Leadership
What I’ve learned since 2017 building and running design teams: hiring and growing designers, dealing with stakeholders and org politics, and so on.
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Hey, designers (and their managers), let’s talk about power in your org
A field guide to navigating power and doing what’s right for thousands of users, even when your stakeholders aren’t on board.
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My 5 bitter lessons as a senior design manager
Part III of my “Lessons” series. Waiting for higher-ups vs. stepping on their toes, promises you can’t keep, pet projects, ask-me-anything onboarding, and a manager’s routine.
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How to bring value as a design leader without getting hands-on
When I stopped designing, I feared my value went with it. But real design leadership is driving change. Here’s how to get started.
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Hold on, but should design managers design…?
There’s no single job description for a design manager. I analyze three profiles on a spectrum from a hands-on design guru to a full-time people leader, and explain why a company may need one of them.
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My other 5 bitter lessons as a design manager
Part II of my “Lessons” series. Great traits and their unwanted companions, company culture is what people do, senior designers don’t grow in greenhouses, and what the team asks for isn’t always what it needs.
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My 5 bitter lessons as a design manager
Part I of my “Lessons” series. You can’t be nice to everyone, “I’m alright” often means the opposite, your former peers aren’t your buddies, and rockstars bring their own trouble.