth paths. I fostered a feedback-rich environment influenced by Radical Candor, The Culture Map, Surrounded by Idiots, and more, encouraging honest, supportive conversations and personal development.
Strategic Impact
Our team wasn’t just executing — we were helping lead. We worked on a strategic initiative that redefined the role of design within Scopus, positioning design not as a service, but as a partner in product development.
By consistently advocating for users and their goals, we helped shift internal perception — from design as “nice to have” to design as essential to business success.
The Outcome
We built a stable, high-performing UX team with:
Low attrition, most team members stayed for multiple years
3 promotions, supporting career growth and internal mobility
Officevibe scores of 8.6 avg, reflecting strong team engagement and well-being
EOS scores above company average, signaling inclusivity and satisfaction
Team reflections
Joshua Koomen
Senior UX Designer
Scopus was where I truly leveled up — not just in craft, but in confidence. Bart created space for us to grow and lead.
Vlad Sorokin
Senior UX Designer
Bart brought the gang together. Our rituals, openness, and shared goals made it feel like a real team.
John Behrens
UX and Technical Writer
The vibe Bart set was both ambitious and safe. You could speak up, experiment, fail, and try again — and that made all the difference.
Mariia Ryzun
UX Researcher
This team taught me what true collaboration looks like. We didn’t just align, but we built each other up.
Remy Jacobi
Senior UX Designer
“Working on Scopus AI pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way. We weren't just building features — we were shaping the future of research.”
Marine Campanaro
UX Designer
From accessibility to system thinking, I learned more in one year here than in my last three combined.
Pedro Canelas
UX Designer
Being trusted with real ownership on critical projects made me feel like I mattered — and that what we designed actually changed something.