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Design Dept.
Design Dept.

298 Followers

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Published in Design, or be designed.

·Pinned

Why designers need to business

You can’t do the How without the Why Most of us chose a career in design because we love the craft. When we think of our jobs, our careers, we think of design first and foremost. …

Management And Leadership

3 min read

Why designers need to business
Why designers need to business
Management And Leadership

3 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·2 days ago

Dropping the idea of “balance”

A conversation about priorities — From time to time the Design Dept. team gets together to discuss topics we’ve been thinking about or struggling with. Often these are issues that have come up in our own lives that we’re also hearing others bring up in workshops or coaching sessions. Recently, we’ve been pondering the idea…

Design Leadership

7 min read

Dropping the idea of “balance”
Dropping the idea of “balance”
Design Leadership

7 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·Jan 17

I’m an individual contributor: Here’s what I look for in a good manager

A perspective from Ibrahim Hasan, UX Content Designer — Chances are you’ve already read some of Ibrahim’s writing for Design Dept. in articles like No, you should not be your team’s shit umbrella and Performance conversations don’t have to be so miserable. …

Design Leadership

5 min read

I’m an individual contributor: Here’s what I look for in a good manager
I’m an individual contributor: Here’s what I look for in a good manager
Design Leadership

5 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·Jan 10

15 books to read in 2023

Our top picks for design leaders — Learning and development are the bread and butter of what we do at Design Dept. We are, after all, on a mission to become better leaders, designers, and humans. So in the spirit of new beginnings (hello, 2023!) and leveling up, our staff members are sharing their most transformative reading…

Design Leadership

10 min read

15 books to read in 2023
15 books to read in 2023
Design Leadership

10 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·Dec 13, 2022

Everything we’ve been taught about career advancement is wrong

People management is not the only way — In under a year, Jon Rundle had gone from being the second design hire on his team to officially managing it. Things were on an upward trajectory. The team was in hyper growth mode, enjoying extra headcount approvals and internal excitement around the work they were shipping. …

Design Leadership

5 min read

Everything we’ve been taught about career advancement is wrong
Everything we’ve been taught about career advancement is wrong
Design Leadership

5 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·Dec 6, 2022

Should I be a mentor, coach, or sponsor?

A manager’s guide to growth & development — For people leaders, an important part of the job is growing and developing teams, whether that comes in the form of mentorship, coaching, or sponsorship. While these terms can be used interchangeably, it’s important to know the difference because they have varying implications on people’s career trajectories. Having worked with…

Design Leadership

5 min read

Should I be a mentor, coach, or sponsor?
Should I be a mentor, coach, or sponsor?
Design Leadership

5 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·Nov 29, 2022

The management gradient

From craft leader to business leader — Many creative leaders don’t make it to the executive table because they don’t understand the path. There’s a massive misconception out there that in order to be the VP of [insert creative function here], you have to be a master of that craft — at scale. …

Design Leadership

2 min read

The management gradient
The management gradient
Design Leadership

2 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·Nov 22, 2022

No, you should not be your team’s “shit umbrella”

How it hurts you and your team — We’ll cut to the chase with this one: the “shit umbrella” is one of the worst buzzword concepts in the creative management space right now (up there with “feedback is a gift” — hint: it’s not). Not to be confused with the “shit sandwich,” the “shit umbrella” means protecting your…

Design Leadership

4 min read

No, you should not be your team’s “shit umbrella”
No, you should not be your team’s “shit umbrella”
Design Leadership

4 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·Nov 15, 2022

Performance conversations don’t have to be so miserable

How to turn them around — There’s certainly no shortage of feedback in design. From crits to formal reviews and brainstorms, you’d think frequency would make us more comfortable giving and receiving feedback. …

Performance Management

5 min read

Performance conversations don’t have to be so miserable
Performance conversations don’t have to be so miserable
Performance Management

5 min read


Published in Design, or be designed.

·Nov 8, 2022

Design vs. business

A perspective from Courtney Drake, MBA and Design Leader — Many designers find their way into the profession because they love the work — the craft and creativity, but also the user centricity and empathy at the core of what we do. Business leaders value other things more highly: financial performance, product market fit, strategic alignment. It’s easy to look…

Design Leadership

3 min read

Design vs. business
Design vs. business
Design Leadership

3 min read

Design Dept.

Design Dept.

298 Followers

We believe leadership is a creative practice.

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