314: Coaching ICs as a design manager

314: Coaching ICs as a design manager

Author: Charli Prangley, Femke Van Schoonhoven July 14, 2025 Duration: 29:04
Design Life
BusinessArtsDesignEntrepreneurshipTechnology

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at 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 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. 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 hello@designlife.fm


Hosted by designers Charli Prangley and Femke Van Schoonhoven, Design Life feels like eavesdropping on a candid conversation between two friends who genuinely understand the hustle. This podcast digs into the reality of a creative career, moving beyond portfolio tips to discuss the actual challenges of making a living from your ideas. Each episode stems from their own experiences as serial side-project addicts, covering everything from navigating client negotiations and pricing your work to pushing through creative blocks and finding time for personal work. You’ll hear them dissect the intersection of design, business, and technology with a relatable, grounded perspective. The discussion they foster is particularly valuable for young creatives seeking honest advice and a sense of community, all delivered through the lens of two practitioners in the field. Tune in for a blend of practical strategy and personal reflection that focuses on building a sustainable and fulfilling design practice.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
youtubespotifyapple_musicpatreon
Design Life
Podcast Episodes
234: Are you ready to commit to a new side hustle? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:33
There's a lot to consider when you’re starting a new side hustle! Listen to our chat about committing to new side hustles, inspired by the launch of Femke’s design community.
233: Increasing the pace of your design process [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:37
Today we’re talking about pace. The more experience we have, the quicker and more efficient we become. We chat about why this happens and how to increase pace without sacrificing quality.
232: Do you NEED to do research before you design? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:56
In this week’s episode of Design Life we answer a listener question - Do you NEED to do research before you design? (Maybe not!) We also talk about building a research culture where you work and what defines ‘good’ desig…
231: Why Femke left Uber [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:50
After 4 years at Uber, Femke has recently started a new job at Wealthsimple. In this episode of Design Life we chat about how to figure out when is the right time to start a new job, making and maintaining contacts and n…
230: After summer catch up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:29
Welcome back to the Design Life podcast! In our first episode back after the summer break, we chat about how we spent our time off, our summer trips and look ahead to our end of year goals.
229: Side hustle income streams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:52
Today on Design Life we discuss our side hustle income stream growth from the past twelve months and the investment we make into content creation to fuel our personal brands.
228: Ways to keep learning and growing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:57
As a designer, your skillset is always growing and there is always more to learn. In this episode of Design Life we share how we find new opportunities to learn and what we’re learning next.
227: Building self awareness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:25
Today on Design Life we answer another listener question, this time about self awareness as a designer. Our listener wants to know how to build and improve upon self awareness in a design role - asking a question like th…
226: Decision making as a creative lead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:59
Today on Design Life we answer a listener’s question about decision making as a creative lead and how to find the balance between being decisive, seeking help and leading your team with confidence.

«1...678910