Mentioned
Topics Discussed
- Growth ladders: how to define and measure designer growth
- Craft vs. Influence vs. Ownership vs. Communication vs. Engagement
- Developing fair, non-linear growth frameworks (including a Medium-inspired "Snowflake Tool")
- Challenges of upper-level design leadership (craft ≠ promotion criteria)
- Managing biases and subjectivity in design career advancement
- Importance of presence and communication (even on Slack!)
- Transitioning from craft-focused design to diplomacy, storytelling, and team leadership
- Reflection on the potential "end of an era" for traditional product design careers
- Life reflections: parenting, aging, mortality, and evolving beyond professional identity
- 🎬 Sneak peek: Next season’s theme — Top 10 Design Films exploration!
Pull Quotes
- "At the upper levels, it's not about pixels anymore — it's about affecting change within other human beings." — Joe
- "Presence matters. Even in Slack. It’s visibility, engagement, and political capital." — Brian
- "We’ve reached the end of something... but the beginning of something else." — Brian
- "Growth isn’t just learning new tools — it’s learning how to move people and systems." — Joe
📣 Shout-outs
To everyone who has listened across these 50 episodes — thank you for helping us grow. To our future selves: onward to new creative adventures (and maybe even bagel making).
Connect with Joe & Brian
Outro music: Bridge to Hawaii by Tacocat
Got something to say to us, good, bad or ugly? You can always email us at designer@designer.fm
