Design Life

In this episode of Design Life we chat about managing the split between IC work and being a manager and how we balance the responsibilities of both in our day to day work.

Are you an inexperienced designer if you don't name your layers? In our first episode of 2023 we discuss this question and why gatekeeping like this within the industry holds designers back.

In our last episode of 2022, we share our thoughts on the state of the design industry.

Planning your side projects for 2023? If you're thinking of expanding or starting a side project over the next 12 months we hope you find value in this episode as we share our plans and ideas for 2023.

It's that time of year again, time to start the annual planning for 2023. As a design lead in the tech industry, it can be difficult to know how to bring your team together to share their ideas or where to start with the planning so in this episode we share how we're tackling annual planning with collaboration in mind.

Trying to make the move from designer to manager? In this episode we chat about how to make your portfolio presentation speak for itself.

Building relationships with your colleagues at works takes time and patience. This week on the podcast we answer a listener question about how we've built strong relationships within our teams, both remotely and in person.

A real look into today's design interview process, what is it like trying to get a job in this economy?

On Design Life we like to talk openly about money when we can, including our annual income reports! This time it's Charli's turn.

Femke quit her job! After a year in her current role Femke is moving on to an exciting new opportunity. Listen to a deep dive into the thought process and the practical steps involved in the move.

News of Figma being acquired by Adobe has everyone talking, today on Design Life we share our thoughts on what this means for one of our most used design tools.

Getting buy in to help build design team culture can be difficult - this week we answer a listener question about how to create opportunities which promote design education for your team and foster a great design culture, on a budget.

Today on Design Life we answer a listener question about all the asynchronous communication methods we use at work.

This week on the podcast we're answering a very wholesome listener question, what makes a good manager and how can an IC help support a new manager to do their best?

Do you use six week cycles where you work? Today we're gonna talk about this way of breaking up work throughout the year which we recently discovered we both use in our companies.

In this episode we chat about Charli’s recent sabbatical, the preparations involved beforehand and what elements from the month have become part of a new daily routine.

Femke recently shipped a new design system and today on Design Life we are discussing the highs and lows of taking on such a project!

Listen to the Honest UX Talks episodeFollow Honest UX Talks:🗂 instagram.com/honest_ux_talks👩‍💻 instagram.com/anfisign👩🏻‍💻 instagram.com/uxgoodies

This week on Design Life we chat specifically about collaborating with designers of a different level. Maybe you’re a junior designer collaborating with a senior designer for the first time or vice versa, we discuss which skills you need to make collaboration seamless.

How can you make the most of a design audit? Keep consistency in mind, improve popular assets and implement recommendations.

Today we are chatting about a topic very near and dear to our hearts, the pay gap between marketing/brand designers and product designers. What is causing the gap and how can we work towards closing it?

It might feel like vibe is the word of the year at the moment, and with good reason as the vibe in design is shifting again. Who are the companies shaping design this year and how do we stay up to date without following trends? Listen to this episode of Design Life to find out!

Boundaries are really important, and they've become even more important as more of us are working from home. This week on Design Life we chat about the boundaries we set in our jobs and how we share them with our teams and managers.

In this episode of Design Life we chat about why you should care about performance reviews even when they aren’t related to a bonus or pay rise and how to get the most out of them whether you are an employee or a manager.

Improving your writing skills can help your career in lots of different ways, from increasing your confidence to helping you to create memorable presentations. In this episode of Design Life we chat about creating writing procedures and using inspiration when it strikes to help your writing stand out.

In this episode we’re tackling a listener question, from a designer starting a new job and feeling like they’re starting from scratch again! We share what we've learned from starting new jobs, settling into a new team and how to have a productive first few weeks in your new role while finding your feet.

This week on Design Life we answer a listener question, what the heck are MVPs (and how to do them well). We chat about the benefits, the disadvantages and the questions to ask your team so you can make the best product possible without creating design or technical debt.

Today we’re chatting about monetising side projects with our guest, Sara Brunettini. Sara is a Youtuber, product designer and all round wonderful person. We share our experience of monetising our side projects, what's worked for us, what hasn’t and what we’ve learned along the way.

Keeping up with trends while maintaining a full time job is a challenge all designers face, but what should you do if you’re worried that the latest trend will quickly become essential to your role? There is a lot of talk within the design community about Web3, listen to find out how NFTs and Web3 are being viewed by two people outside the community.

The design interview process needs to change. Time consuming take home assignments and whiteboard challenges are the norm, can the interview process be simplified to benefit both designers and employers?

Need advice about dealing with conflict at work? Today we’re answering a listener question about a sticky work place situation, an experience we are all likely to have during our career.

You might not always be able to choose your projects but there are ways to advocate for the types of projects you would like best. In this episode we share how we choose which projects we take on at work.

When it comes to organizing your files, it is less about the tool itself and more about everyone in the team being on the same page. On Design Life this week we answer a listener question about how to organize your design files and work spaces to simplify remote collaboration.

Understanding business metrics and how your work helps achieve company goals can be a very useful skill to have as a designer. Not sure where to start? This episode of Design Life is a good place as we share how being curious about our companies helped us to progress in our careers.

Today On Design Life we’re talking all about Design Systems. We share our struggles and triumphs, and what you need to know if you're creating a design system for the first time.

What is the difference between a Junior and a Senior designer? Don’t they essentially do the same job? This week on Design Life we chat about moving up a level in your career and why it means more than just completing the same tasks and responsibilities.

How is your design team structured? Today on Design Life we answer an email from a listener about team structure, why our team structure works best for us and how other companies (like Dropbox!) organise their teams.

As is tradition now on the Design Life podcast, we spend our first episode of 2022 talking about our goals, plans and dreams for the year ahead.

In our last episode of 2021 we reflect on our growth as designers this year.

Juggling multiple priorities at work is a skill that will be useful during your design career, when you find yourself working on more than one project at the same time. We've had plenty of opportunities to practice this skill and in this episode we share how we prioritise, say no (sometimes!) and still create our best work.

How does where you live impact you as a designer? On this episode of Design Life we chat about where we have felt most inspired and most welcome in the design community.

There's a lot to consider when you’re starting a new side hustle! Listen to our chat about committing to new side hustles, inspired by the launch of Femke’s design community.

Today we’re talking about pace. The more experience we have, the quicker and more efficient we become. We chat about why this happens and how to increase pace without sacrificing quality.

In this week’s episode of Design Life we answer a listener question - Do you NEED to do research before you design? (Maybe not!) We also talk about building a research culture where you work and what defines ‘good’ design.

After 4 years at Uber, Femke has recently started a new job at Wealthsimple. In this episode of Design Life we chat about how to figure out when is the right time to start a new job, making and maintaining contacts and negotiating good terms.

Welcome back to the Design Life podcast! In our first episode back after the summer break, we chat about how we spent our time off, our summer trips and look ahead to our end of year goals.

Today on Design Life we discuss our side hustle income stream growth from the past twelve months and the investment we make into content creation to fuel our personal brands.

As a designer, your skillset is always growing and there is always more to learn. In this episode of Design Life we share how we find new opportunities to learn and what we’re learning next.

Today on Design Life we answer another listener question, this time about self awareness as a designer. Our listener wants to know how to build and improve upon self awareness in a design role - asking a question like this in itself shows self awareness! Reflecting on and understanding our strengths and weaknesses is a big part of being a great designer and in this episode we chat about how we are cultivating the skill of self awareness as we progress in our design careers.

Today on Design Life we answer a listener’s question about decision making as a creative lead and how to find the balance between being decisive, seeking help and leading your team with confidence.