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 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 Make sure to check them out

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

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 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 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 Make sure to check them out

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

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 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 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! Make sure to check them out

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

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 starts

04:36 Mobbin sponsorship

06:11 Femke shares her journey in choosing between an individual contributor (IC) role and a managerial position.

07:43 What factors influenced your decision to pursue a career as a design manager?

13:43 Advice on how to determine which career path is right for you.

17:19 Have you ever considered different direction when you were in a design manager role?

23:45 Does Femke envision herself managing people, and what key responsibilities define the role of a design manager?

Links:

A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Mobbin! Make sure to check them out

Charli's latest Youtube video

Femke's livestreams

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

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 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 impostor syndrome.

Timestamps: 

0:48 Episode begins
2:01 Mobbin sponsorship
3:54 Transitioning from mid to senior: How did responsibilities change? Was it a significant shift?
12:01 Tactics to boost confidence and support in your new role—understanding expected responsibilities and seeking peer insights.
15:08 Is this level of responsibility common for senior roles? Insights on expected workload.
21:11 Additional strategies for listeners to gain confidence in their new role.
24:26 Advice for embracing new opportunities versus dealing with impostor syndrome.

Links:

A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Mobbin! Make sure to check them out

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

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 start

2:23 Mobbin sponsorship

4:15 What is the current state of AI in design? Charli's experience using AI in a hackathon project

11:48 Will AI take away our jobs?

13:29 Potential workflows for designing with AI

15:01 Recommendations for AI tools

23:11 How prevalent is the use of AI tools across the industry?

Links:

A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Mobbin! Make sure to check them out 

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

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 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 expand her team, as well as the current tasks she is delegating. Finally, they delve into the costs associated with outsourcing.

Timestamps:

0:45 Episode intro

1:49 Mobbin sponsorship

3:11 What has been your journey in hiring people to assist with your side projects, and where did you begin?

10:26 What steps have you taken to find the right talent, and what advice would you offer to others?

14:51 If Charli were to return to her side projects, who would she choose to hire, and what tasks would she prioritize for outsourcing?

22:14 What would be your next hire for Charli’s upcoming business?

23:25 Have you received career coaching? Follow Badass Empires with Rosie on instagram

24:17 Are there any roles Femke is considering outsourcing to expand her team, and are there current tasks she is thinking about delegating?

27:19 What are the costs associated with outsourcing?

Links:

A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Mobbin! Make sure to check them out 

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

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 also explore the value of different content formats, such as short-form versus long-form content, the effective leveraging of sponsorships and alternative revenue streams, and which platforms to use for posting. 

Episode timestamps:

0:54 Episode start

01:37 Mobbin Sponsorship

05:52 What was your first side project?

9:16 Should you approach your side project as a money-making venture from day one, or is it better to treat it as a personal passion project?

14:04 How Femke went from blogging to where she is at now.

15:27 Charli's side gigs

16:19 How does Charli approach sponsorships in her work?

19:00 What are some other methods for generating income aside from sponsorships?

20:44 With the knowledge we have now, what steps would we take first when starting our side projects?

22:34 Is short-form content truly valuable? Do audiences form attachments to short-form creators compared to those who produce long-form content? Femke and Charli share their perspectives on different formats

Links:

A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Mobbin! Make sure to check them out 

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

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 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 content creation, writing projects, and ideas for future books.

Episode timestamps:

0:37 Episode start

1:35 Playbook sponsorship

4:04 What was the first goal you wrote down?

9:50 Femke’s new community

13:36 Other goals on the list

28:53 Hobby-related goals

Links:

Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflow

Femke's new community

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

‍

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 set is essential.

Timestamps: 

0:53 - Episode Begins

1:43 - Playbook Sponsorship

3:16 - Catching Up

5:12 - What are the current expectations for skill sets in the design market?

10:04 - As a designer, how do you feel about the trend of companies prioritizing shipping over pixel-perfect craftsmanship? Why do some companies address skill gaps by hiring specialists as freelancers?

19:38 - What's your stance on specializing versus being a generalist? What changes have you made in your approach recently?

20:43 - What constitutes reasonable expectations for a generalist? Is it about specific skills or broader responsibilities? What is a "V-shaped skill set"?

22:43 - How do you view the role of AI in future-proofing your career?

26:26 - Any advice on how to effectively broaden your skill set?

Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflow

Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers”

Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]