Attended my first Grace Hopper Celebration after 20 years in tech. I'm sharing tips on empowering women and non-binary folks in our field. Learn to craft your story, showcase your value, and use diverse skills to stand out.
In this issue, I cover the good (attending the Grace Hopper Conference and taking a break), the bad (burnout, falling behind on content creation, and the return-to-office mandate), and the ugly (a story of credit theft and toxic work environments).
Navigating the challenges of a new team, I find myself caught in the crossfires of conflicting work styles, tackling issues of execution, culture, and politics.
Define yourself and target audience to communicate your unique value
Next generation of design work and being in a new team
A new era on ways of working
If you are starting a new project with a new stakeholder, a new job, or even a new team, what should you do in the first 30 days?
Closing the chapter of my first team
Authenticity demands imperfection and vulnerability
We are bold women.
I'm writing to you from the PNW! Flew in on Sunday and had my first bowl of 🍜Ramen at Danbo. I've never heard of this place, went because of high ratings. Hit the spot for an introvert like me, eating noodles alone at the bar counter.
Learnings from writing for a year...
Research
84% of company leadership believe innovation is a high priority, but 94% of them are dissatisfied with the performance of the innovation. A great product and service is long-lasting, but how do we know the idea today will stick?
Frameworks & Mental Model
I presented a talk called "How do you design innovation" at the University of Chicago and SAIC, focusing on customer-centric design and exploring Jobs-To-Be-Done. I aimed to cover this complex subject in less than 18 minutes.
AMA
As a personal project, I am working with Aaron to create a new Youtube series "Speedrun to Senior" where I will try to speed up his skills and fill the gaps.
Satire
"Cat, are our jobs safe? Google is laying people off."
Burnout
Breaking customer trust is easy. A company’s business and way of working dictates the limitations and boundaries in which designers manage, operate, and deliver for end customers.
Writing
Happy Tuesday. Last week's post "5 stories from two decades of design" took me two weeks to write. I wrote that 3 times, each time when I read it, I thought "what is this?" đź«Ł I had imposter syndrome. I forced myself to post an
Life
Celebrating two decades in design this February, I hope my story highlights the qualities that define not just successful designers, but individuals who thrive in an environment of constant change.
Career Growth
Surprise! An email on a Friday. Warm welcome to 5 new subscribers in January! Sxd4383, Pooja, Miyu, Lanre, and Emylie. You know what I do on Fridays? I briefly summarize: 1. What were my top 2-3 focus tasks this week? 2. What small wins did I achieve with these tasks?
Life
Last Wednesday at the office was eerily quiet. Layoffs of 2024 happened with a few teams (Audible, Prime Video, Twitch).
Career Growth
Before the end of the year, we had drafted our year-end summaries, including wins and growth areas. Last week, we had to turn in written descriptions for "above and beyond" actions, expectations exceeded from role guidelines.
Career Growth
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Life
Reflective trip to Seattle. I was given the gift of clarity and broadened perspectives.