Design Leadership
grow from IC into lead or head of design role with advanced leadership, AI integration, stakeholder management, and team collaboration skills
experience
senior product designers, design managers
Group
30 students
Duration
1 month
Instructors from:
Apple, Meta, Deliveroo, Zalando, Ernst&Young, GetYourGuide and 10+ world-famous companies
Language
English
it's a match, if you are:
- 01
a senior interface designer, product designer, or design manager seeking to enhance your leadership skills and strategic impact in design
- 02
aiming to transition into a design leadership position, with a solid foundation in design principles and practices
- 03
experienced in managing design projects, conducting research, and working with stakeholders, and looking to advance your career
learn how to grow
into a design leader
what you’ll be able to do after completing the course:
- develop and pitch a design roadmap and strategy to stakeholders
- conduct extensive market research and share the results across your organization
- measure and improve design based on data and metrics
- innovate with your team using proven design thinking methods
- apply proven leadership and management frameworks such as Lean Canvas, design briefs, and the Value Proposition Canvas
- iterate on your product, projects and team faster using AI tools
- move from designing individually to leading projects, organizing people and creating value
- cultivate trust and cooperation within your team, and master the essentials of the feedback culture
program
new insights and challenges
- 01.week 1. design leadership in detail
- understand the three types of design leadership, and core skills that separate a good leader from a great one
- discover 12 qualities of effective organisations needed for truly effective design teams
- map the real needs of your team and organisation with tools like design maturity index and adapt your leadership style for maximum impact
- formulate a step-by-step design leadership plan tailored for both distributed and co-located teams
- design rituals that reinforce the beliefs and behaviours of creative teams and organisations
- 02.finding opportunities & defining impactful business problems
- get proficient at the problem framing that inspires others to search for creative solutions
- master the frameworks like lean canvas, design briefs, value proposition canvas that help to deal with ambiguity, shape the right problem and cut ineffective business requests
- learn how the design discovery process can help you drive consistent innovations and do it collaboratively
- discover how to use strategic research, foresight and system thinking to identify biggest opportunities and motivate your team for design greatness
- get fluent at communicating ideas in a way to get a business buy-in
- 03.week 2. leading design projects for defined problem space
- how to lead the process of roadmapping
- what are the possible process setup solutions
- what is the team setup regarding the project roadmap
- what are the roadmap planning tactics
- 04.helping your team succeed during solution phase
- craft a team agreement to create a culture of belonging
- set the stage for creative thinking with intentionally designed meetings and modes of thinking
- become proficient in creative facilitation using the 4C model to ensure the engagement of the right stakeholders in the most effective formats
- utilize AI tools effectively during the inspiration gathering and brainstorming phases
- develop skills to critically evaluate and select the best ideas, enhancing the potential for innovative solutions
- 05.week 3. how to be a good design leader
- get a different perspective into what leading for creativity means and how might your team or organisation benefit from more creative support
- dive deeper into the 3 types of leadership
- discover what will be easy to integrate into your team or organisation and what will be difficult
- create your strategies for staying present and engaged. Learn how you will know when to lean in and when to create space for your team to take ownership
- 06.growing your design teammates from the interview up to senior level
- learn to identify hidden gems during interviews and within your team, enhancing talent discovery and retention
- master management from an individual contributor (IC) perspective to elevate team performance and productivity
- develop methods to support and facilitate the growth of your teammates, fostering a culture of continuous improvement
- promote peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, creating a dynamic environment where collective knowledge enhances individual and team success
- 07.week 4. building and managing the most productive and motivated design team
- learn the principles of building the right team for specific projects, ensuring optimal alignment and efficiency
- master the art of vocalising the right values and messages, reinforcing a strong team culture and clear vision
- develop strategies to unblock your team and advance in projects with high ambiguity, promoting continuous progress
- foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment, enhancing team synergy and innovation
- address handling burnout and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, crucial for sustaining long-term productivity and motivation
- 08.working with in/out feedback for better result
- introduce a robust feedback culture, defining its significance and impact in design and general team settings
- understand the characteristics of effective and constructive feedback using the Specific, Behavioral, Impact, Next Steps (SBIN) framework
- navigate the timing of feedback, weighing the benefits of immediate versus delayed responses
- set clear expectations and goals aligned with feedback to enhance performance and clarity
- tailor feedback effectively to the receiver’s role and objectives, utilising various feedback channels to optimise understanding and response
- implement best practices for feedback documentation and progress tracking, ensuring every piece of feedback translates into actionable insights
- enhance receptiveness to feedback, developing strategies to foster a growth mindset and objective understanding within your team
- learn techniques for active listening, managing emotional responses, and utilising feedback to propel personal and professional development
- 09.week 5. building the storytelling skills for the successful presentation
- use knowledge of your audience, their needs for the most powerful way to format your story
- increase your ability to engage and inspire others through the development of tone, style, medium and timing
- understand how design leaders can effectively work with other departments like engineering, marketing, and product management
- learn to measure and communicate the impact of design work to stakeholders
- get advice from the speakers on practising and perfecting your storytelling skills
- 10.using AI for the better results
- use AI to visualize complex project structures for improved clarity
- streamline project planning, task allocation, and timeline creation with AI-driven insights
- identify potential bottlenecks and resource gaps using AI analysis
- enhance team communication and collaboration through AI-enabled tools
- optimize workload distribution and delegation by leveraging AI insights
- track progress and gain performance insights with AI-based monitoring
- generate compelling visuals and infographics using AI capabilities
- craft persuasive narratives with AI assistance to enhance storytelling
- personalize content for different audiences using AI-driven customization
- 11.week 6. AI and design ethics
- balance efficiency gains and innovation with potential job displacement when using AI in design
- augment creativity without over-relying on automation to maintain a human touch in design
- leverage data-driven insights while respecting privacy to ensure ethical design practices
- understand AI's impact on design workflows and decision-making for informed use
- ensure ethical use of AI-generated content by understanding our responsibility as designers
- maintain human creativity alongside AI tools to preserve originality
- stay updated on AI capabilities and limitations to use tools effectively
- ensure AI tools are used responsibly and sustainably in the design process
- address bias and promote fairness in AI systems when building AI-based solutions
- design for transparency to build user trust in AI-driven products
- consider and mitigate long-term societal impacts of AI for responsible innovation
- 12.building the vision of the game-changing products
- craft a vision that inspires and aligns with both business objectives and customer aspirations
- identify disruptive opportunities by analyzing market trends and user needs
- translate the vision into a strategic roadmap with clear milestones and objectives
- engage and align your team around the vision through effective communication and storytelling
- adapt and evolve the vision as new insights, feedback, and technological advancements emerge
- measure the impact of the vision regularly to ensure it drives innovation and delivers long-term value
instructors.
they will be there for you
Product Design Lead at Meta Reality Labs (AR/VR).
Over 20 years in Product Design across Interaction, UI, UX, and Motion, currently focused on cutting-edge technologies, leading the design of Virtual Reality platforms at Meta Reality Labs. Previously, Jon led the design of Augmented Reality tools and platforms for creators at Meta Spark. Designed for a range of industries, spanning automotive, AI, and sports.
Design Leader & Strategist GetYourGuide, Ex-Product Design Manager (UX) for Zalando Payments Team.
20+ years of experience in designing digital products. 5 years leading design teams and crafting product and service strategies. Previously at Zalando, Fjord (Accenture Interactive), Motorola. A self-taught career that started in her early 13's at her stepfather's tech lab in Brazil that led Luana through a diverse range of professional experiences including big Airline, Banking and Marketplaces. Luana has supported several teams on achieving stronger design maturity, empathetic collaboration and sustainable growth.
Staff Product Designer at Deliveroo.
Over 12 years in designing products & services. Albina changed the way people shop groceries in over 11 markets for Deliveroo, created an all-in-one investment platform, replacing seven old systems at Octopus Investments, and created award-winning campaigns for brands like Huggies at ISD Group. She was recognised with internal promotions to leading roles in each organisation. Her true passion lies in empowering designers through creative collaboration in a practical environment, guiding them to discover their unique style and hone ‘super skills’.
Founder of Bencium® AI Consultants.
Strategic AI Consultant and Product Designer with over a decade of experience in UX and product design, business strategy, and advanced AI applications. He has led product design for major companies like Nortal, Natwest, EY, and HSBC, and has contributed to AI-driven projects across various sectors including healthcare, finance, and public services.
what you’re in for
access to exclusive industry insights and trends
2 online webinars per week and 10+ hours per week to complete homework 
a lot of feedback from experienced instructors, many edits and improvements
interactive online meetings, where listening in the background will not work, because you turn knowledge from lectures into skills, analyzing projects with the instructors and fellow students
certificate for achievements — completion of homework
have you decided?
here's how to get on the course
1apply
2fill in the application form
3pay for the course
4start training
- 1
apply
- 2
fill in the application form
- 3
pay for the course
- 4
start training
reviews.
what students say
*According to the research of the Projector.
The study involved 567 respondents
among graduates of the courses in 2022.
instructors' workplaces.
Meta
Apple
Ernst & Young
Meta Reality Labs
Zalando
Philips
Cisco
Deliveroo
Get your guide
Palo Alto Networks
Motorola
Bencium® AI Consultants
Nortal
FAQ
- what is design leadership?
- who is not likely to take this course?
- will the webinars be recorded?
- will I still have access to the lecture videos after the course is over?
- will I get a certificate?