Design leadership is a 2-wheeled bike


Dear Reader,

It's time to put on your facilitation hats and strategy caps because we're diving into how these two skills are linked (and essential for a career in design leadership).

Facilitation and strategy are two different skills, but they are more connected than you might think.

Just like how a bicycle needs both wheels to move forward smoothly and efficiently, a designer needs both facilitation and strategic design skills to progress and lead effectively.

Without facilitation skills, a designer may struggle to collaborate with team members and lead productive meetings.

Without strategy skills, a designer may struggle to make informed design decisions and align their work with business goals.

Just as a bicycle rider needs both wheels to reach their destination, a designer needs both facilitation and strategic design skills to reach their full potential as a leader.

So, if you want to climb the design career ladder, learn to not only hone your design skills but also develop your facilitation and strategic thinking abilities.

First, you need to understand what "facilitation" and "strategic design" mean.

Check out these two detailed articles that explain these concepts and provide resources to help you improve your skills in each area.

from Dan Hill, designer, urbanist, and educator
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From Strategy to Policy Design

Access the slides from last nights talk from Guglielmo Apolloni on how to initiate systemic change within an organization.
​Download the slides​

How to Lead with Strategy
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Wednesday, March 29, 2023​
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Learn a whole new way to guide teams, not just pixels.​
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Reserve a seat​

Defining UX Strategy
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April 17-May 8, 2023​
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Learn how to build a winning UX or product strategy that aligns design with business.
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Reserve a seat​

Facilitating Workshops
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May 15-Jun. 5, 2023​
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Learn how to design creative working sessions and lead collaborative work.
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Reserve a seat​

🏆 A Designer’s Code of Ethics
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Mike Monteiro presents a designer's code of ethics, emphasizing the responsibility of designers to consider the impact of their work on society.​
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shared by Hana Burianová​
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Learn more​

🚀 How To Access GPT-4 (and what it can do)
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A video that breaks down the announcement as well as what it can do right now and what it will be able to do in the future​
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shared by Jerome Bertrand​
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Learn more​

🧠 What is a Cognitive Bias?
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Every single cognitive bias in one infographic
​shared by Teddy Prosser​
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Learn more​

Apply to join the Guild of Working Designers here.

shared by Asia Jackowska in the Guild​

Until next week!

Hannah Baker
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Educator & Co-Founder
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The Fountain Institute

The Fountain Institute

The Fountain Institute is an independent online school that teaches advanced UX & product skills.

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