Design Leadership

Cultivating the Right Kind of Conflict

The ability to share conflicting views about a situation or problem and still get on is a vital component of any high functioning team. It allows us to broaden our range of possible solutions, spot weaknesses in our arguments, and test our assumptions—usually in the pursuit of a better outcome. As a result, productive conflict is generally focussed on things—be they ideas, features or solutions—rather than individuals. “I don’t agree with this” rather than “I don’t agree with you”.

Speaking & Events

Using your status as a speaker to promote others

Being invited to speak at an event confers some benefits. For newer speakers, the most obvious benefit of speaking is to advance your career. Speaking at an event confers a certain amount of legitimacy and status. The fact that you’re on stage and other people are listening to you implies that you’re somebody who deserves to be listened to; that your ideas hold value that the other people in the audience will benefit from them. This is a great thing to have in your back pocket at interviews, and is sure to impress the person doing the interviewing.

Design Leadership

Transitioning to Design Management is Hard, Risky and Requires a Lot of Luck

There are three common paths into Design Management. Either you start at the bottom and work your way up, you take on a stretch project that elevates you above your peers, or you hit a glass ceiling and are forced to jump ship.

Tech Culture

Ghosting Candidates, Marathon Interviews and Zero Feedback: The Modern Recruitment Experience

The digital sector is a talent led industry, and as much as I dislike the idea of the 10X developer, the difference a great hire can make to your business is huge. So I’m always amazed when I hear about the shady, sloppy or downright atrocious recruitment practices we inflict on prospective candidates.

Design Leadership

Design Leadership Slack Team

I recently started a Slack Team for Design Leaders. We currently have over 1,750 members (as of Jan 1st 2021); mostly Heads, Directors and VPs of Design from prominent tech companies and large traditional organisations.

Design Leadership

Better design through Web Governance

I meet a lot of in-house designers in the course of my travels and the same frustrations keep bubbling up - "how can I convince the company I work for to take my expertise seriously". It seems that companies have a pathology of hiring highly talented people but taking away the decision making abilities they need to do their job.