Shows
Design Life309: Become a design manager or stay an IC? How to make the choice.This episode is sponsored by Mobbin, which is the largest design reference library for mobile and web, offering practical inspiration from real apps that address diverse design challenges. Don’t forget to mention Design Life when you register at Mobbin!Femke and Charli respond to a listener's question about how to choose between pursuing a career as a design manager or an individual contributor (IC). They share their personal experiences navigating their career paths, discuss the factors they considered in their decision-making, and outline the skill sets required for each role.Timestamps: 01:06 Episode sta...2025-04-2829 min
Design Life308: Making the jump from mid to seniorThis episode is sponsored by Mobbin, which is the largest design reference library for mobile and web, offering practical inspiration from real apps that address diverse design challenges. Don’t forget to mention Design Life when you register at Mobbin!Femke and Charli explore the transition from mid-level to senior roles and touch upon the changes in responsibilities. They delve into practical tactics for boosting confidence and understanding workload expectations, as well as strategies to help listeners feel more secure in their new positions. Femke and Charli also give advice on embracing new opportunities while managing feelings of...2025-04-1427 min
Design Life307: Will AI take your design job? (Hot takes from later adopters)This episode is sponsored by Mobbin, which is the largest design reference library for mobile and web, offering practical inspiration from real apps that address diverse design challenges. Don’t forget to mention Design Life when you register at Mobbin!Femke and Charli explore effective ways for designers to incorporate AI into their everyday workflows, sharing practical insights on how they use AI tools in their own work. They also tackle the question of whether AI will replace designers and examine the current trajectory of AI adoption within the design industry.Timestamps:1:04 Episode st...2025-03-3130 min
Design Life306: Building a team for your side projectsThis episode is sponsored by Mobbin, which is the largest design reference library for mobile and web, offering practical inspiration from real apps that address diverse design challenges. Don’t forget to mention Design Life when you register at Mobbin!Femke and Charl share their insights gained from their experiences with outsourcing for their side projects. They discuss the strategies they employed to find the right talent. Charli elaborates on potential hires she would consider for her upcoming business and outlines the tasks she would prioritize for outsourcing. Femke discusses the roles she is contemplating for outsourcing to...2025-03-1731 min
Design Life305: If we started our side projects all over again...This episode is sponsored by Mobbin, which is the largest design reference library for mobile and web, offering practical inspiration from real apps that address diverse design challenges. Don’t forget to mention Design Life when you register at Mobbin!In this episode, Femke and Charli discuss the evolution of their side projects and reflect on what they’ve learned and how they would approach them differently if they were to start over. Femke and Charli share their personal side project journeys and discuss if side projects should be treated as passion projects or potential income sources. They...2025-03-0331 min
Design Life304: Setting our goals and intentions for 2025This 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 episode, Femke and Charli share their goals for 2025, including how Femke plans to approach her return to work and engage with her new community as well as Charli's business aspirations, plans for YouTube videos and...2025-01-1336 min
Design Life303: Changes in the design industry (specialists vs generalists?)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!Femke and Charli engage in a conversation about the advantages of being a generalist versus a specialist, explore the various types of skill sets needed to future-proof your career, and discuss whether incorporating AI into your skill...2024-12-3029 min
Design Life302: Design maturity and culture in a company (and how to influence it)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 episode, Femke and Charli discuss design maturity within organizations, the importance of establishing a strong design culture, practical advice for implementing changes, and personal experiences of integrating new design practices in the workplace....2024-12-1627 min
Design Life301: Learning management skills as a design managerThis 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 episode, Femke and Charli delve into the journey of transitioning from an individual contributor to a design manager, including distinct responsibilities and skills required for effective management in the creative industry. They talk about their...2024-12-0330 min
Design Life300: Live Q&A - Answering Your Top Design Questions on AirThis 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...2024-11-1143 min
The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging PodcastDos and Don’ts of a Successful Rebrand with Charli Prangley#833 The brand we envision when we first start is often not what we end up building in the long run. As our mission evolves, rebranding to reflect our growth can be a strategic game-changer. But how do we avoid the mistakes that cause more harm than good? Listen in on this episode to find out! I'm chatting with Charli Prangley today. She is an incredible design expert and the creative director at Kit, formerly known as ConvertKit. Our discussion is packed with actionable information on how to pull off a successful rebranding, so don't miss out! Charli and I...2024-10-3034 min
Design Life299: How to get better at collaborating with cross-functional partnersThis 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.2024-10-2830 min
Design Life299: How to get better at collaborating with cross-functional partnersThis 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.2024-10-2830 min
Design Life298: Behind the scenes of launching ConvertKit's rebrand to KitFemke 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 Update3:32 - 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 re...2024-10-1427 min
Design Life297: What it's really like to go on parental leave as a designerFemke 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 Femke05:16 - Deciding how much time to take off and Canadian parental leave benefits2024-09-3027 min
Design Life296: How to land a promotionCharli 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 su...2024-09-0929 min
The HeyCreator Show026: The Role of Design & Branding for Creators (with Charli Prangley)Sign up for our free 7 day "Creator Blueprint" email course!
In today’s episode of The HeyCreator Show, Matt Ragland (@mattragland) catches up with old teammate Charli Prangley (@charliprangley) to discuss the role of design and branding for creators, along with the process of rebranding ConvertKit to Kit and lessons from her journey as a YouTuber.
(0:00) — Intro
(1:48) — The #1 design mistake creators make
(12:26) — Outside perspective on your design process
(22:30) — Charli’s creator journey
Connect with us:
Join the HeyCreator Community
Submit a question to Creator Advice2024-09-0337 min
Design Life295: The perks and pitfalls of working with a freelancerCharli 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 introduction1:38 - Charli’s update3:04 - Femke’s update5:04 - Femke and Charli share their experiences worki...2024-08-2630 min
Design Life294: Behind the scenes of a company rebrandFemke 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 reb...2024-07-2930 min
Design Life293: Why you need to understand the impact of your workFemke 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...2024-07-0825 min
Design Life292: Config 2024 Figma release reactionsIn 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 Intro01:16 Is it “cOnfig” or “confIg”?02:04 Update to the Autolayout04:25 Figma’s redesign - new UI307:19 Project transfers and connected workspaces9:58 New AI features15:12 AI Rename layers featu...2024-07-0230 min
Design Life291: When a side project totally failsFemke 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 side4:14 Update from Charli’s side6:23 Background of the situation12:18 What is your reflection on this situation?13:44 What are some lessons learned from this situation? Why...2024-05-2127 min
Design Life290: Landing a new design job in 2024Femke 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 up2024-05-0628 min
Design Life289: How to know when it's time to move on from a jobCharli reflects on her 7-year journey at her current workplace, emphasizing the importance of difficult conversations in clarifying issues such as salary and job satisfaction. Femke talks about the struggles she experienced of leaving behind internal reputation and connections when transitioning roles, highlighting the value of established relationships within a company. They discuss the concept of "golden handcuffs" and the need to see if current job aligns with personal growth and challenges. Charli and Femke also share personal experiences of leaving previous jobs in tech, offering insights into recognizing signs for change and taking the first steps towards opportunities.2024-04-2230 min
Design Life288: Making the most of team retreats and offsitesCharli and Femke talk about their experience of having retreats with their teams, how retreats should be structured, what is their purpose and how to make the best out of in-person time with your teammates.As remote work becomes increasingly prevalent and we usually do not get the chance to see our co-workers’ faces outside of video-calls, team offsites can greatly improve the team dynamic and subsequently enhance communication between team members. Changing scenery and experiencing new things with your team will create space for creativity to approach challenges and open doors to have crucial discussions, paving th...2024-04-0829 min
Design Life287: Why your personal brand mattersFemke and Charli delve into the concept of personal branding. They discuss whether personal branding requires strategic planning and the level of intentionality one should have regarding their personal brand. Femke and Charli explore the distinction between personal and company brands, the objectives personal branding can help achieve and whether individuals can truly control others' perceptions of them through personal branding. Femke and Charli also touch upon the importance of personal branding for designers and how to cultivate it within a company they work at. Finally, the hosts address the issue of misalignment between one's perceived and desired personal...2024-03-2625 min
Design Life286: Should you take deadlines seriously?Charli and Femke give an elaborate reply to one of the listener's requests: whether deadlines should be taken seriously. The hosts share real stories of how they approached deadlines in different projects, how unrealistic deadlines should be handled, what to do in situations when a deadline cannot be met, how to discuss deadlines and set reasonable expectations, and how one's perspective on them changes depending on their role in the project. Show Timestamps:01:13 Intro02:34 Charli’s workshop and life updates04:21 Femke’s life update07:01 Question submission from a lis...2024-03-1131 min
Design Life285: The truth about burnout (and recovery)Charli shares her personal experience of how she got burned out from her side projects. She talks about the subtle signs and symptoms that indicate burnout and how to confront them. Charli decided to drop her side projects and restructured her life to recover from burnout.Charli and Femke touch upon how burn out can affect your career choices, the importance of diversifying your daily activities and hobbies, why burnout is so prevalent in creative professions and the importance of defining what is healthy balance for you. SHOW TIMESTAMPS:1:18 Femke shares h...2024-02-2727 min
Design Life284: Our Career and Personal Goals for 2024Welcome back, design enthusiasts! We're kicking off 2024 by bring you up to speed on our latest adventures and aspirations.🌟 Life Updates: Tune in as we share the latest updates from our lives – from career milestones to more personal things, we're laying it all on the table.💼 Career and Side Project Plans: Get ready to dive into our ambitious plans for the year ahead. We're talking side gigs, big dreams, and everything in between. Charlie is sharing her plans to organise an in-person meet up in New Zealand, her plans for the upcoming book, while Femke reveals...2024-02-1228 min
Inside Marketing DesignDesigning the 'gold standard' for landing pages - S04E06 with Linear's Julian LehrIn this episode, Charli talks with Julian Lehr, part of the “Magic Team” at Linear. They discuss the intricate world of marketing design and content creation, and how these elements work together to enhance user experience. Julian shares his process for crafting engaging landing pages, and how tight collaboration makes it all possible. Julian also talks about the challenge of creating content with substance, why he describes what he does as “packaging design”, and what makes a powerful first impression for a product. Key Takeaways01:30 - Why Julian describes what he does as “packaging d...2023-11-1557 min
Inside Marketing DesignSolving problems as cross-functional 'astropods' - S04E05 with Piotr ŚmietanaIn this episode, Charli talks with Piotr Śmietana, Director of Brand and Marketing Creative at Superside. They discuss the innovative structure of Superside’s marketing creative team and the significant role of each individual's creative voice in shaping the brand's future. Piotr dives into Superside’s brand refresh, the use of the “Brand Collab” Slack channel for fostering collaboration, the concept of Creative as a Service, and how they have bridged some of the difficulties of remote work with “astropods”. Key Takeaways01:22 - Inside the marketing creative team at Superside03:07 - How Piotr describes his...2023-09-0650 min
Inside Marketing DesignBranding an AI company - S04E04 with Lin Zagorski LatimerIn this episode, Charli talks with Lin Zagorski Latimer, Staff Brand Designer at Scale AI, about marketing design in the world of AI. Lin discusses the design landscape for Scale AI's two distinct target audiences: AI-enabled and AI-constrained, the creative process behind the company's annual report, Zeitgeist, and the tools used in its creation. Lin also delves into the promotion strategies of Zeitgeist, the importance of appealing content, and leveraging AI tools for successful branding. Key Takeaways01:10 - Inside the brand team at Scale AI02:00 - Lin’s responsibilities as a Senior Brand Des...2023-08-0243 min
Inside Marketing DesignWhat it really means to "level up" a brand - S04E03 with Dan EdwardsIn this episode, Charli talks with Dan Edwards, Senior Visual Designer at Snyk, about his strategies for exceptional brand design. Together, they go behind the scenes of Snyk’s brand transformation, from the initial decision-making process to the challenging task of creating a brand design system. Dan also shares his insights on collaborating with product and marketing teams, the importance of trust in the process, and some of the hurdles he’s encountered along the way.Key Takeaways01:48 - Dan’s responsibilities as Senior Visual Designer at Snyk03:27 - Where does the brand design...2023-07-0555 min
Inside Marketing DesignBehind-the-scenes with Webflow's Brand Studio team - S04E02 with Jess RosenbergIn this episode, Charli talks with Jess Rosenberg, Director of Brand Design and Creative at Webflow, about how brand design works at the company, their key success metrics, and how they are able to consistently put out high-quality work.Jess also does a deep dive into how Webflow Conf came to be, and how exactly the brand studio team translated the Webflow brand into a live event.Key Takeaways01:32 - What is the brand studio team at Webflow responsible for?02:40 - Jess’s role as Director of Brand De...2023-06-0744 min
Deliverability DefinedSelling Digital Products Featuring Charli PrangleyMany people strive to become creators but often forget the discipline, hard work, and consistency required to build an audience. But while the task can seem daunting, it’s not impossible. The best way to learn how to grow a subscriber base is by learning from creators who have successfully done so.In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa talk with Charli Prangley, Creative Director at ConvertKit, about her experience as a YouTuber with more than 220K subscribers, and the author of the Marketing Design Dispatch newsletter with more than 15K subscribers. Charli discusses what le...2023-05-2349 min
Inside Marketing DesignHow ConvertKit's Brand Studio team has evolved - S04E01 with David PrestonIn this episode, Charli is joined by David Preston, Senior Brand Designer at ConvertKit. They do a deep dive into how ConvertKit has evolved over the years, what systems and processes have worked, what has needed to change, and what challenges they are still facing. David was a guest in season two of Inside Marketing Design where talked about his work as the Brand Marketing Manager at Sendible. Since joining ConvertKit in 2022, he has led the charge in some key areas and helped build out new systems that are critical for a small team.2023-05-0358 min
Inside Marketing DesignLessons from design leaders in Season 3The idea of reflecting on what you’ve heard and what you've learned is one of the best ways to actually take action on those learning. So, in this episode, we’re looking back at the most interesting and challenging parts of season 03 and distilling some actionable takeaways. We want to hear your takeaways as well. Please feel free to share them on YouTube or social media, or reach out directly. Key Takeaways00:00 - Reflecting is the best way to learn02:05 - The importance of a Brand Manager04:04 - Rebr...2022-12-1624 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E12 - Zendesk (Kristina Alford and Meghan Kelley)In this episode, Charli talks with Design Director, Kristina Alford, and Senior Digital Designer - Design Systems, Meghan Kelley, about creating systems and processes to maintain consistency, foster team connection and bridge silos across a very large organization, as well as how they use goals and functional teams to strengthen collaborationZendesk offers customer service and sales CRM tools that businesses use to give their customers a great experience.Meghan was impacted by Zendesk's recent layoffs and is now looking for her next opportunity to evolve emerging or established design systems...2022-12-0753 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E11 - RightMessage (with Co-Founder, Brennan Dunn)In this episode, Charli talks with Brennan Dunn, Co-Founder at RightMessage. Brennan is one of only two people at RightMessage, and he talks about how he balances all the various tasks on his plate, including design. Brennan also talks about personalization, and how focusing on specific segments of your audience can lead to a greater connection and, ultimately, higher conversion rates. Right Message is a tool that helps creators survey their audience to segment them and provide the most relevant content for that segment, as well as personalize their websites to speak directly to a...2022-11-3045 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E10 - Chargebee (with Design Manager, Shakthi Hari)In this episode, Charli talks with Shakthi Hari, Design Manager at Chargebee. Shakthi dives into how he uses systems and processes for everything from team collaboration to design process to iterating and shipping new projects. Shakthi also talks about documentation, and why it’s such a critical component of Chargebee’s process and ability to scale the output of a relatively small team.Chargebee is a globally-distributed company that helps businesses manage subscription billing and take payments.Key Takeaways02:04 - How Chargebee’s marketing design team is structured, and wh...2022-11-2359 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E09 - Planoly (with Design Manager, Carra Sykes)In this episode, Charli talks with Carra Sykes, Design Manager at PLANOLY. Carra talks about the evolution of social media, and how the shift toward video has impacted her team and the need for marketing designers with a broader skillset. She also talks about marketing design challenges, and how she balances her desire for high quality and the need to iterate quickly. PLANOLY is a social media content management and scheduling tool designed to simplify the social marketing process.Key Takeaways02:05 - How does the Marketing Design Team fit into PLANOLY’s o...2022-11-1656 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E08 - Funding Circle (with Lead Marketing Designer, Monika Pawlik)In this episode, Charli talks with Monika Pawlik, Lead Marketing Designer at Funding Circle. Monika talks about how she and her team have collaborated and stayed a tight-knit group through lots of change, working with external agencies, and how Funding Circle’s most successful campaign came to fruition.Funding Circle is a UK-based lending platform that offers specialized funding options for small businesses. Key Takeaways02:14 - Monika’s role as Lead Marketing Designer04:35 - Where the design team sits in the larger org structure06:24 - How designers collaborate at Fu...2022-11-0941 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E07 - Oyster (with Director of Brand, Justin Rands)In this episode, Charli talks with Justin Rands, Director of Brand at Oyster. Justin talks about the company’s fast growth, and their commitment to design from the very beginning. Justin also discusses how they have evolved the Oyster brand in a way that helps them stand out in a crowded space, and what they love about Webflow.Oyster is an employment and HR platform that makes it easy for companies to hire people from anywhere in the world.Key Takeaways02:14 - Justin’s role as Director of Bran...2022-11-0255 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E06 - Paystack (with Design Lead, Tomi Odusanya)In this episode, Charli talks with Tomi Odusanya, Design Lead on the Growth Design Team at Paystack. Tomi has a lot of experience as a designer and developer, so he brings real knowledge to the issues of speed and performance when building marketing websites for people with slower internet access. In addition to those metrics, Tomi talks about how Paystack uses data, the importance of understanding your users, and how to iterate on a live project when it’s not performing well enough. Tomi also talks about the design culture at Paystack and the things they do to foster th...2022-10-2646 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E05 - Sketch (with Carly Marsh and Osvaldas Poviliunas)In this episode, Charli talks with Sketch CMO, Carly Marsh, and Digital Designer, Osvaldas Poviliunas, about Sketch’s new website, how they incorporated the brand’s personality into the new design, and why it’s so important that product design informs every aspect of marketing design.Carly and Oz talk very openly about their take on competition, how they think through and design competitor comparison pages, and Sketch’s place in the market. And, yes, they absolutely talk about the fact that their biggest competitor, Figma, has just been acquired by Adobe, and what that mea...2022-10-191h 07
Inside Marketing DesignS03E04 - Zapier (with Creative Director, Michael Jeter)In this episode, Michael Jeter, Creative Director at Zapier, talks with Charli about Zapier’s recent rebrand and some surprising challenges they faced throughout the process. Michael is a fantastic storyteller, and he digs into his ideas about the philosophy behind design and how to communicate its true value. From the use of data and user research to process techniques and effectively managing a team, Michael shares so many valuable insights. You don’t want to miss this one! Zapier is an automation platform that helps you connect different apps to each other without code...2022-10-121h 09
Design Life267: How much did Charli earn this year?On Design Life we like to talk openly about money when we can, including our annual income reports! This time it's Charli's turn.2022-10-1033 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E03 - Auth0 (with Senior Brand Designer, Austin Couillard)In this episode, Austin Couillard, Senior Brand Designer at Auth0, talks with Charli about how the internal brand team works with external agencies to manage all the brand design needs, as well as the internal relationship-building that Austin considers vital to his work. Auth0 is an authentication and authorization platform that companies can use to make their users' signup and login process really smooth and, most of all, very secure.Key Takeaways03:48 - Austin’s responsibilities as a Senior Brand Designer05:38 - What brand designers do at Auth007:50 - Auth0’s creative process09:01 - Ho...2022-10-0552 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E02 - monday.com (with Noga Grinberg and Danielle Hassan)In this episode, monday.com’s Noga Grinberg and Danielle Hassan talk about how large teams are able to function and succeed using data, collaboration, and ownership. They also go behind the scenes of how they created and launched a massive multi-channel marketing campaign (including a Super Bowl ad). Monday offers workflow management tools that help teams collaborate on projects and stay productive.Key Takeaways02:37 - Noga’s and Danielle’s roles at monday05:53 - What it means to “own a channel”08:48 - How feedback works at monday11:25 - How Noga and Danielle ensure bran...2022-09-2856 min
Inside Marketing DesignS03E01 - Pitch (with Co-Founder & Brand Designer, Jan Martin)Pitch aims to help teams collaborate on creating beautiful presentations. It was started in 2018 by the co-founders of Wunderlist, including today’s guest, Jan Martin. Jan is both a co-founder and a brand designer, which makes him unique in the SaaS space.In this episode, Jan talks about how the design-centric DNA of Pitch came from learnings he had at Wunderlist, the importance of design systems that everyone can use, why he’s not a fan of wireframes, and much more. Key Takeaways00:15 - Jan’s responsibilities and day-to...2022-09-2151 min
Design Life260: Taking a sabbaticalIn this episode we chat about Charli’s recent sabbatical, the preparations involved beforehand and what elements from the month have become part of a new daily routine.2022-08-0128 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E09 Inside Marketing Design at HelloSignFollowing on from our look inside marketing design at Dropbox, in this episode we zoom in on HelloSign and learn how it functions as part of Brand Studio after being acquired, as well as the things Berenice has learned from the acquisition. Plus, we learn about how the HelloSign team uses our season sponsor Webflow for their marketing site, and why the switch to Webflow is one of the projects Berenice is most proud of.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try out the no-code site building tool for yourself right here: http://charli.link/imdpod-webflow2021-11-2351 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E08 Inside Marketing Design at DropboxIn this episode ECD Liz Gilmore takes us through the Brand Studio team structure at Dropbox and shares details on how she got buy-in from leadership and the team itself to restructure and implement a refined brand identity system to streamline things for Dropbox's next phase of growth.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try out the no-code site building tool for yourself right here: http://charli.link/imdpod-webflowLINKSFollow Liz on InstagramCheck out Dropbox TIMESTAMPS0:00 - A little about Dropbox2021-11-1754 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E07 Inside Marketing Design at LoomWhen Loom rebranded recently they handled it all internally. In this episode you'll learn about how they tackled this process (and the 2500 logo options they created along the way) as well as more about the ways the brand and product design teams work together to ensure a seamless experience for their users.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try out the no-code site building tool for yourself right here: http://charli.link/imdpod-webflowLINKSFollow Stewart on TwitterCheck out Loom TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - About Lo...2021-11-1049 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E06 Inside Marketing Design at InstacartInstacart experienced a lot of growth during the pandemic with us all ordering food from home. In this episode we hear from Monica about the ways in which marketing projects changed in 2020, the huge amount of work she and the CRM team get done, and the clear processes in place to make it all happen. You'll also learn about the design team structure, and the approach Instacart takes to create "craveable" food photography.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try out the no-code site building tool for yourself right here: http://charli.link/imdpod-webflow...2021-11-0248 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E05 Inside Marketing Design at Buffer (with Julia Jaskólska)Buffer is a pioneer in the remote work space, and in this episode you'll hear from Senior Marketing Designer Julia Jaskólska about how she gets her work done as Buffer's only marketing designer. As well as the processes for planning and designing effective sites, Julia also shares her philosophy on building a brand, collaborating with developers and setting the marketing team up for "self service" in their design needs.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try out the no-code site building tool for yourself right here: http://charli.link/imdpod-webflowLINKSF...2021-10-2649 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E04 Inside Marketing Design at Notion (with Cory Etzkorn)Cory joined the Notion team when they were just 15 people in a room. In this episode he tells us about both the early days of marketing design and Notion, and also about how things are working now that the team is a lot larger. We dive deep into the intricacies of making good product imagery, why illustration is a core part of the Notion brand, and some of the systems the team has put in place to deal with a large amount of design needs a fast-growing company has.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try...2021-10-1945 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E03 Inside Marketing Design at Stripe (with Tatiana Van Campenhout)Stripe's website designs are so well-renowned in the design industry that whenever a new version launches, heavily-influenced sites start to pop up around the web. In this episode I speak to Tatiana about how it feels to have your work so publicly praised, copied and critiqued and we get the details on the process the Stripe team went through to bring the 2020 site redesign to life.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try out the no-code site building tool for yourself right here: http://charli.link/imdpod-webflowLINKSFollow Tatiana on Twitter2021-10-1250 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E02 - Inside Marketing Design at Help Scout (with Matt Plays)Content is a priority to Help Scout, as is great imagery and design to accompany that content. In this episode you'll get the lowdown from Matt on the design process behind Help Scout's latest publication, In The Works, as well as insights into the team structure, processes and priorities that allow the team to produce high-quality work.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try out the no-code site building tool for yourself right here: http://charli.link/imdpod-webflowLINKSVisit Matt's site: https://www.mattplays.co/Follow matt on Twitter: https...2021-10-0547 min
Inside Marketing DesignS02E01 - Inside Marketing Design at Sendible (with David Preston)Being the only marketing designer on the team can be tough, but also very rewarding as you'll hear in this wonderfully transparent episode from David Preston. At Sendible, everyone on the team is encouraged to be the "CEO" of their own domain and you'll get a lot of great insights from David as he talks about his responsibilities and process for getting a lot done as a team of one.This season is proudly sponsored by Webflow! Try out the no-code site building tool for yourself right here: http://charli.link/imdpod-webflowLINKS F...2021-09-2847 min
Nathan Barry Archive045: Charli Prangley - Running a Successful Newsletter, Podcast, and YouTube ChannelCharli Prangley is the Creative Director at ConvertKit. Charli has a bachelor's degree in design, with an emphasis on visual communication, from Massey University. Before working at ConvertKit, Charli worked as a designer for companies such as Mitsubishi Electric, Xero, and her own Liner Note Kids.Born in New Zealand, Charli now lives in Valencia, Spain. She is passionate about helping creatives improve their craft and process, as well as working on her own side projects. When she’s not working at ConvertKit, Charli creates weekly content on her YouTube channel and podcast, Design Life, whe...2021-08-021h 07
The Food Blogger Pro PodcastSide Hustle Income - How Charli Prangley Doubled Her Side Hustle Income in One YearHow to make business branding decisions, what it means to be authentically vulnerable, and diversifying income with Charli Prangley. ----- Welcome to episode 313 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Charli Prangley about how she grows her business, builds her team, and does the work she loves. Side Hustle Income Charli is the Creative Director at ConvertKit, but she also does a ton of work on her side hustle. So much so, she was actually able to double her side hustle income in just a year! 2021-07-1353 min
Design Life221: Building design team cultureToday on Design Life we chat about building design team culture. A strong culture can help your team to have more impact in your company. Building design team culture improves how you get the work done and how you operate as a team, it can also make your team a more enjoyable place to work. We also discuss how Charli's approach to team building has changed since she became a manager.2021-05-0330 min
Design Life215: Running a hack dayHave you ever thought about organising a hack or jam day at your work? A hack, hackathon or jam day is an event for you and your team to put aside your usual work and focus on one project or idea, an opportunity to make progress within a tight time constraint, like one day or a half a day. In this episode Femke shares her experience of running jam days at Uber as Charli prepares to run a hack day for her team at Convertkit.2021-02-2328 min
Design Life202: Charli gets a promotion!Taking on a new role in any company is an exciting time with lots of opportunities to learn and develop your skills but taking on a newly developed role in your current company has its own set of challenges and rewards. We talk about what a Creative Director does, leading a team and up-skilling for a new role. @femkedotdesign on InstagramFlo WongLara Hogan Demystifying Management CourseWork with Charli at ConvertKit
2020-10-1329 min
Brand Your Passion08: Charli Prangley on being human, accepting help, and evolving your brand over timeThis week on the Brand Your Passion podcast, I was joined by Charli Prangley, a marketing designer and side-hustle addict based in Valencia, Spain. Alongside working full-time at ConvertKit as a Marketing Designer, Charli hosts the DesignLifeFM and Inside Marketing Design podcasts, runs a YouTube channel with over 175K subscribers, designs and sells digital products, and speaks at events all around the world.In this episode, we talk about being human and putting the personal in personal brand, accepting help from others who are experts at what they do, niching, evolving, and transitioning your brand o...2020-09-1538 min
Design Life196: Should you have to work nights and weekends to succeed in tech?Join the design life communitySupport the show by buying a Pin!Submit a topic
2020-08-1726 min
Design Life195: Working with freelancersThe inspiration for this topic came from Charli’s new series ‘Inside Marketing Design’ where she speaks with marketing designers working with the biggest Tech brands from around the world. A listener noticed a theme that many designers mentioned working with freelancers and we wanted to dive deeper into this topic and share our own experiences and insights of how to establish the freelancer/client relationship and the benefits or possible pitfalls of working with freelancers. Support the show on Patreon!
2020-08-1127 min
Design Life194: The future of AI/ML in designIn today’s episode of Design Life we talk about future proofing your skills to help you establish a long lasting career, by leveraging new technology to boost your creative thinking and using problem solving to develop innovative design solutions. Join the design life communitySupport the show by buying a Pin!Submit a topic
2020-08-0326 min
Design Life193: Too many meetingsHave you ever felt that you have so many meetings in one week that you don’t have time to get your work done? If this is the case finding focus time at work can be a struggle. In this episode of Design Life we discuss how to evaluate if you have control over your meetings and how to maximise your meetings so they are as productive as they can be.2020-07-2829 min
Design Life192: How to reach out for adviceCharli's new series - Inside Marketing DesignGet Femke's advice through SuperpeerJoin our Patreon!
2020-07-0630 min
Design Life191: Attaching self worth to your workWe spotted a tweet recently that said instead of working from home we’re living at work, a sentiment we can agree with. If your self worth is attached to your work, now more than ever you might be experiencing feelings of being unworthy, but you are worth more than your work. In this episode we talk honestly about our jobs, side projects and attaching self worth to our work.Join the community on PatreonVisit our online storeFollow us on Twitter
2020-06-3029 min
Design Life190: Creating design processes and workflowsToday on the Design Life podcast, we’re talking about processes and design operations. Writing briefs, developing processes and reviewing workflows are all part of the job, but sometimes it can feel like that’s all we do as designers! If your daily to-do list has shifted away from design, it might be time to start delegating. In this episode we discuss how to use your initiative to accelerate your success, when to improve a process and how to delegate effectively.2020-06-2428 min
Design Life189: Why are there so few women in design leadership?In this episode of Design Life we ask the question why are there so few women in design leadership? When Femke tweeted recently wondering why there is a disparity between men and women in design leadership, the replies showed this message resonated with a lot of people. In this episode we discuss why female design leaders are the exception rather than the rule, and what can women, and men, do about it.Femke’s TweetHow to be antiracist by Ibram X. KendiSign the petition for George Floyd
2020-06-1531 min
Design Life188: Creating and launching a digital productGrayscale - Charli's font!Glyphs font softwareTeela Cunningham font course
2020-06-0922 min
Design Life187: Launching a big projectConvert Kit HomepageAngie KwanJoin our Patreon!
2020-05-2629 min
Design Life186: Design QA ProcessAlthough we work for companies of different sizes and on vastly different kinds of projects, there are more similarities between our QA reviews than there are differences. A QA is a process that every designer implements as the project comes closer to completion, as a designer you need to check everything is good to go for your launch date. Hitting snags at the end of a project is common, we discuss how we’ve evolved our design QA process to get the best results.
2020-05-1930 min
Design Life185: Facilitating workshops with Jonathan Courtney (AJ&Smart)Jonathan has worked with companies like Lego, Twitter and even the UN, running sprints to make design decision making easier. Following on from our recent topic of design decision making, we ask Jonathan to tell us more about how we can get out of busy work and instead, spend time creating through easier, faster and more collaborative design decision making.AJ&SmartThe Workshopper Playbook
2020-05-0552 min
Design Life184: Making design decisionsAs designers, we make a lot of decisions. From moving something two pixels to the left to redesigning an entire website, our decisions range in difficulty. Today on Design Life we talk about how we go about making these decisions and how to overcome decision paralysis.Join the community on PatreonCheck out our online store
2020-04-2833 min
Design Life183: Design reviews and getting feedbackDesign reviews can seem a bit like a holy grail but using them to the designer’s advantage to create a successful project is key. We dive deep into the processes in place for formal and informal design reviews and crits where we work and share what we have learned from giving and receiving feedback.
2020-04-2233 min
Design Life182: Starting a new side projectOn this episode of Design Life we are talking side projects. You might have a few ideas bouncing around in your mind of late, that keep coming back to you. Maybe you want to see if your idea would spark interest in the audience you have in mind, but you don’t know where to start. Using our own side projects as examples, we talk about how you can bring your idea to life and avoid potential pitfalls along the way. Burger bun recipe
2020-04-1431 min
Design Life181: Getting through a motivation slumpIn this week’s episode of Design Life, we have a timely discussion about our motivation while working from home. These are unprecedented times we’re living in. Trying to find and stay motivated while also building a new routine when working from home is a challenge. We discuss our levels of motivation as it changes from day-to-day and why it’s important not to give yourself a hard time if you’re feeling less motivated than usual.Femke's video: Temporary workstation setup while working from home (Desk Tour)Join our community!
2020-04-0626 min
Design Life180: Working from home during COVID-19Many people find themselves working from home at the moment as workplaces play their part in helping to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. For those of us who are working from home for the first time, or returning to remote working after some time in the office, we use this episode of Design Life to chat about the benefits of working from home and how we stay productive in our new environment. We also share the struggles we face as we miss our colleagues and how we use technology to stay connected.Join the community on...2020-03-2439 min
Design Life179: How to build your networkIn this episode of Design Life we discuss how to build your network. Over the course of your career, how can you build a strong, supportive network? We talk about taking the organic approach to creating your network so you can you successfully leverage the support of your colleagues online and IRL.How to network as an introvert116: An alternative approach to networking107: Advice for networking
2020-03-1730 min
Design Life178: Performance reviewsGiving and receiving feedback can be tricky. In this episode we talk about performance reviews, which is quite timely as both of us have just finished or are in the process of having ours. We discuss how feedback works on our teams, how this helps us and what we plan to do with our feedback.Join our community!Buy a Work In Progress pin!
2020-03-0938 min
Design Life174: How to start and grow a design Youtube ChannelHave you ever thought about starting your own YouTube channel? In this week’s episode of Design Life we speak about our channel’s journeys, what has worked consistently and what we have done differently over time. We speak honestly about growing our channels, dealing with controversy, balancing content, monetisation and sponsorship. This episode is a must-listen for any designer who wants to start or grow a design YouTube channel.01.39 – Catch up04.15 – Gaps in the Youtube design community10.18 – Striking a content balance12.13 – Our favourite videos to make16.44 – Dealing with controversy2020-01-1337 min
Design Life172: Fulfilling your potentialIs the weight of your potential weighing you down? Potential can be both a blessing and a curse. When you feel fulfilled, you are able to focus on the task at hand and complete your best work. If you possess a greater potential than the task at hand requires, over time, completing this task will leave you feeling unfulfilled. In this week’s episode, inspired by Charli’s blog post, we go deep and talk about how fulfilled we feel right now, the weight of potential and getting unstuck.
2019-12-1129 min
Design Life171: Learnings from Adobe MaxIn this episode of Design Life we have a special guest joining us, Zach Grosser. Zach joins Charli on the podcast this week as they both attended Adobe MAX 2019, Charli was an Adobe Insider this year and Zach was invited to attend by Adobe as a UX leader. Charli and Zach discuss their key takeaways from this year’s flagship creativity conference.Bézier podcast with Zach GrosserTalk to Me by Dean NelsonFull Time You by Meg Lewis
2019-12-0343 min
Design Life165: Staying creative during life changesAfter a short hiatus the Design Life podcast is back! Staying creative and motivated during big life changes can be a real challenge, one we have recently faced. We have jumped at the chance for our next adventure and moved to new countries. Femke has joined the Uber design team in Toronto, working with a new team on Uber Eats. Charli continues to work remotely for Convertkit but has swapped the hustle and bustle of London for sunny Valencia!
Trying to stay inspired while also managing the logistics of a big move to another country is a challenge...2019-09-0929 min
Design Life163: Earning passive incomePassive income is a great way for designers to earn a little extra every month alongside your full time or freelance gig. In this episode of Design Life we discuss the different passive income streams we have used successfully, what we have learned and what we hope to try in the future.
Charli’s passive income, a breakdown
Amazon Associates
2019-07-0830 min
Design Life160: Every creative feels broken insideThis episode comes by way of a talk Charli heard at the How Design Live conference in Chicago. Stephen Gates delivered a thought provoking presentation, about living life as a creative. One question in particular stood out - is our manufactured reality killing the design industry and our creativity? In this episode of Design Life we tease out this topic, and how we see it play out in our lives and in our careers.
Dribbble's HANG TIME – Get $100 off admission!
Stephen Gates
How Design Live
Join the community!
2019-05-2934 min
Design Life151: Running Design SprintsIn this episode of Design Life, we discuss running design sprints. In the Product/UX community for the last couple of years, design sprints have been growing in popularity. As a UX designer herself, Femke has run a couple of mini design sprints at Uber and found them useful. We talk about the what, why and how of design sprints and give you the steps you need to introduce them at your workplace.
AJ & Smart
Sprint - The Design Sprint Book
Femke's Youtube Channel
Charli's series about Ecommerce with Webflow
2019-03-0430 min
The Logo Geek PodcastGetting your dream design job - An interview with Charli PrangleyIf you’re looking for a design job it can often be hard to find an opportunity, even if you’re the most talented designer. But if you get your CV and portfolio right, and put yourself out there too you’re more likely to get the job you’ve always dreamed of.
To help with this, on this weeks podcast Ian Paget speaks with Charli Prangley to discuss job application tips, portfolio, CV and job interview advice, and also how she found her dream job through networking, public speaking, YouTube videos, Podcasts and a number of side pro...2018-10-1447 min
Design Life140: How to switch careersToday we are talking about switching careers to become a designer. Charli was asked a question via her Youtube channel by a viewer who wants to switch from a career in marketing to a career in design. The feedback she has been given by recruiters so far is that she is over qualified for a junior role, but lacks the experience for a mid-weight design role. We try to shed some light on how our eager designer can use her prior experience to her advantage in her career switch.
2018-10-0830 min
Design Life133: Becoming a hybridMany designers want to welcome more development skills into their toolkit and become a hybrid. In reality however, it can be a struggle to fit in the learning required to develop complementary skills while also completing the tasks you were hired to do! In this episode Charli shares her experience of becoming a hybrid, and the practical steps she took to expand her skillset.
Treehouse
SUPERHi
2018-08-1334 min
Design Life110: Making a career shiftBoth Design Life hosts have made the decision to shift their career in the past and change design disciplines: Femke from marketing to product design, and Charli from print to web design. In this episode we discuss what it was like to make this shift and share some advice for how to go about it if it’s something you’ve been thinking about doing too.
2018-01-2436 min
The Laptop Lifestyle with Alexis TeichmillerOvercoming Creative Blocks and Impostor Syndrome with Designer and Youtuber, Charli PrangleyIf you're struggling with overcoming creative blocks in your life and business, or perhaps you're battling with that inner voice telling you "you're not good enough" this episode with Charli is for you.
Charli Prangley is a designer from New Zealand currently living and loving life in London. She’s passionate about side projects and when she’s not designing at ConvertKit she's running an online store, and creating content for her design-centric 70k+ subscriber YouTube channel (CharliMarieTV) and podcast (Design Life) with the aim of helping out young creatives.2017-12-0500 min
Design Life078: Using video to build and connect with an audienceIn the future, making videos will be just as common as writing blog posts. In this episode we talk about the benefits of creating online video (hint: it’s more than just audience growth!) and Charli gives advice to Femke for getting started and what to expect. More at www.designlife.fm.
2017-05-2238 min
Podcasting with AaronGetting to 20,000 Subscribers with Charli PrangleyCharli Prangley is a designer by day and a content creator by... well, pretty much the rest of the time. In addition to her day job, she produces two high-quality Youtube videos and a podcast every week, and also runs an online apparel shop. I was so impressed with the consistency and quality of her output that I knew I had to get her on the show to share how she creates so much while still working a full-time job.If you've ever struggled with creating consistently or trying to get everything 100% perfect before shipping, you need...2016-06-2742 min
Less Than or EqualCharli Prangley and Femke van SchoonhovenCharli and Femke join Aleen to talk about side projects, making things happen, getting up early, and moving far away from home!
Guest Starring: Femke van Schoonhoven and Charli Prangley
Links and Show Notes Design Life Podcast Charli on Twitter Femke on Twitter CharliMarieTV - YouTube Charli's Blog Liner Note Kids Femke's Blog on The Apartment seanwes2016-03-2350 min