Design Life

This episode is sponsored by Playbook, which is a collaborative platform for creatives to store, organize, and share their work. It features AI-powered search and integrates seamlessly with design tools, making it a great space to manage all your files and projects. Join the "30 Days of 30 Projects" Challenge with Playbook to elevate your creative skills and unlock your full potential!In this episode, Femke and Charli share their goals for 2025, including how Femke plans to approach her return to work and engage with her new community as well as Charli's business aspirations, plans for YouTube videos and content creation, writing projects, and ideas for future books.Episode timestamps:0:37 Episode start1:35 Playbook sponsorship4:04 What was the first goal you wrote down?9:50 Femke’s new community13:36 Other goals on the list28:53 Hobby-related goalsLinks:Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflowFemke's new communityFemke’s course “Product strategy for designers”Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm‍

This episode is sponsored by Playbook, which is a collaborative platform for creatives to store, organize, and share their work. It features AI-powered search and integrates seamlessly with design tools, making it a great space to manage all your files and projects. Join the "30 Days of 30 Projects" Challenge with Playbook to elevate your creative skills and unlock your full potential!Femke and Charli engage in a conversation about the advantages of being a generalist versus a specialist, explore the various types of skill sets needed to future-proof your career, and discuss whether incorporating AI into your skill set is essential.Timestamps: 0:53 - Episode Begins1:43 - Playbook Sponsorship3:16 - Catching Up5:12 - What are the current expectations for skill sets in the design market?10:04 - As a designer, how do you feel about the trend of companies prioritizing shipping over pixel-perfect craftsmanship? Why do some companies address skill gaps by hiring specialists as freelancers?19:38 - What's your stance on specializing versus being a generalist? What changes have you made in your approach recently?20:43 - What constitutes reasonable expectations for a generalist? Is it about specific skills or broader responsibilities? What is a "V-shaped skill set"?22:43 - How do you view the role of AI in future-proofing your career?26:26 - Any advice on how to effectively broaden your skill set? Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflowFemke’s course “Product strategy for designers”Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm

This episode is sponsored by Playbook, which is a collaborative platform for creatives to store, organize, and share their work. It features AI-powered search and integrates seamlessly with design tools, making it a great space to manage all your files and projects. Join the "30 Days of 30 Projects" Challenge with Playbook to elevate your creative skills and unlock your full potential!In this episode, Femke and Charli discuss design maturity within organizations, the importance of establishing a strong design culture, practical advice for implementing changes, and personal experiences of integrating new design practices in the workplace.Time stamps:0:49 - Introduction1:23 - Playbook Sponsorship3:07 - Catch-Up6:58 - How would you describe the design culture of the places you have worked at so far?9:21 - What about experience with less mature design companies? How can I evaluate my company's design maturity?16:15 - Is there a right time to establish design culture and maturity within an organization?19:57 - Do you have any advice on implementing changes towards better design practices?21:49 - Have you introduced any new practices or changes to workflows since joining your current workplace?Episode Links: Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflowFemke’s course “Product strategy for designers”Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm‍

Dive into the transition from individual contributor to design manager, exploring essential management skills. The hosts share personal journeys through training, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and adaptability. They recommend key management literature and discuss the benefits of coaching in navigating team dynamics. Discover the value of specialized training tailored for design leadership and how ongoing learning shapes successful management careers. Get inspired to unlock your full potential in the creative industry!

This episode is sponsored by Playbook, which is a collaborative platform for creatives to store, organize, and share their work. It features AI-powered search and integrates seamlessly with design tools, making it a great space to manage all your files and projects. Join the "30 Days of 30 Projects" Challenge with Playbook to elevate your creative skills and unlock your full potential!In this live Q&A session, Femke and Charli dive into key topics for designers, including staying relevant in the industry, navigating stakeholder misalignment, making career moves, and the challenges and rewards of building a design culture as a founding designer.0:38 Episode start and catch up04:39 Playbook sponsorship06:43 Q1: How do you stay cool and relevant for 9 years in the design industry?08:30 Q2: When stakeholders are misaligned in product leadership, should a designer check in with the project manager to ensure alignment at the team level? Should designers step beyond the technical scope of their role to address misalignment?13:22 Q3: What does it feel like to be a founding designer and how can you create a design culture?15:48 Q4: How do you start a new role after ending on a low note at a previous company?18:04 Q5: What’s the difference between a visual designer and a UI designer?22:20 Q6: What were your sources of inspiration for shaping the new creative direction for Kit?24:04 Follow up on the founding designer question25:17 Q7: How do you view the current job market? Is it important to base career moves on company name recognition, or should you prioritize skills and experience over past employers?30:08 Q8: How can you make your growth plan more actionable and trackable, especially when discussing career progression with your manager?33:40 Q9: What advice do you have for someone hiring and leading a design team for the first time?38:38 Q10: What are the main lessons you’ve learned from doing the podcast and sharing your career journey? Has the podcast contributed to your design thinking and overall creative self-development?Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflowFemke’s course “Product strategy for designers”Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm‍

This episode is sponsored by Playbook, which is a collaborative platform for creatives to store, organize, and share their work. It features AI-powered search and integrates seamlessly with design tools, making it a great space to manage all your files and projects. Join the "30 Days of 30 Projects" Challenge with Playbook to elevate your creative skills and unlock your full potential!Charli and Femke explore the challenges and best practices in cross-functional collaboration, including navigating role overlaps, planning for future initiatives, understanding how other teams work, leading effective meetings, and how cross-functional feedback fits into performance reviews.Timestamps:0:33 Episode introduction1:20 Playbook sponsorship3:36 Cross-functional collaboration: who are your daily collaborators, and what roles do they play in your projects?5:37 Navigating overlapping responsibilities: how to understand roles across disciplines7:34 Charlie’s planning for 202513:38 Successful cross-functional partnerships: key elements for building strong relationships17:06 Building context on other teams: how to start understanding their roles and processes20:33 Approaching cross-functional meetings24:22 The role of cross-functional feedback in performance reviews: is it valued differently than feedback from your own discipline?27:24 Homework for listeners28:12 Special live event announcementLinks:Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflowSign up for Charli and Femke's live event on November 1st at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm CET Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm

Femke and Charli dive into the experience of rebranding ConvertKit into Kit. Charli shares a behind-the-scenes look at launch day and the rebranding process, including what didn’t make it into the final launch but is on the roadmap, as well as key lessons learned and what could have been done differently.Timestamps: 0:33 - Intro & Life Update3:32 - How did it feel when the rebrand was finally complete?5:26 - What was the public’s reaction? Walk us through the launch day—how did it unfold?9:33 - Reflecting on the yoga retreat...13:06 - How did the collaborating agency contribute to the launch? Or was it the Kit team handling the rollout?18:57 - Can you share the process behind the rebrand and the driving initiative?21:37 - What didn’t make it into this launch but is on the to-do list?22:00 - Lessons learned—what would you have done differently throughout the process?Show links: Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm

Femke shares her experience navigating the challenges of parental leave, including her decision to take extended time off supported by her employer and Canadian government benefits. She reflects on the challenges of staying connected with the design industry while on parental leave and the potential motivations for returning to work earlier than planned. Femke also discusses how her perspective on work-life balance has evolved over time as she adjusts to her new routine.Timestamps:01:42 - Life updates from Charli and Femke05:16 - Deciding how much time to take off and Canadian parental leave benefits08:06 - Would you consider returning to work earlier than planned?09:34 - Employer reactions and typical leave duration at Femke's workplace12:41 - How Femke arranged her 18-month long maternity leave and differences in parental leave across countries15:56 - Reflections on being out of work for an extended period18:27 - Adjusting to maternity leave and staying disconnected from work20:18 - Staying updated on the design industry while on leaveLinks:Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm

Charli, a recent promotee, shares her personal journey and insights into professional growth. She stresses the importance of taking ownership of your career and proactively seeking feedback. Femke dives into her own promotion experiences, discussing the challenges of unmet expectations. Together, they explore strategic tactics for approaching promotions, when to bring them up, and utilizing tools like promotion matrices. Their candid conversation offers invaluable advice on self-advocacy and navigating the tricky waters of performance discussions.

Charli and Femke dive into their experiences working with freelancers and agencies in their side projects and day jobs. Charli shares the decision-making process behind choosing an agency for a recent rebrand at Convert Kit, the challenges they encountered, and how involved they were in the collaboration. The hosts also offer practical advice for anyone deciding whether to keep a project in-house or outsource it to freelancers or agencies.Show Timestamps: 0:46 - Episode introduction1:38 - Charli’s update3:04 - Femke’s update5:04 - Femke and Charli share their experiences working with freelancers and agencies in side projects and day jobs.8:26 - Why did you choose an agency for the rebrand Instead of a freelancer?10:56 - How did you select the right agency?12:38 - What did the collaboration with the agency look like?15:13 - Charli’s role and responsibility in the project16:05 - Femke and Charli discuss the challenges they faced when working with agencies and freelancers.17:59 - Freelancers and Initiative: what’s been your experience? How much direction do freelancers need?20:38 - What are the best ways to work with an agency?27:03 - Tips for deciding between outsourcing and in-house projectsShow Links: Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm