Design Life

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer [https://framer.link/femke]. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at framer.link/femke [https://framer.link/femke] Femke and Charli explore their coaching experiences, the importance of active listening, and navigating coaching challenges from both coach and coachee perspectives. 0:47 Episode start 01:59 Framer [https://framer.link/femke] sponsorship 03:06 What was your coaching workshop experience? 09:47 How often do you find yourself in a coaching mindset? 15:38 Have you ever used coaching questions to help someone find a solution, only to encounter disagreement or struggle, requiring you to be more directive? How did you handle it? 19:59 How do dynamics change with peers once you become a manager? 21:53 What is active listening, and why is it important? 25:10 What has been your experience as a coachee? Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Framer [https://framer.link/femke]. Make sure to check them out Femke's new community [https://www.femke.design/community] Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” [https://maven.com/femke/product-strategy-for-designers] Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm [hello@designlife.fm]

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer [https://framer.link/femke]. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at framer.link/femke [https://framer.link/femke] Femke and Charli delve into the relationship between a designer and a product manager, exploring perspectives on role responsibilities, skill overlaps, relationship-building advice and distinctions between product marketing and brand design roles. Timestamps:  01:27 Episode starts 02:22 Framer [http://framer.link/femke] sponsorship 04:00 Typical relationship between a designer and a PM — what it looks like from Fem’s perspective. 05:26 Is it the PM's responsibility to set the direction of the role, meaning: defining the problem to solve, outlining potential solutions? And then, is it the designer's role to present what they believe is the best solution? 06:55 Is it fair to say that there's a significant overlap in the skill sets of a product manager and a UX designer? 11:55 What advice would you give for building a strong relationship? How can designers foster a good partnership with PMs? 13:47 What are the key differences between a product marketing manager and a brand designer or marketing designer? Specifically, on the product design side. 17:57 Regarding briefs from product marketers — how solution-oriented are they? Are they more focused on campaign goals, or do they also include specific design solutions? 19:58 Since you work in a decentralized manner from the product or feature teams, do product marketers coordinate among themselves? What happens if two campaigns conflict or need to be run simultaneously? How does Charli handle such situations? 22:57 How do you collaborate with a product marketing manager as a UX designer?   Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Framer [https://framer.link/femke]. Make sure to check them out Femke's new community [https://www.femke.design/community] Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” [https://maven.com/femke/product-strategy-for-designers] Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm [hello@designlife.fm]

Thank you to our sponsor, Workflow. As a listener, you can experience the Workflow too with an exclusive 30-day trial (instead of the usual 14) — so you can see the magic for yourself. Head to workflow.design/designlife [http://workflow.design/designlife] to start your extended trial today. Femke and Charli discuss the nature of vision work—whether it’s expected of designers, how their teams create space for it, their approach to the outcomes of pitches, and the criteria they use to prioritize ideas from vision presentations. Timestamps: 0:30 Episode start 01:23 Workflow sponsorship 02:47 Can you define what vision work is? 04:56 In your company, are you instructed to do vision work, or is it something product designers are expected to do at some point? Are you expected to present the vision? 10:37 Do you think it's important for designers to make time for this work, especially if they haven't been explicitly asked to do it? 12:47 How does Charli's team allocate time for strategic impact work, and what is their approach to it? 17:51 Have any outcomes from those pitches surprised you? For example, did you prioritize an idea that ended up being very successful? 21:53 If several design visions are presented twice a year, how do you decide when to deeply consider the ideas within those visions? 24:36 Did you go through any exercises like vision work prior to your brand redesign? Links: A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Workflow [https://www.workflow.design/designlife] Make sure to check them out Femke's new community [https://www.femke.design/community] Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” [https://maven.com/femke/product-strategy-for-designers] Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm [hello@designlife.fm]

Thank you to our sponsor, Workflow. As a listener, you can experience the Workflow too with an exclusive 30-day trial (instead of the usual 14) — so you can see the magic for yourself. Head to workflow.design/designlife [http://workflow.design/designlife] to start your extended trial today.  Femke and Charli reflect on the Figma Config event, exploring exciting new features like Figma Make and Draw, and sharing their thoughts on potential future innovations such as AI-powered tools and conversational interfaces. Timestamps: 01:04 Episode intro 01:39 Workflow [https://www.workflow.design/designlife] sponsorship 02:59 Figma Config event 2025 6:15 Design leaders were absent from the main stage of the conference. 08:39 Femke co-hosted an event at Figma Config 09:52 Figma’s new products and features: Grid, Figma Sites, Figma Make, Figma Buzz and Figma Draw 10:30 Which new feature excited Femke and Charli the most? 12:59 How do you think these updates will impact market designers' workflows? 19:38 What are your impressions of Figma Make? 23:43 Do you see yourself incorporating Figma Make into your workflow? 24:51 What about Draw? Do you think it will be useful for you? 30:48 Is Figma concerned about cannibalizing its community—balancing features versus plugins? For example, what used to be a plugin is now integrated directly into the tool. 32:55 Do you have any guesses about what might be announced in the future? What features would you like to see? What's currently missing for you? 33:50 Do you think Figma will ever develop a chatbox interface? 35:36 Finally, what do you think they might announce next year? Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Workflow [https://www.workflow.design/designlife] Make sure to check them out Femke's new community [https://www.femke.design/community] Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” [https://maven.com/femke/product-strategy-for-designers] Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm [hello@designlife.fm]

This episode is sponsored by Mobbin [https://mobbin.com/?via=femke], 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 shares her experience returning to work, exploring team dynamics, personal impacts, surprises, challenges, and positive aspects of re-entering the workplace after maternity leave. Timestamps: 0:49 Episode intro 01:39 Mobbin [https://mobbin.com/browse/ios/apps?via=femke] sponsorship 06:56 How did your first days back at work go? 10:15 Did it feel like you were joining the same company, or was it a different experience? How did it feel to meet your new team? 11:58 Your team previously had a manager. How do they feel about you joining the team? Were there any steps you took to establish a positive relationship from the start? 13:23 Can you tell me more about what your team does? 14:40 How would you describe your current responsibilities? How do they compare to your responsibilities before your maternity leave? 17:42 When you first joined Gusto as a manager, was your role a backfilled position, or was it a new managerial role? 19:10 What has been the personal impact of returning to work? How was your first week back as a working mom? 21:49 One of the biggest surprises upon your return has been the influence of AI. How has this impacted your work? 25:09 What has been the most surprising and the most challenging aspect of coming back to work? 28:15 And finally, what has been the most rewarding or positive aspect of going back to work? Links: A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Mobbin! [https://mobbin.com/?via=femke]Make sure to check them out Femke's new community [https://www.femke.design/community] Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” [https://maven.com/femke/product-strategy-for-designers] Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at hello@designlife.fm [hello@designlife.fm]