As designers, we tend to think about our superpowers as expertise in product thinking, interactions, information architecture, graphic design or even creativity. However, as we grow in our careers, other skills become more and more critical to our success. What are these areas that we need to mas...

The way organizations are approaching product development and emerging technologies are constantly changing. At the same time our practice as designers is evolving with new tools, techniques, and approaches, surfacing at a pace that can be hard to keep up with.

This talk was filmed at Leading De...

As companies of all sizes continue to accelerate building design capabilities, there is still very little common wisdom on what makes for a successful design organisation. While a focus on process, methods, tools, and outcomes is essential for credibility and traction, there is still a significan...

There is massive demand for designers who have the skills to lead growing design teams in complex organizations, and a vast shortage of designers with the skills and experience to fill these demanding roles. As our generation of design leaders takes on increasingly substantial challenges, what sk...

In the words of Cap Watkins: “Congratulations. You got promoted – now prepare to suck at a completely different job.”

This is exactly what happened to Jane multiple times in her twenty year career. She has gone from being a designer, to leading a few people, to leading a team, and now as a direc...

There is a strong perception that one has to move into management if they want to succeed as a leader and expand their influence to have more impact. For many individual contributors, this is a tough choice to make. As someone who’s been successful both as people leader and as a leader in an indi...

Over the years, you worked hard to become a great designer — you practised your craft, honed your skills and finally put those imposter syndrome days behind you. Now, with your experience in tow, you've taken the step into leadership. But yet you find yourself wondering: ""Wait. Have I got this r...

What are the ideal conditions for contemporary product design to thrive? How can design leaders create them? In this wide-ranging talk, hear Michael Yap share his career path and recent experiences as Etsy’s Interim Head of Product Design by shaping the conditions for design to flourish. He ident...

There are days where you want to wring your hands...or wring someone’s neck; feeling “These millennials, #ijustcant”. They’re a whole different animal, one whose sheer numbers are outpacing the rest of your company. While it might be overwhelming, or you find you can’t relate, by mythbusting thes...

In this talk Abi looks at how we can really make our 121's a success. From establishing trust, creating mutual purpose, and helping your team achieve their goals Abi takes us through her own journey with 121's and shares what's she's learnt along the way!

This talk was filmed at Leading Design F...

Do you squirm in your seat when asked to introduce yourself? Do you find networking awkward and embarrassing? In meetings, do you find yourself keeping quiet even though you have something to say? Does a quiet evening at home with a book sound more attractive to you than an evening socialising wi...

In this talk Noah Levin shares his experience and philosophy of creating, growing and nurturing the Figma Design team. He explains some of the key rituals they put in place as a team, shares tools for onboarding and maintaining a culture of learning, and gives insights from some mistakes made alo...

At the heart of most agile development frameworks are small, cross-functional squads. And in those squads resides a lone designer, collaborating with a product owner and engineers. This model has lead to the quest for the Unicorn designer, the broadly skilled individual who can do interaction des...

When teams grow, pain seems inevitable. Critiques feel like a council throw-down on Game of Thrones; tenured team members start feeling either smug or displaced; new joiners feel like they interrupted a movie in progress; everyone feels like they’ve lost the plot and aren’t sure what else will ch...

The Internet (And The Companies That Design It) Needs More Safe Spaces

As the future of work and social interaction changes, a new era is upon us. One that comes with huge opportunities to re-design teams, cultures and products from the lense of the collective. By following Feminine principles w...

Leveling Up — Creating Fair & Achievable Career Paths for your Team

As designers, we aren't always in full control of the outcomes of our work. Sometimes we find ourselves on successful projects with fantastic engineers and product managers. Other times, we deal with more complex situations invo...

From a global pandemic to an economic rollercoaster to a society embroiled in unrest, 2020 packed a punch. It also packed roughly 10 years of leadership lessons into a matter of months. Audrey talks through those lessons and reflects on what it means to lead through extreme uncertainty in an indu...

Design Leadership is tough. Tough because many of us in these rapidly evolving and newly expanded roles have no precedents. The ambiguity of leader vs manager puts us at perennial risk of Imposter Syndrome and sometimes outright failure.

Consider then, the challenges of leading Design in hostile...

Everyone has a personal history. Formative struggles and the happier times alike mold and teach us how to navigate our day-to-day. As a California-born Korean kid, Frank will talk about his experience as a second generation American, and how early questions of assimilation and identity shaped his...

Stuart Frisby shares lessons learnt from leading a design team through the excitement and optimism of growth, to the fear and uncertainty of crisis.

This talk was filmed at Leading Design Festival 2021. Find out more about the event details here - https://leadingdesign.com/conferences/festival-2...

Design's reputation has come a long way from "window dressing" to being recognized as an essential strategic lever. Designers are now in the boardroom, are members of the executive team, and are being included at every stage of product development.

However, has our contribution in these forums b...