Most businesses focus on the start and middle of the customer journey, leaving the ending to chance. Joe Macleod is a globally recognised keynote speaker and author of Ends and Endineering. He helps organisations move beyond messy, accidental exits to design endings that protect brand equity and build lasting customer trust.

Joe’s talks challenge audiences to look beyond the excitement of purchase and usage to ask the critical question: "How does it end?

Speaking & Keynotes

Core Keynote Themes

  • Innovation & Strategy: Brand equity, customer growth, and new market opportunities. Systematic Abandonment, ROI of Ends.

  • Design & UX: Proprietary tools for building balanced, friction-aware off-boarding. Ending Types, Peak-End Rule, Dark Patterns, Phases of the End.

  • Customer Experience: Maximizing long-term sentiment and managing the "Remembering Self." CX Journey Economics, Sentiment Analysis.

  • Social & Historical Consumerism: Re-wiring our deep-seated relationship with consumption and responsibility. The End Gap, Consumer Split.

  • Digital Ethics: Protecting consumer privacy and designing ethical exits in the data economy. Data Deletion, European Digital Identity Wallet.

  • Circularity: Moving beyond material compliance to design the human role in product endings. Scope 3, Certification, Reverse Logistics.

  • Legal Compliance & EuroStack: Turning regulatory disruption into strategic design opportunities. GDPR, EU Digital Services Act (DSA), EuroStack, and the WEEE Directive.

Conference Keynotes

TEDx
IXDA (Global Events)
Circularity 25/23
NEXT Conference
Push UX
Service Design Network (SDN)
WebExpo

Company Keynotes

Microsoft
Google Deepmind
On Running
Booking.com
Volvo
Spotify
Ikea

Educational Keynotes

Royal College of Art (London)
Hyper Island
Berghs School of Communication
Design Council
Natural History Museum (London)
AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts)
California College of the Arts

Testimonials

“What an incredible talk. Very powerful and so much in it to take away and think about and so many things to apply!”

“This was the kind of talk that you keep thinking about for the days and weeks after. It’s already sparked discussions within the team”

“…without doubt the most entertaining and thought provoking speaker I’ve seen in years. His Ends topic is arguably the most important yet sadly, rarely spoken about.”

“extremely interesting closing discussion around "ends". Huge opportunity to design ends for our customer service, no one does this well, could solve a lot of problems.”

“Fascinating stuff from @mrmacleod on our relationship with consumption. Consumer self vs civil self.”

Data from conference hosts, when asking attendees through surveys, found that the Endineering talk is often one of the most preferred talks at conferences.

Book Joe for Your Event

Commercial Events & Corporate Keynotes:
Please contact my agent Deborah Rey-Burns at Propela to discuss availability and fees.

Educational, or Non-Profit Events:
I offer a limited number of slots for educational institutions and non-profit groups to help spread the discipline of Endineering.
Get in touch: joe@andend.co

Industry examples of themes Joe covers.

Circularity

Companies concerned about Circularity should look at endings because consumers are key to closing the loop. Clear, rewarding end-of-use experiences turn passive disposal into active return—fueling trust, loyalty, and sustainable behaviour.
Read >this<

Automotive

Car companies should look at endings because the end of ownership is emotional and complex. Designing better farewells—like trade-ins or recycling—builds loyalty, reduces friction, and makes consumers feel supported, not abandoned.
Read >this<

Apparel

Apparel companies should look at endings because clothes carry identity and memories. When wardrobes change, consumers need guidance—repair, resale, or recycling. Thoughtful offboarding builds brand care, encourages sustainable choices, and deepens customer relationships.
Read >this<

Electronics

Electrical device companies should look at endings because disposal, repair, or upgrade moments shape how consumers remember the brand. Clear, empathetic offboarding prevents frustration and invites continued connection rather than abrupt disconnection.
Read >this<

Medical

Medical companies should look at endings because the conclusion of treatment or device use is deeply personal. Thoughtful offboarding supports recovery, ensures dignity, and strengthens patient trust in the care journey’s final stage.
Read > this <

Finance

Financial services companies should look at endings because closing accounts, loans, or policies can be confusing or emotional. A clear, respectful offboarding process reassures customers, reduces friction, and leaves a lasting impression of trust and care.
Read >this<