271: Annual planning as a design leader in tech

005: Working for free in exchange for exposure: We're tackling a hot topic in this episode: doing design work for free in exchange for exposure. It's a big issue in the design industry as it devalues what we do, and the more designers do it, the more clients think exposure is acceptable payment. Things get a bit fiery as we vent our frustrations over the fact that as design students we were encouraged by our school to enter design contests and do work for companies for free to put in our portfolio. We hope this episode will help you become a little wary of companies offering exposure as payment as we discuss why we believe it's not a good idea. We offer alternative ways to get good portfolio pieces when you're just starting out and want to encourage you to realize that you need to value yourself and your work! We'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Find us on www.designlife.fm by Design Life

40 min listen

001: Why have a side project?: In the first episode of Design life, we discuss one of our favourite topics: side projects. What makes a side project more than a hobby? How can they help with your career? We'll fill you in on what our side projects are (both the ones we're doing now, and some 'failed' ones from the past) and chat about the challenges we face. “The hardest part about side projects is perseverance. It’s so easy to have an idea for something and start on something, but actually persevering and sticking with it even when you aren’t seeing results straight away is really difficult, and that’s where the hustle part comes in.” - Femke by Design Life

33 min listen

010: Working with people who aren't designers: As designers we work with a wide range of people on projects: copywriters, clients, developers, project managers and more. The diversity is awesome and keeps our jobs interesting, but it does bring it’s own set of challenges. In this episode we talk about how we deal with working alongside people who think differently to us and share some tips for making the process smoother, and for helping others see the value of design. Our site: designlife.fm Our Twitter: @DesignLifeFM Our Facebook: /designlifepodcast by Design Life

38 min listen

007: Finding motivation and staying focussed: We all struggle with motivation and focus at times; whether it's for a design school project you're just not connecting to or perhaps a side project that you're feeling burned out on. In this episode we chat about the motivations behind our various side projects and warn you against letting numbers be what drives you to create. We also talk about the things that discourage us and distract us every now and then, and share tips for finding your focus zone from both us and our listeners. Join in the conversation to share your own tips on Twitter (we're @DesignLifeFM). We hope this episode might give you an extra burst of motivation if you're needing it right now! by Design Life

38 min listen

035: Defining a niche for your work: Defining a niche means targeting a specific audience with your work and content. In this episode we discuss the benefits of this focussed approach and discuss the niche(s) we’re aiming our content at. You’ll hear advice for choosing a niche, and we’ll quell any fears that you’ll find it harder to build an audience or find clients if you don’t appeal to everyone. Trust us; you will! Find more at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

42 min listen

025: Should designers learn to code?: Creating a website involves two main skills: design and development. In this episode we tackle the hot debate of designers and code; Should web designers be able to build the things they design, and is it okay if they can’t? We share our personal experiences with this issue and discuss assumptions people make about our abilities when we use the term ‘web designer’. Find more at www.designlife.fm. by Design Life

43 min listen

028: Our Design Process: The process you follow for design projects will vary depending on the type of work and the client, but in this episode we discuss the basic process we follow for designing websites. We give advice for wireframing, dealing with client feedback and revisions. Your design process is something that will evolve over time and it’s a good idea to always be open to learning new techniques and improving on your process. Find more at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

45 min listen

012: Work/Life Balance: For those of us with many things on the go the traditional work/life balance is more of a work/life/side project balance. Dividing our time between these important things can be tricky and in this episode we discuss how we approach it. We talk about stress and prioritising, and how changing your attitude towards those annoying must-dos like cleaning and cooking could be the key staying happy and living a balanced life. by Design Life

38 min listen

026: Participating in Design Communities: Being a part of the design community is an important part of being a designer. When designers come together to share ideas and discuss their work it benefits the whole industry because we can stand together against things like working for free. Participating in design communities both online and offline has helped increase our passion for what we do, and has been so valuable. In this episode you’ll hear us discuss the communities we’re a part of and hear advice for joining communities when you’re just starting out in the industry. Find more at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

40 min listen

003: The self taught vs. formal education debate: In this episode we're talking about learning design, and discussing whether designers should get a formal education or teach themselves. We go through what we believe are the pros and cons of both learning methods (we both had our share of awkward critique sessions at university...) and talk about how interesting it is that we work in an industry where you don't have to get a degree to find a job, because experience is so valuable. As well as some background on our formal educations, you'll also get some links to great online resources we've been using to learn since finishing university. We really want to hear your thoughts on this topic! Tweet us and tell us what you think. by Design Life

46 min listen

002: Who we are: Get to know us in this episode as we discuss our jobs, passions and paths to becoming the designers we are today. We chat about why we love working in-house as opposed to at an agency, and why it's great that our day jobs aren't too similar to our side projects. You'll hear about our current favourite projects and struggles, and in a slight tangent we also discuss our thoughts on the best way to learn design. by Design Life

41 min listen

016: Prioritising tasks for personal projects: At work we have managers, co-workers or clients relying on us to get things done. When it comes to our personal projects we often don’t have the same sense of urgency or deadlines, so how do you prioritise what to work on? That’s what we discuss in this episode. It’s about having accountability within yourself to get things done to help you move towards your goals, not allowing yourself to make excuses, and breaking down tasks into small chunks to get them done. Hear about how we decide what to work on, what tasks we put off as much as possible, and get some brilliant advice from our listeners. by Design Life

36 min listen

004: Should you have a personal brand?: In this episode we’re talking about the importance of having a personal brand, and how it’s more than just a logo; it’s the essence of everything you do. We chat about how we approached naming and designing our own brands (and the struggle of being your own client) and how building up a personal brand early on when you’re still learning design will give you a head start and help your chances with full time jobs as well as freelance. We’ll give you some names of people with personal brands we love, along with our advice for developing your own. by Design Life

31 min listen

009: Making and Managing Time: You only get 24 hours in a day. How you use it is up to you. In this episode we talk in depth about how we structure our days and manage our time (and geek out a little over to do lists). Things also get a bit deep as we talk about our attitude towards time and how getting in the mindset of making time rather than complaining that we don't have enough has had a positive effect on our lives and general happiness. Our site: www.designlife.fm by Design Life

46 min listen

024: Learning new skills for your side project: Learning new skills is something that goes hand-in-hand with side projects. Often we have ideas for things that involve either expanding on the skills we currently have, or learning something totally new. In this episode we discuss our approach to learning and chat about the benefits of adding new things to your skillset. Find more at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

43 min listen

013: Attracting Clients: This week we're talking about why it's better to attract clients than go out and approach them yourself. We think it's the best way to get a professional working relationship off on the right foot and we'll explain why. Attracting clients is a 'long play' involving positioning yourself as an expert in your niche by doing content marketing and being picky about what work you take on. It takes time to build your reputation in this way, but we think it’s worth it. We’re both in different stages with our client work, so listen in to hear about our experience with client work, and what we’re doing to attract the type of projects we really want to work on. by Design Life

39 min listen

011: Positioning yourself as a designer: There comes a point in every designer’s life where they decide what kind of designer they’re going to be. In this episode we chat about the different types of design we’ve done on our design journey and discuss the moment we started identifying ourselves as designers. We also hear from our listeners about their defining ‘I’m a designer’ moment. As we discussed in episode 4, branding yourself online is important especially if you want to do freelance work and attract clients, so we also dive into how we position ourselves as designers online within our niche. Find us at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

34 min listen

036: Blurring the line between life and work: Do you work to live, or live to work? Often the latter is seen as a negative thing, but we beg to differ. In this episode we talk about our attitude towards work and how we see it as an integrated part of our life; not a necessary evil. You’ll hear tips for finding fulfilment and looking at your job in a positive light, and encouragement to make changes if the way in which you spend the majority of your day is not enriching your life. Work is a part of our identity, and we don’t think that’s a bad thing! More at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

37 min listen

021: Overcoming lack of motivation: Motivation is vital to working on side projects, and a positive mindset is key to staying motivated. In this episode we discuss how these things work together for us, and the external factors that drive us to keep hustling even when the going gets tough. You’ll also hear about the things that have a negative effect on our motivation and how we get it back when it lapses. Motivation is something that has to come from within yourself and in this episode you’ll get tips for how to find it. Find more at www.designlife.fm. by Design Life

40 min listen

008: Setting goals for side projects: In this episode we're talking about side project goals and their value. You'll hear what our own goals are for our projects and how they've changed over time. We really want to encourage you to set goals for your side projects, but we don't want not having a clear idea of what you hope to achieve to hold you back from starting! To help you out, we give some advice on how how to set goals and make a plan to reach them. Things also get a bit deep as we talk about how our side projects are actually helping us achieve our overall life goals too. We hope this episode will inspire you! by Design Life

36 min listen

006: Taking action on your ideas: As creatives we find that coming up with ideas is easy, but acting on them to make them a reality is the hard part. It’s awesome but overwhelming, having so many ideas, and in this episode we talk through what we do after we’ve come up with an idea for a new project or design direction. We touch on how we decide if an idea is even worth acting on, and the steps we go through to bring it to life if it is. You’ll also get to hear about some new project ideas we have and the next steps we’re taking on them. by Design Life

36 min listen

015: Facing Imposter Syndrome: Imposter syndrome, that feeling that you’re not good enough for what you’re doing, affects many creatives and it can be hard to overcome. In this episode we chat about how it affects us, and when and where it strikes most often. We also talk about social media’s role in this, and how we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. We’ll give you some strategies for coping if this is something you’re struggling with too, and hopefully this episode will help you feel like you’re not alone in feeling a bit of self doubt every now and then. Find us on Twitter: @DesignLifeFM by Design Life

40 min listen

022: Long term thinking and planning: We always want to be moving forward and progressing towards our goals. In this episode we discuss long term thinking and the importance of setting goals for your future. It can be hard to plan the exact steps to take to reach a goal set for five or ten years time, because life happens and your wants and needs may change. But having long term goals means you’ll be able to make decisions now in the present that align to them in order to keep you on the right track. Listen in to hear about our goals and our advice for getting into a long term mindset. Find more at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

37 min listen

019: How to find Inspiration: Inspiration isn’t just a pretty image you find on Dribbble, it’s a way of looking at things in a new light. In this episode we discuss what it means to be inspired and our approach to gathering inspiration. We touch on the perils of your work being a little too inspired by someone else’s, and how finding inspiration in unlikely places could be a solution to that. Find us at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

36 min listen

014: How to get up early by Design Life

37 min listen

027: What if nobody notices?: Things get deep this week as we discuss a fear that many creatives have: what if nobody notices my work? When you work hard on something, and especially if the result is something that could help people, there’s no shame in wanting that work to be seen and appreciated. A lack of recognition or attention can be hard to deal with, especially if you’re not seeing growth in something you’ve been working on for a while. In this episode we chat about situations where we’ve felt this fear, and give solutions for how to deal with it. Find more at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

38 min listen

030: Getting useful feedback on your work: Feedback is essential to your work whether it comes from fellow designers, your audience, your clients, or your own gut! In this episode we talk about different types of feedback and when and how to ask for it. We also give advice on ways to improve the quality of the feedback you get so that it will be more useful to your work. Find more at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

36 min listen

033: The importance of role models: No one is born knowing how to lead a successful life. That’s something we learn along the way from role models. In this episode we discuss the value and importance we place on role models and share our attitude towards taking inspiration from them while still following our own path. More at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

35 min listen

034: Which Design Tools should I use?: Design tools are all the things we use to bring our ideas to life. In this episode we discuss the software we design in, the resources we use, the analogue items we take our workflow offline with, and our top little workflow hacks. While learning design tools doesn’t automatically make you a good designer, it is good to know what tools professional designers use day-to-day to see which ones you should focus your attention on. We use different tools for different tasks and we share them all along with some background on how we learned to use them. Find more at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

39 min listen

023: Being your own worst critic: Critiquing your own work is an important skill to learn, especially when it comes to side projects. When you set yourself a brief, you have to learn to look at your work in a new light and see it from an outside perspective to truly make it the best it can be. In this episode we share tips for doing that and talk about the challenges of self-critique (like loving your work too much to see that something isn’t working). More at www.designlife.fm by Design Life

35 min listen

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271: Annual planning as a design leader in tech

271: Annual planning as a design leader in tech

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