The Design Coach
Navigating the journty from IC to Leader (and beyond)
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The Designer’s Dilemma: Reframing “I’m OK, You’re Not OK”
The Designer’s Dilemma: Reframing “I’m OK, You’re Not OK”
As a design leadership coach, I’ve spent years helping talented designers navigate the messy, ambiguous world of business. One theme I keep…
Why Designers Sound Negative (And Why That’s a Good Thing)
Why Designers Sound Negative (And Why That’s a Good Thing)
In any fast-moving product team, there’s a familiar pattern. A confident roadmap is shared. Timelines are tight but “doable.” Enthusiasm is…
Design Leadership in the Age of AI: Seize the Narrative Before It’s Too Late
Design Leadership in the Age of AI: Seize the Narrative Before It’s Too Late
Design is changing. Fast.
Why So Many Designers Are Feeling Burnt Out Right Now
Why So Many Designers Are Feeling Burnt Out Right Now
Talk to any designer today and you’ll hear a similar story:
Why AI Interviews Could Be Bad News for Honest Designers
Why AI Interviews Could Be Bad News for Honest Designers
I recently watched a demo of a new AI-enabled recruitment tool. It used a synthetic avatar and voice to run a mock Zoom interview with a…
What Design Teams Can Learn from Air Traffic Control
What Design Teams Can Learn from Air Traffic Control
When pilots call up air traffic control (ATC), they don’t just announce their presence-they request a specific level of service based on…
Are You an Accidental Design Saboteur? (According to the CIA)
Are You an Accidental Design Saboteur? (According to the CIA)
As a design leadership coach, I work with a lot of incredibly thoughtful designers. They care deeply about their craft. They want to…
The Role of Design in an Increasingly Financialized Business Environment
The Role of Design in an Increasingly Financialized Business Environment
In recent years, businesses have become increasingly decoupled from traditional outcomes like profit, and many are now seen as financial…
Cultivating the Right Kind of Conflict
Cultivating the Right Kind of Conflict
The ability to share conflicting views about a situation or problem and still get on is a vital component of any high functioning team. It…
Dealing With Conflict Using the PLEASE Framework
Dealing With Conflict Using the PLEASE Framework
In my previous post I shared the idea that high functioning teams are comfortable with high levels of conflict, as long as it’s the right…
The Battle Between Shipping and Perfection: A Designer’s Dilemma
The Battle Between Shipping and Perfection: A Designer’s Dilemma
Designers, let’s talk about an uncomfortable truth. For many of us, the joy of our craft lies in creating work that is not just functional…
The Future of Design: How AI is Shifting Designers from Makers to Curators
The Future of Design: How AI is Shifting Designers from Makers to Curators
When we think about designers, two main characteristics often come to mind: craft skills and taste. Craft skills are the technical…
The Historical Context of UX, UI and Product Design
The Historical Context of UX, UI and Product Design
This morning I found myself writing a long response to a question somebody posted on a design leadership Slack about the difference between…
Move From “System One” to “System Two” Thinking When Making Product Decisions
Move From “System One” to “System Two” Thinking When Making Product Decisions
Every day people approach company leaders with problems in need of a quick fix. “The team is going to miss its deadline if we don’t do…
The End of Design As We Know It? How Automation and A.I. is changing the Face of Design Forever
The End of Design As We Know It? How Automation and A.I. is changing the Face of Design Forever
As the technology landscape continues to evolve, so does the field of design. The rise of industrialization and automation has led to a…
The Truth About Strategy
The Truth About Strategy
Most people massively over complicate the concept of “strategy”. Ultimately a strategy is the general approach you are going to take in…
Ghosting Candidates, Marathon Interviews and Zero Feedback: The Modern Recruitment Experience
Ghosting Candidates, Marathon Interviews and Zero Feedback: The Modern Recruitment Experience
There was a time, not so long ago, when you could expect a polite acknowledgement of a job application, an explanation of the process and…
Breaking into the speaker circuit
Breaking into the speaker circuit
First off, breaking into the speaker circuit can feel intimidating. If you look at the line up of most international conferences, they’re…
The Slow But Inevitable Demise of UX Design
The Slow But Inevitable Demise of UX Design
When I started Clearleft in 2005, we were arguably the first UX agency in the UK. Sure there were folks practicing various elements of User…
The Golden Age of UX may be over, but not for the reasons stated
The Golden Age of UX may be over, but not for the reasons stated
A few weeks ago an article entitled The Golden Age of UX is Over popped onto my RADAR, after causing a bit of a stir amongst the design…
The Industrialisation of Design (or why Silicon Valley no longer needs UX designers)
The Industrialisation of Design (or why Silicon Valley no longer needs UX designers)
Despite having their roots in Silicon Valley, UX designers are a rare breed inside traditional tech companies like Google, Facebook and…