Design Life

Charli Prangley, Femke Van Schoonhoven

Design 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.

  • 43 minutes 7 seconds
    300: Live Q&A - Answering Your Top Design Questions on Air

    This episode is sponsored by Playbook, which is a collaborative platform for creatives to store, organize, and share their work. It features AI-powered search and integrates seamlessly with design tools, making it a great space to manage all your files and projects. Join the "30 Days of 30 Projects" Challenge with Playbook to elevate your creative skills and unlock your full potential!

    In this live Q&A session, Femke and Charli dive into key topics for designers, including staying relevant in the industry, navigating stakeholder misalignment, making career moves, and the challenges and rewards of building a design culture as a founding designer.

    0:38 Episode start and catch up

    04:39 Playbook sponsorship

    06:43 Q1: How do you stay cool and relevant for 9 years in the design industry?

    08:30 Q2: When stakeholders are misaligned in product leadership, should a designer check in with the project manager to ensure alignment at the team level? Should designers step beyond the technical scope of their role to address misalignment?

    13:22 Q3: What does it feel like to be a founding designer and how can you create a design culture?

    15:48 Q4: How do you start a new role after ending on a low note at a previous company?

    18:04 Q5: What’s the difference between a visual designer and a UI designer?

    22:20 Q6: What were your sources of inspiration for shaping the new creative direction for Kit?

    24:04 Follow up on the founding designer question

    25:17 Q7: How do you view the current job market? Is it important to base career moves on company name recognition, or should you prioritize skills and experience over past employers?

    30:08 Q8: How can you make your growth plan more actionable and trackable, especially when discussing career progression with your manager?

    33:40 Q9: What advice do you have for someone hiring and leading a design team for the first time?

    38:38 Q10: What are the main lessons you’ve learned from doing the podcast and sharing your career journey? Has the podcast contributed to your design thinking and overall creative self-development?

    Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflow

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    11 November 2024, 7:00 am
  • 30 minutes 13 seconds
    299: How to get better at collaborating with cross-functional partners

    This episode is sponsored by Playbook, which is a collaborative platform for creatives to store, organize, and share their work. It features AI-powered search and integrates seamlessly with design tools, making it a great space to manage all your files and projects. Join the "30 Days of 30 Projects" Challenge with Playbook to elevate your creative skills and unlock your full potential!

    Charli and Femke explore the challenges and best practices in cross-functional collaboration, including navigating role overlaps, planning for future initiatives, understanding how other teams work, leading effective meetings, and how cross-functional feedback fits into performance reviews.

    Timestamps:

    0:33 Episode introduction

    1:20 Playbook sponsorship

    3:36 Cross-functional collaboration: who are your daily collaborators, and what roles do they play in your projects?

    5:37 Navigating overlapping responsibilities: how to understand roles across disciplines

    7:34 Charlie’s planning for 2025

    13:38 Successful cross-functional partnerships: key elements for building strong relationships

    17:06 Building context on other teams: how to start understanding their roles and processes

    20:33 Approaching cross-functional meetings

    24:22 The role of cross-functional feedback in performance reviews: is it valued differently than feedback from your own discipline?

    27:24 Homework for listeners

    28:12 Special live event announcement

    Links:

    Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflow

    Sign up for Charli and Femke's live event on November 1st at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm CET 

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    28 October 2024, 7:18 am
  • 27 minutes 36 seconds
    298: Behind the scenes of launching ConvertKit's rebrand to Kit

    Femke and Charli dive into the experience of rebranding ConvertKit into Kit. Charli shares a behind-the-scenes look at launch day and the rebranding process, including what didn’t make it into the final launch but is on the roadmap, as well as key lessons learned and what could have been done differently.

    Timestamps: 

    0:33 - Intro & Life Update

    3:32 - How did it feel when the rebrand was finally complete?

    5:26 - What was the public’s reaction? Walk us through the launch day—how did it unfold?

    9:33 - Reflecting on the yoga retreat...

    13:06 - How did the collaborating agency contribute to the launch? Or was it the Kit team handling the rollout?

    18:57 - Can you share the process behind the rebrand and the driving initiative?

    21:37 - What didn’t make it into this launch but is on the to-do list?

    22:00 - Lessons learned—what would you have done differently throughout the process?

    Show links: 

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    14 October 2024, 7:00 am
  • 27 minutes 16 seconds
    297: What it's really like to go on parental leave as a designer

    Femke shares her experience navigating the challenges of parental leave, including her decision to take extended time off supported by her employer and Canadian government benefits. She reflects on the challenges of staying connected with the design industry while on parental leave and the potential motivations for returning to work earlier than planned. Femke also discusses how her perspective on work-life balance has evolved over time as she adjusts to her new routine.

    Timestamps:

    01:42 - Life updates from Charli and Femke
    05:16 - Deciding how much time to take off and Canadian parental leave benefits
    08:06 - Would you consider returning to work earlier than planned?
    09:34 - Employer reactions and typical leave duration at Femke's workplace
    12:41 - How Femke arranged her 18-month long maternity leave and differences in parental leave across countries
    15:56 - Reflections on being out of work for an extended period
    18:27 - Adjusting to maternity leave and staying disconnected from work
    20:18 - Staying updated on the design industry while on leave

    Links:

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    30 September 2024, 7:00 am
  • 29 minutes 58 seconds
    296: How to land a promotion

    Charli and Femke talk about Charli’s recent promotion and how she approached this process. They explore the importance of taking ownership of your professional growth, including how proactively seeking feedback and showing initiative can help advance your career.

    They also cover important questions like when to bring up a promotion, what the promotion process entails, and how tools like a promotion matrix and self-evaluation can help you in that process. Femke shares her past experiences with promotions, addressing the challenges of unmet expectations and what happens when someone believes they deserve a promotion but receives feedback suggesting otherwise. The episode gives advice on how to ask for a promotion, especially when you’re unsure, and how to use feedback to guide your approach.

    Timestamps: 

    01:00 – Charli’s update

    01:52 – Femke’s update

    03:36 – Overview of Charli’s promotion

    05:34 – Taking ownership of your promotion

    07:40 – When to bring up a promotion

    08:44 – The promotion process

    16:05 – Do you have to meet every criteria?

    18:16 – Femke’s promotion experiences

    24:24 – What if someone expects a promotion but their performance feedback suggests otherwise?

    26:30 – How to approach the conversation when you’re unsure about your chances for promotion

    Show Links: 

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    9 September 2024, 7:00 am
  • 30 minutes 3 seconds
    295: The perks and pitfalls of working with a freelancer

    Charli and Femke dive into their experiences working with freelancers and agencies in their side projects and day jobs. Charli shares the decision-making process behind choosing an agency for a recent rebrand at Convert Kit, the challenges they encountered, and how involved they were in the collaboration. The hosts also offer practical advice for anyone deciding whether to keep a project in-house or outsource it to freelancers or agencies.

    Show Timestamps: 

    0:46 - Episode introduction

    1:38 - Charli’s update

    3:04 - Femke’s update

    5:04 - Femke and Charli share their experiences working with freelancers and agencies in side projects and day jobs.

    8:26 - Why did you choose an agency for the rebrand Instead of a freelancer?

    10:56 - How did you select the right agency?

    12:38 - What did the collaboration with the agency look like?

    15:13 - Charli’s role and responsibility in the project

    16:05 - Femke and Charli discuss the challenges they faced when working with agencies and freelancers.

    17:59 - Freelancers and Initiative: what’s been your experience? How much direction do freelancers need?

    20:38 - What are the best ways to work with an agency?

    27:03 - Tips for deciding between outsourcing and in-house projects

    Show Links: 

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

     

    26 August 2024, 7:00 am
  • 30 minutes 37 seconds
    294: Behind the scenes of a company rebrand

    Femke and Charli dive into the exciting world of rebranding Convert Kit. We explore the origins of the rebrand, discussing whether it began with a name change or a complete repositioning. Charli explains why they decided to make the rebranding process public instead of opting for a big splashy launch.

    Given the scale of the project, we delve into the various roles and responsibilities that are crucial for the rebrand’s success.  Charli shares surprising challenges they've encountered so far, as well as the reception from customers and the public.

    We delve into how the rebrand will affect the product itself. Lastly, Charli shares the surprising relationship between rebranding and burnout, and gives an update on where Convert Kit stands now.

     

    Timestamps:

    01:55 Femke updates on her upcoming course cohort.

    06:39 Charli discusses the "Convert Kit" rebranding journey.

    08:47 How did the rebrand start? Did it begin with the name change or a complete repositioning of the brand?

    13:12 Why did you choose to do the rebranding publicly this time instead of a big launch?

    14:48 This is a massive project. What's Charli’s role in the rebrand?

    16:28 How does Charli keep the team energized and informed during the rebranding?

    17:19 What has surprised so far? Any unexpected challenges?

    19:21 How have customers and the public received the rebrand?

    21:13 What are Femke's thoughts on the rebrand?

    22:50 How will the rebrand affect the product? Will there be new names or different positioning of the products inside “Convert Kit”?

    24:16 Will we see the rebranding process from “Convert Kit” itself or through Charli’s channels?

    26:06 Rebranding vs burnout: surprising insights.

    28:33 Where is Convert Kit at right now?

    Links:

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    29 July 2024, 8:03 am
  • 25 minutes 38 seconds
    293: Why you need to understand the impact of your work

    Femke and Charli dive deep into the topic of the business impact of design decisions. We discuss whether impact is expected in the product design world and if it is an integral part of the design process. We also cover how to measure success and incorporate metrics into the design process.

    Additionally, we highlight the importance of sharing real experiences, including conflicts with PMs, design failures, and working without data. We discuss why it is important for designers to share stories of their failures and what they learned from them. We also discuss the resistance to owning failures, how to overcome it and become comfortable learning from failures.

    In the end, we provide advice for designers on understanding the impact of their work and how to move up to a new seniority level.

    Show Timestamps:

    0:45 Episode intro and how this episode came about

    1:39 Updates from Femke on her course

    4:49 Updates from Charli on the conference she is attending

    5:46 More on how this episode came about

    8:11 What Charli expects from candidates in terms of the impact of their work on business

    10:58 Discussing the impact from a product design perspective

    14:49 Have you ever had to choose a design option that was visually less appealing but more effective in converting?

    17:43 Femke shares a mentoring story and how to grow as a designer with a focus on impact and reflecting that in a portfolio

    19:19 Discussion on resistance to owning failures and how Charli’s company helps designers become more comfortable learning from failures

    20:35 Advice for designers on understanding the impact of their work and what designers can incorporate into their process in order to measure success of their design decisions better

     

    Episode on landing a new design job in 2024

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    8 July 2024, 7:14 am
  • 30 minutes 37 seconds
    292: Config 2024 Figma release reactions

    In today’s episode, we are gonna discuss and break down the recent announcements from Figma Config 2024 conference that took place on June 26-27 in San Francisco, California. We are going to talk about Figma's UI3 redesign, new features such as Figma Slides, Code Connect, new AI features, project transfers, connected workspaces, and many more.

    Show Timestamps:

    0:45 Intro

    01:16 Is it “cOnfig” or “confIg”?

    02:04 Update to the Autolayout

    04:25 Figma’s redesign - new UI3

    07:19 Project transfers and connected workspaces

    9:58 New AI features

    15:12 AI Rename layers feature

    16:28 Figma slides

    17:51 Interesting fact: Femke tested Figma Slides before the official release

    18:40 Femke and Charli’s impressions of Figma Slides

    24:40 Multiple pages in FigJam

    25:26 Dev mode update and Code Connect

    28:02 Favorite feature revealed at Config?

    28:42 Femke's slide deck template and Figma’s collaboration with Zach Grosser

     

    Links:

    Femke's "Project Overview DeckTemplate" in Figma Slides

    Zach Grosser’s templates in Figma Slides

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    2 July 2024, 9:21 am
  • 27 minutes 14 seconds
    291: When a side project totally fails

    Femke and Charli delve into the difficulties of managing a side project that isn't going well. Charli shares her personal experience of trying to organize a live workshop in New Zealand and not managing to attract enough participants. The hosts discuss what Charli learned from this experience and how the situation could have been handled better.

    Show Timestamps:

    2:03 Update from Femke’s side

    4:14 Update from Charli’s side

    6:23 Background of the situation

    12:18 What is your reflection on this situation?

    13:44 What are some lessons learned from this situation? Why do you think you did not sell as many tickets as you thought you would?

    17:12 If you were to do it again, what would you do differently?

    19:02 Are there any interesting reasons why the people who bought the tickets decided to do so?

    21:28 Another idea for improvement

     

    Show links:

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    21 May 2024, 7:00 am
  • 28 minutes 54 seconds
    290: Landing a new design job in 2024

    Femke and Charli share their insights on how to approach the application process in the 2024 design job market. The hosts share strategies on how to optimize your application, stand out from the crowd, and increase your chances of securing your desired position. As competition intensifies and hiring standards rise, it is important to excel in every aspect of your application, whether it's a case study, website, or resume. Tune in to discover how to effectively showcase your design expertise and gain essential guidance for thriving in today's fiercely competitive job market.

    Show Timestamps:

    01:40 Catch up

    03:49 What are you looking for as a hiring manager?

    09:08 How to approach an application process?

    12:13 What are the tips for standing out more among other applicants?

    16:09 What to focus on in the case studies?

    17:32 Where would you be looking for the roles?

    19:49 Instagram creator recommendation - @badasscareers

    21:26 Extracurricular activities and side hustles

    25:24 Extra tips

     

    Show links:

    Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

    Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

    6 May 2024, 7:00 am
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