Design Life
288 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★★ - 126 ratingsDesign Life is a podcast about design and side projects for motivated creators. It was born after your hosts, two serial side project addicts, saw a gap in the podcast market for a conversational show about design and the issues young creatives face, that was hosted by two females.
This show aims to tackle the big issues designers face like getting paid, overcoming a creative block or managing time, to name a few. We want to open up discussion about things we wish we heard people talk about when we were studying, and we want to chat to you about the joys and the frustrations of working in the tech industry by day, and on our passion projects in the rest of our waking hours. We hope that by doing so, Design Life will give you a dose of motivation or inspiration when you need it.
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Episodes
288: Making the most of team retreats and offsites
April 08, 2024 07:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBIn this episode Charli and Femke talk about their experience of having retreats with their teams, how retreats should be structured, what is their purpose and how to make the best out of in-person time with your teammates. As remote work becomes increasingly prevalent and we usually do not get the chance to see our co-workers’ faces outside of video-calls, team offsites can greatly improve the team dynamic and subsequently enhance communication between team members. Changing scenery and exp...
287: Why your personal brand matters
March 26, 2024 07:00 - 25 minutes - 23.9 MBIn this podcast episode, Femke and Charli delve into the concept of personal branding. They discuss whether personal branding requires strategic planning and the level of intentionality one should have regarding their personal brand. Femke and Charli explore the distinction between personal and company brands, the objectives personal branding can help achieve and whether individuals can truly control others' perceptions of them through personal branding. Femke and Charli also touch upon the ...
286: Should you take deadlines seriously?
March 11, 2024 07:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBIn this episode, Charli and Femke give an elaborate reply to one of the listener's requests: whether deadlines should be taken seriously. The hosts share real stories of how they approached deadlines in different projects, how unrealistic deadlines should be handled, what to do in situations when a deadline cannot be met, how to discuss deadlines and set reasonable expectations, and how one's perspective on them changes depending on their role in the project. Show Timestamps: 01:13 Intr...
285: The truth about burnout (and recovery)
February 27, 2024 07:00 - 27 minutes - 25.7 MBIn this episode Charli shares her personal experience of how she got burned out from her side projects. She talks about the subtle signs and symptoms that indicate burnout and how to confront them. Charli decided to drop her side projects and restructured her life to recover from burnout. Charli and Femke touch upon how burn out can affect your career choices, the importance of diversifying your daily activities and hobbies, why burnout is so prevalent in creative professions and the import...
284: Our Career and Personal Goals for 2024
February 12, 2024 10:00 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBWelcome back, design enthusiasts! We're kicking off 2024 by bring you up to speed on our latest adventures and aspirations. 🌟 Life Updates: Tune in as we share the latest updates from our lives – from career milestones to more personal things, we're laying it all on the table. 💼 Career and Side Project Plans: Get ready to dive into our ambitious plans for the year ahead. We're talking side gigs, big dreams, and everything in between. Charlie is sharing her plans to organise an in-person me...
283: Our copywriting process
December 05, 2023 15:07 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBIn this episode of the Design Life podcast we chat about all things copywriting!
282: Reliving our Config experience
August 14, 2023 08:38 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThank you Config for a fantastic conference! In this episode we recap our highlights and chat all about our meetup.
281: How to make the most of a design conference
July 24, 2023 15:10 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBAre you attending a design conference this summer? In this episode we share our favourite tips for making the most of the conference experience to maximise learning, connection and most importantly - fun!
280: Preparing for a feature launch as a designer
June 20, 2023 00:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPreparing for a feature launch as a designer is such an exciting time! To see your work come to fruition brings with it a fantastic feeling, but it's not always plain sailing. In this episode we discuss the highs and lows of working on feature launches as a designer.
279: Validating design solutions
May 15, 2023 18:11 - 32 minutes - 30 MBToday on the Design Life podcast we are answering a listener question from an engineer, who is looking for advice on how to validate a design and communicate this with the relevant stakeholders.
278: Are you on the right path in your design career?
May 02, 2023 19:27 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBWondering if you are on the right path in your design career? Fear not, we have a very reassuring conversation this week on the podcast! Hear all about how we've used the design career checkpoint to help reflect on our careers and set new goals.
277: Learning throughout different stages of your design career
April 17, 2023 05:55 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBThis week on Design Life we’re chatting about learning throughout different stages of our design careers, and how our approach to learning has changed over time.
276: Managing in different directions
April 03, 2023 14:29 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBFind yourself in a new role and managing in different directions? Us too! In this episode we're talking how to make the most of managing in different directions.
275: The realities of being a manager AND an IC
March 20, 2023 18:03 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBIn 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.
274: Are you inexperienced if you don't name your layers?
February 27, 2023 19:39 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBAre 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.
273: Our thoughts on the state of the design industry
December 12, 2022 20:32 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBIn our last episode of 2022, we share our thoughts on the state of the design industry.
272: Deciding what side projects to tackle in 2023
December 05, 2022 07:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBPlanning 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.
271: Annual planning as a design leader in tech
November 15, 2022 19:35 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBIt'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.
270: Positioning your portfolio for a design manager role
November 07, 2022 19:18 - 31 minutes - 29 MBTrying to make the move from designer to manager? In this episode we chat about how to make your portfolio presentation speak for itself.
269: Fitting in socially in the workplace
October 31, 2022 15:19 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBBuilding 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.
268: A real look into today's design interview process
October 17, 2022 00:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBA real look into today's design interview process, what is it like trying to get a job in this economy?
267: How much did Charli earn this year?
October 10, 2022 20:08 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBOn Design Life we like to talk openly about money when we can, including our annual income reports! This time it's Charli's turn.
266: Femke quit her job!
October 05, 2022 10:52 - 28 minutes - 26 MBFemke 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.
265: Adobe is buying Figma? Let's talk about it
September 26, 2022 18:04 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBNews 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.
264: Design education and conferences, on a budget
September 12, 2022 18:18 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBGetting 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.
263: How we communicate async at work
September 05, 2022 09:05 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBToday on Design Life we answer a listener question about all the asynchronous communication methods we use at work.
262: What makes a good design manager
August 15, 2022 07:37 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBThis 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?
261: What it's like to work in six week cycles
August 08, 2022 17:27 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBDo 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.
260: Taking a sabbatical
August 01, 2022 20:42 - 28 minutes - 26 MBIn 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.
259: Shipping a new design system!
July 18, 2022 20:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MBFemke recently shipped a new design system and today on Design Life we are discussing the highs and lows of taking on such a project!
258: Retaining the joy of side projects with Honest UX Talks
June 13, 2022 14:56 - 37 minutes - 34 MBListen to the Honest UX Talks episode Follow Honest UX Talks: 🗂 instagram.com/honest_ux_talks 👩💻 instagram.com/anfisign 👩🏻💻 instagram.com/uxgoodies
257: Collaboration between senior and junior designers
May 30, 2022 06:10 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBThis 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.
256: Conducting design audits
May 23, 2022 16:15 - 28 minutes - 39.5 MBHow can you make the most of a design audit? Keep consistency in mind, improve popular assets and implement recommendations.
255: The pay gap between product and marketing designers
May 16, 2022 15:41 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBToday 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?
254: Is the vibe shifting in design?
May 09, 2022 19:10 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBIt 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!
E253: Setting boundaries at work
May 02, 2022 15:24 - 30 minutes - 42.2 MBBoundaries 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.
252: Why you should care about performance reviews
April 25, 2022 17:36 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBIn 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.
251: Why getting better at writing can help your design career
April 18, 2022 18:02 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBImproving 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.
250: When starting a new job feels like you're starting from scratch
April 11, 2022 15:12 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBIn this episode we’re tackling a listener question, from a designer starting a new job and feeling like they’re starting from scratch again! We share what we've learned from starting new jobs, settling into a new team and how to have a productive first few weeks in your new role while finding your feet.
249: What the heck are MVPs (and how to do them well)
April 04, 2022 16:17 - 29 minutes - 27 MBThis week on Design Life we answer a listener question, what the heck are MVPs (and how to do them well). We chat about the benefits, the disadvantages and the questions to ask your team so you can make the best product possible without creating design or technical debt.
248: Monetising side projects with Sara Brunettini
March 28, 2022 08:24 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBToday we’re chatting about monetising side projects with our guest, Sara Brunettini. Sara is a Youtuber, product designer and all round wonderful person. We share our experience of monetising our side projects, what's worked for us, what hasn’t and what we’ve learned along the way.
247: Are you falling behind if you don't understand Web3?
March 21, 2022 18:58 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBKeeping up with trends while maintaining a full time job is a challenge all designers face, but what should you do if you’re worried that the latest trend will quickly become essential to your role? There is a lot of talk within the design community about Web3, listen to find out how NFTs and Web3 are being viewed by two people outside the community.
246: The design interview process needs to change
March 14, 2022 23:22 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBThe design interview process needs to change. Time consuming take home assignments and whiteboard challenges are the norm, can the interview process be simplified to benefit both designers and employers?
245: We just don't get along! (Dealing with workplace conflict)
February 28, 2022 15:56 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBNeed advice about dealing with conflict at work? Today we’re answering a listener question about a sticky work place situation, an experience we are all likely to have during our career.
244: How to choose (or advocate for!) the design projects you want to work on
February 21, 2022 21:24 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBYou might not always be able to choose your projects but there are ways to advocate for the types of projects you would like best. In this episode we share how we choose which projects we take on at work.
243: Tips for organizing design files
February 14, 2022 18:29 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBWhen 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. On Design Life this week we answer a listener question about how to organize your design files and work spaces to simplify remote collaboration.
242: Why designers should care about business metrics
February 07, 2022 19:11 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBUnderstanding business metrics and how your work helps achieve company goals can be a very useful skill to have as a designer. Not sure where to start? This episode of Design Life is a good place as we share how being curious about our companies helped us to progress in our careers.
241: Creating a design system for the first time
January 31, 2022 18:43 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBToday On Design Life we’re talking all about Design Systems. We share our struggles and triumphs, and what you need to know if you're creating a design system for the first time.
240: The difference between junior and senior designers
January 24, 2022 19:15 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBWhat is the difference between a Junior and a Senior designer? Don’t they essentially do the same job? This week on Design Life we chat about moving up a level in your career and why it means more than just completing the same tasks and responsibilities.
239: Different ways to structure a design team
January 17, 2022 16:50 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBHow is your design team structured? Today on Design Life we answer an email from a listener about team structure, why our team structure works best for us and how other companies (like Dropbox!) organise their teams.