
Design Better
Rewind: Vicki Tan: Learning from new voices
Aug 28, 2024
Vicki Tan, a talented designer and author currently at Pinterest, shares her fascinating journey through major companies like Lyft, Headspace, and Spotify. She discusses the impact of the pandemic on her work and the importance of taking sabbaticals for personal growth. Vicki emphasizes 'finding umami' to clarify a company's mission and reflects on the evolving dynamics of remote work and creativity. Additionally, she dives into the differences between management and individual design roles, advocating for a mission-oriented approach to success.
48:38
Episode guests
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Taking sabbaticals can rejuvenate designers, fostering creativity and fresh insights after time away from their work commitments.
- Vicky Tan emphasizes the need for aligning individual and organizational values with a core mission, advocating for ethical business practices over profit-driven motives.
Deep dives
The Importance of Sabbaticals for Designers
Taking sabbaticals can significantly benefit designers, allowing them to recharge and explore new perspectives. Vicky Tan highlights how these breaks can serve as a 'distributed retirement,' where individuals carve out time during their work years to rejuvenate and engage in personal projects. This practice not only helps in combating burnout but also fosters creativity; upon returning, designers can bring fresh insights and renewed energy to their roles. By recognizing that these pauses can lead to long-term dividends in innovation and inspiration, designers may find that stepping away temporarily can drastically improve their work life.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.