1-1 coaching in leadership and design craft
I help design leaders achieve their potential
Core to my approach is the belief that design leadership is not the sole domain of people managers. Leadership can be expressed through the design craft just as much as through the craft of people management.
I believe managing people is its own craft. It has distinct skills that can be learned from the ground up. It can be taught and practised.
Framing people management as a craft provides clear growth paths, a distinction between leadership roles and relief from the misconception that managing people is a burden or a position of superiority.
Not in design?
The vast majority of leadership skills I teach can be applied to any leadership role.
If you're interested in leadership coaching but don’t work in a design field, book a free intro call and I can tailor an approach to match your context.
The most enduring, cost effective way to build your career is to invest in yourself
I’ve spent many years forming and growing design teams in high performance, collaborative companies. I know from direct experience that leadership is a set of skills and techniques, not a personality attribute.
Some areas I can help you cultivate:
Design leadership as a people manager
People management as a craft: Building a culture of trust and safety, modelling self-care, running effective 1-1s, setting expectations, maintaining accountability, fostering intrinsic motivation, sharing leadership with design craft leaders, team design and structure, performance management.
Making strategic impact: Influencing stakeholders and senior leaders, setting design and team vision, building trust with peers, effective communication, managing up, advocating for design, frameworks to scale, measuring design impact.
Design leadership as an individual contributor
How to lead without managing: Setting craft standards and quality expectations, boundaries and self-care, delivering effective feedback, leading team rituals, influencing without authority, modelling growth mindset, accountability vs design people managers.
Making strategic impact: Influencing senior leaders, building trust with cross-functional peers, effective communication, crafting a vision, managing up, aligning stakeholders, measuring design impact, advocating for design.
High-value skills and techniques
Design leadership in action: Problem framing, design game plans, running psychologically safe design critiques, practical design standards and measures of quality, sharing accountability within a cross-functional process, design system formation and adoption, interviewing and hiring.
All design specialisations welcome
Whether your team focuses on User Experience, Product Design, Content Design, Design Research, Interaction Design or some other aspect - design leadership can be learned and practised with great impact and enjoyment.
Ready to boost your design career?
- Coaching for both design people leaders and design craft leaders
- Practical guidance, frameworks and feedback
- Learn leadership from the ground up, or amplify existing experience
- Fresh perspective and ways to avoid becoming overwhelmed
- Build confidence and effectiveness
What to expect
We’ll have a free 30 min intro call to discuss where you’re at and how I can help. It’s important that we have enough time to gauge whether my approach is a good match for what you need.
If we agree to start, we’ll have a series of coaching calls via Zoom. I can also give asynchronous feedback on work. I coach people all around the world, so I work in a remote-first manner. This also enables me to offer flexibility on when calls are scheduled.
It takes practice to build new skills, so I find that investing in the coaching process over a number of months tends to deliver the best results. I offer bundles starting at six sessions.
Have questions or aren’t sure what you need? Reach out and I can help you work out the most beneficial approach.
Testimonials
Judd goes the extra mile to create a safe space for coaching with his friendly and supportive approach. As a senior IC who transitioned into a management role, Judd's guidance for first-time managers & regular coaching helped me make the transition with confidence & ease.
Mannu, Design Manager
I highly recommend Judd to anyone looking for an enthusiastic and empathic coach, for anyone who wants to take the next step in their career, or to anyone who wants to improve their craft processes and ways of working.
Kelly, Design Lead
In a difficult time in my career, Judd provided frameworks, stories, resources and strategies. But more than that, he offered compassion and clarity on the sometimes solitary path of leadership.
Tash, Head of Design
Judd is an amazing leader and coach, and I believe I’m a confident leader today because of his guidance. He has been personally invested in my growth as a design leader, and has helped me gain a whole different perspective on leadership that spans design, business, and people.
Soo, Design Director
Build the skills and techniques of design leadership
FAQ
Can you run coaching for design leaders in my team?
Absolutely. I can work with individual design leaders, or take a whole-team approach using a blend of 1-1 coaching, skill development workshops and training in team effectiveness.
How frequently are coaching sessions scheduled? Do you offer flexible times?
You set the frequency based on what you need. I find most people benefit from regular sessions either weekly or fortnightly. It's common for people to change this up based on their work situation (e.g. scheduling sessions more frequently when starting a new role). My approach is to offer remote-first coaching so I can provide signficant flexibility on times.
I’m new to design leadership and/or people management - is coaching worthwhile at this stage?
Yes, it’s hugely beneficial. Some of the smoothest growth comes from good foundations. Stumbling through every mistake yourself isn’t necessary. With the right skills and techniques you can bypass the uncertainty, act with confidence and enjoy the ride.
I’m aiming to move into a design leadership role but I’m not there yet - can you still coach me?
Sure thing. I’ve coached many designers over the years specifically to help them grow into leadership roles, both as design craft leaders and design people leaders.
Have more questions? Get in touch