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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

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.

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