We've chosen a couple of our favourite episodes as recommended place to get started listening to the show.
Femke and Charli discuss design maturity and the importance of design culture.
Femke and Charli discuss how to transition from individual contributor to design manager.
Femke and Charli discuss design maturity and the importance of design culture.
Femke and Charli discuss how to transition from individual contributor to design manager.
Charli and Femke are hosting a live Q&A session for their listeners.
Charli and Femke explore the challenges and best practices in cross-functional collaboration.
Femke and Charli dive into the experience of rebranding ConvertKit into Kit.
Femke shares her experience navigating the challenges of parental leave
Charli and Femke discuss Charli's promotion journey and the importance of owning your professional growth
Charli and Femke discuss their experiences working with freelancers and agencies.
Femke and Charli dive into the exciting world of rebranding Convert Kit.
Femke and Charli dive deep into the topic of the business impact of design decisions.
Femke and Charli are gonna discuss the recent announcements from Figma Config 2024 conference.
Femke and Charli talk about managing the challenges when your side project isn't succeeding.
Femke and Charli share tips on navigating today's selective job market. From tailoring applications to networking effectivel
Charli and Femke explore how to decide between maintaining the position for internal stability or leaving it for personal growth.
Femke and Charli are going to talk about how to make the most out of time with your team whether it is a retreat or an offsite.
Femke and Charli delve into the importance of creating a personal brand, explore approaches to building it and the benefits personal br
Charli and Femke give an elaborate reply to one of the listener's requests: whether deadlines should be taken seriously.
Femke and Charli are going to talk about how to recognize you are burned out and how to handle it
Welcome to the first episode of 2024. In this episode we are going to share our goals for the year ahead when it comes to our careers, side
In this episode of the Design Life podcast we chat about all things copywriting!
In this episode we share our favourite tips for making the most of a conference to maximise learning, connection and most importantly - fun!
Preparing for a feature launch as a designer is such an exciting time!
Today on the Design Life podcast we are answering a listener question about how to validate a design
Wondering if you are on the right path in your design career?
This week on Design Life we’re chatting about learning throughout different stages of our design careers.
Find yourself in a new role and managing in different directions? Us too!
How do we manage the split between IC work and being a manager, while balancing the responsibilities of both in our day to day work?
Are you an inexperienced designer if you don't name your layers?
In our last episode of 2022, we share our thoughts on the state of the design industry.
Planning your side projects for 2023?
In this episode we share how we're tackling annual planning with collaboration in mind.
Trying to make the move from designer to manager?
Building relationships with your colleagues at works takes time and patience.
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.
News of Figma being acquired by Adobe has everyone talking, what does this mean for one of our most used design tools?
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 about all the asynchronous communication methods we use at work.
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?
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!
Hear from Honest UX Talks about how they retain the joy in their side projects
This week on Design Life we chat specifically about collaborating with designers of a different level.
How can you make the most of a design audit? Keep consistency in mind, improve popular assets and implement recommendations.
What is causing the pay gap between marketing/brand designers and product designers, and how can we work towards closing it?
Who are the companies shaping the vibe design-wise this year and how do we update our vibe without following trends?
Boundaries are really important, and they've become even more important as more of us are working from home.
Performance reviews can be beneficial, even when they aren’t related to a bonus or a pay rise.
Use inspiration when it strikes to help your writing stand out.
In this episode we’re tackling a listener question, from a designer starting a new job and feeling like they’re starting from scratch again!
This week on Design Life we answer a listener question, what the heck are MVPs (and how to do them well).
Today we’re chatting about monetising side projects with our guest, Sara Brunettini.
Listen to find out how NFTs and Web3 are being viewed by two people outside the community.
The design interview process needs to change.
Need advice about dealing with conflict at work?
You might not always be able to choose your projects but there are ways to advocate for the types of projects you would like best.
When it comes to organizing your files, it is less about the tool itself and more about everyone in the team being on the same page.
Understanding business metrics and how your work helps achieve company goals can be a very useful skill to have as a designer.
We share our struggles and triumphs creating design systems at work.
What is the difference between a Junior and a Senior designer? Don’t they essentially do the same job?
Today on Design Life we chat about why our team structure works best for us and how other companies (like Dropbox!) organise their teams.
We spend our first episode of 2022 talking about our goals, plans and dreams for the year ahead.
In our last episode of 2021, we reflect on our growth as designers this year.
In this episode we share how we prioritise, say no (sometimes!) and still create our best work.
How does where you live impact you as a designer? We chat about where we have felt most inspired and most welcome in our careers so far
Listen to our chat about committing to new side hustles, inspired by the launch of Femke’s design community.
Today we’re talking about pace. The more experience we have, the quicker and more efficient we become.
In this week’s episode of Design Life we answer a listener question - Do you NEED to do research before you design? (Maybe not!)
In this episode of Design Life, hear all about Femke's new job at Wealthsimple.
Welcome back to the Design Life podcast, catch up with us in our first episode after the summer break.
Today on Design Life we discuss our side hustle income stream growth from the past twelve months.
As a designer, your skillset is always growing and there is always more to learn.
Today on Design Life we answer another listener question, this time about self awareness as a designer.
Today on Design Life we chat about how to find the balance between being decisive, seeking help and leading your team with confidence.
Do you know your ‘why’, the thing that fuels you in your professional and personal life?
Join us as we dive deep into how to craft a great case study that shows off not just your project, but your skills too.
Spending time on your portfolio is time well spent when searching for a new job, but how can you maximise your portfolio even further?
The further you want to get, the more initiative you need to show.
Today on Design Life we chat about how to build a strong culture within your design team.
Listen as we dive deep into how to make the most of the relationship between product and design so you can make your best work.
The challenges and benefits of using daily themes to get work done.
Is becoming a manager the next step in your career?
This week on Design Life we talk about how to start sharing your work so you can enjoy the benefits of working in public along with some pro
Pursuing your dream career takes courage but the risk is worth the reward.
Have you ever thought about organising a hack or jam day at your work?
Today on Design Life we chat all things daily routines and really break down how we spend each part of our day.
Today on Design Life we talk about hiring from the perspective of the person actually doing the hiring.
In today’s episode of Design Life we talk about ageism in the tech industry.
As has become tradition on the Design Life podcast, we take the first episode of the new year to talk about our goals, our hopes and our int
As two busy creators with side projects and full time jobs we have recently needed a little extra help, which we have found in the form of o
In this episode of Design Life we discuss how to have a productive meeting, remotely.
Special guest Mocja Žove shares how designers can use Facebook ads
On this episode of Design Life we talk about running a design-focused Instagram account.
In this episode of Design Life we discuss something really exciting - Charli’s recent promotion to Creative Director at Convertkit!
What's it like being a solo designer, the only designer on a team or even in an entire company?
Does using design freebies makes you any less of a designer?
How direct is being too direct with feedback and general workplace communication?
How much of yourself you should bring to work and how can you build friendships with the people you work with?
“Should I go to design school?” – The answer varies depending on where you are in your career, how you learn best and what goals you have.
Should you have to work nights and weekends to succeed in tech?
In this episode of Design Life we discuss working with freelancers and contractors.
As artificial intelligence and machine learning begin to impact the design industry in new ways, the future of design may differ from the wa
Have you ever felt that you have so many meetings in one week that you don’t have time to get your work done?
In this episode we discuss different ways to ask for advice and how to reach out to people kindly.
With more people than ever before working from home (WFH) our relationship with our work is changing.
Writing briefs, developing processes and reviewing workflows are all part of the job, but sometimes it can feel like that’s all we do!
When Femke tweeted recently wondering why there is a disparity between men and women in design
We dive behind the scnese of how Charli's new font came to be and how to successfully launch a digital product.
Listen in as we share our launch experiences which might help you if you find yourself launching a project soon.
In today’s episode of Design Life we discuss the design QA process.
In this episode of Design Life we are joined by a special guest, Jonathan Courtney, CEO of Innovation and Design company AJ&Smart
We talk about how we go about making design decisions and how to overcome decision paralysis.
Design reviews can seem a bit like a holy grail but using them to the designer’s advantage to create a successful project is key.
Using our own side projects as examples, we talk about how you can bring your idea to life and avoid potential pitfalls along the way.
rying to find and stay motivated while also building a new routine when working from home is a challenge.
We share the struggles we face as we miss our colleagues and how we use technology to stay connected.
Over the course of your career, how can you build a strong, supportive network?
Giving and receiving feedback in a performance review can be tricky.
If you are like us and have neglected your portfolio since you were last on the job hunt, don’t worry, you’re not alone!
How to tackle implementation issues between design and development so that company goals are achieved on schedule and within budget
As a designer you may find yourself completing any number of tasks - planning researching, exploring, scoping, interviewing, wire framing
Have you ever thought about starting your own YouTube channel?
This is a very exciting time of year, a great time to evaluate 2019 and look ahead to what you want to achieve in 2020.
Is the weight of your potential weighing you down? Potential can be both a blessing and a curse.
Zach joins Charli on the podcast this week as they both attended Adobe MAX 2019.
On this episode of Design Life we discuss a query about senior and junior roles from a listener hoping to change levels.
A recap of Femke's experience at the Within Design Retreat for emerging leaders in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
How do you deal with the frustration of people not accepting your ideas?
Do you know what steps you need to take to progress in your career?
Difficult conversations we have had in the past and how, with time and practice, we have been able to get the most out of them.
Staying creative and motivated during big life changes can be a real challenge, one we have recently faced.
In order to get a job you need to have experience, but in order to get experience you need a job. How can you get experience without a job?
We discuss the different passive income streams we have used successfully, what we have learned and what we hope to try in the future.
Helen Tran tells us about her journey to becoming her own boss, the importance of teaching and her thoughts on going deep vs going wide.
Starting a project with a kickoff checklist can be useful for everyone involved. In this episode we discuss how to jump in successfully
Is our manufactured reality killing the design industry and our creativity?
Is your portfolio truthful, is it a fair representation of your skills?
Job titles and promotions came up as a topic of conversation for us on Twitter recently and we thought it a topic worth diving deeper into.
Retros give the whole team the chance to reflect on what went well, what didn’t go well and any areas of opportunity.
Design documentation might not be the most exciting part of the design process but its importance cannot be underestimated.
In this week’s episode we get a little bit philosophical as we discuss the concept of done being better than perfect.
What is an OKR? How can you best set and achieve goals at work?
What are design principles and how do they differ from design systems?
It can be tricky to keep a clear head when your work is impacted by factors outside of your control.
We talk about the what, why and how of design sprints and give you the steps you need to introduce them at your workplace.
Our experience of working with design systems, their benefits and how using an efficient design system can help your team.
In this week’s episode we talk about something which is pretty on-brand for us - weekly planning
Many people will start a new job this year, but how can you make sure you get off on the right foot?
In the first episode of Design Life for 2019, we evaluate our 2018 goals and see what we achieved.
Design challenges can prove a controversial topic, specifically the kind you might complete as part of a job application.
Your relationship with your manager is an important one. How can you best cultivate it?
We chat about Confront Conference with special guest Zach Grosser
We answer a question about how to switch careers and become a designer.
Personal branding can feel like an insurmountable task to many designers.
How do you stay productive in a workplace full of distractions, asks and tasks?
We have both shifted focus away from freelance design work, instead using that energy to focus on ourselves and invest in our interests.
Many designers want to welcome more development skills into their toolkit and become a hybrid. So how?
How user testing can help to further develop designer’s empathy for the user, benefitting designers and the design process at the same time.
Should you follow the advice to fake it 'til you make it?
A/B testing can help to prove or disprove our design hypotheses by checking them against the data to see what actually works.
In this episode we discuss experiences we’ve had with moving on to new endeavours, and how you know you’re ready for a change.
With potentially a few side projects already on the go, how do you make time for new side projects without neglecting your current ones?
In this episode we discuss many different ways to do user research and where to use it in your design process.
In this episode we talk about the creative process and how we handle the low points to keep things moving.
In this episode we discuss our experience with travelling for work, and share advice on how to stay productive during breaks.
In this episode we chat about how we’ve worked with content creators and their involvement in the design process.
In this episode we talk about that handoff and how to make it run smoothly so that everyone is happy,
In this episode we discuss our experience entering the tech industry and sharing our thoughts and frustrations on the matter.
A look into the struggles we've faced in our careers and the catalysts that helped us change.
Ever have that feeling where you have too many passions and not enough time to do it all?
As designers we often work with and have to communicate design decisions to different people throughout the design process.
Networking is a vital part of your design career, but at conferences or meetups it can be hard to drive a meaningful conversation.
Competition can be healthy or harmful, depending on how far you take it!
When should you upgrade your technology? Do you always need to have the latest device?
As designers it sometimes feels like we are perpetually redesigning our own websites!
As creatives, sometimes dealing with things like finances and paperwork don’t come naturally to us, but they’re important to figure out.
Have you been thinking about making a career shift for a while? When is it the right time?
More and more designers and other creatives are starting to make video content these days, and there’s still plenty of room for you!
How a monthly focus can help you achieve those goals you set for the year ahead.
Networking isn’t just for corporate people in business suits, it’s a handy skill to master as a designer!
Where do you want to be in your career in five years time? How about ten years time, or thirty?
Where do you want to be in your career in five years time? How about ten years time, or thirty?
