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 episode Follow 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.