Evolving Expectations in Design Roles: Skills and Communication

This chapter explores the shifting expectations for design professionals, emphasizing the need for a diverse skill set that includes business insights and effective communication. It underscores the importance of demonstrating impact and storytelling in pitching ideas, alongside the necessity for confidence during interviews.

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Ioana and Lena explore the design market for 2024-2025, highlighting key trends, in-demand skills, and insights to help you navigate and thrive in this dynamic industry.

This episode was recorded in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wix Studio.⁠

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In this episode:

0:59 Episode starts

1:54 Wix Sponsorship

4:46 How did Lena get into recruitment, and what’s her background?

9:17 What’s the current state of the design industry?

17:06 Are specialized roles still relevant?

19:23 In light of economic downturns and layoffs, why are job openings showing signs of recovery?

26:20 What does this mean for aspiring designers? Is pursuing a UX career still viable for newcomers?

32:34 What skill sets are hiring managers prioritizing in 2025? Are technical skills being overshadowed by AI?

39:46 What advice can you share about storytelling and pitching, and where can people find freelance opportunities?

45:41 How can listeners connect with you?

About the guest:

Lena Kul is a Recruitment & Job Search Advisor, recently she founded /kuːl/ - Boutique Recruitment & Job Search Advising agency.
With years of experience scaling Product Design and UXR teams in demanding, designer-driven hyper-growth environments, she has successfully hired dozens of talented individuals from FAANG companies and other renowned organizations, including Spotify, Zendesk, Shopify, and Booking. com
She is offering a range of tailored advising services designed to support companies in their growth, and career development of job seekers in Product Design and UX Research. She also has a course Master Your Product Design and UX Research Job Search

Check out Lena's website and articles.

Lena's Five newsletter

Lena's course "Product Design Career Accelerator: Navigate Your Next Career Step"

Check out these links:

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