Preply’s Post

I'm joining Femke for a 60-minute live event about building a culture of design in a startup as a team of one. Early-stage startups often have engineering-heavy teams with room for only a single designer or none at all. In an environment like this, designers need help to have their voices heard. It's challenging to build a design culture in companies like this and it presents the designers with a unique set of challenges. But it doesn't have to be like this. Designers can build a culture of design within a company by finding design champions in non-designers. These champions can be engineers, product managers, or other team members. They can help move design forward by their active participation in design. Join us live on Jun 5th ↓ https://lnkd.in/e6kExFqY P. S. 137 designers have already signed up.

🤌 I love a good plot twist, and I love it even more when your audience inadvertently helps you stick the landing. I was recently asked to design and lead a workshop on innovation for the most senior leadership level in a prominent NGO. After an engaging round of Fiero!, Press Start Studios' entrepreneurship card game, I finished the first half of the workshop with an introduction to design thinking, and used Airbnb's 11-star framework to talk about ideation and blue-sky thinking. One of the participants raised his hand: "Sorry, but I have some thoughts on design thinking and its lack of consideration for societal issues and systemic impact", before launching into a passionate monologue on how, in recent years, the boom in short-term housing rentals has, directly or indirectly, caused ripple effects in housing prices, real estate availability, and other macro trends. The rest of the room looked at me apprehensively: He was basically tearing my presentation apart by denouncing the entirety of what I had said! So it must've been strange for them to see that I had a smile on my face the entire time 😉 Because while I hadn't anticipated a passionate response to the first half of my workshop, I had actually designed my talk based on that exact same starting point. With all the chaos going on in the world and the ever-increasing need to place equity, empathy and leadership at the core of our systems, I had decided to use a recent article from Fast Company on Ideo's recent layoffs, and another from MIT Technology Review on the need for a makeover for design thinking (links in comment), as the crux of my presentation. Fiero! and the subsequent debrief were intended to provide shared language and foundation across our participants, many of whom were new to design concepts, before we could actually build towards a meaningful discussion on systems thinking and futures thinking, as important additions to design thinking. So this participant's monologue, which he'd thought would disrupt my content and flow, actually became the perfect segue into discussing the importance of systems, relationships, trends, patterns and scenarios, beyond just users and ideas. The rest of the session was a breeze, because we'd set it up so perfectly. And it was also, inadvertently, titled so perfectly: "The Future of Innovation" was a call to action to consider systems, equity and justice, and not just moving fast and breaking things. I'll let you in on a little secret: Not only was I smiling while he was talking, but I had chills down my spine, because I saw his passion, and I knew that we had nailed the landing 🛬 Mission accomplished, and missions activated 👊 #playlearngrow #pressstarttobegin

Sprout by Heckerbella launches with a Celebrates of Design's Impact! Here at SHB, we're sprouting with passion for design's transformative power! Our roots are firmly planted in enthusiasm, foresight, and a dedication to design's impact. We believe exceptional design goes beyond aesthetics & functionality. It can captivate and inspire, turning a product or service into an experience that compels action. Design is a strategic tool that fuels business growth and the success of our clients. We're thrilled to be part of a community that champions design as a force for positive change. What are your thoughts on design's impact? Share yours in the comments below! #startupdesign #UXdesign #growthhacking #sproutdesign

"𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. " Many companies focused too much on what they want to sell their customer, rather than what those customer really need. What is missing? 𝗔 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲. I had observed this in the startup pitches and in the world around us. Sharing my perspectives in this article. #empathy #humanizeddesign #productdesign #businessdesign

i spent 5 months working on an idea... you know what all things i did? 🤔 talked with maybe 100+ potential customers, prepared design documents, created go-to-market strategies, prepped pitch decks for angel investors, hired a few interns, tried to perfect our figma designs, started data modeling, and whatnot. basically, worked endlessly on stuff that barely matters, for a 0 to 1 journey.😔 here's what i didn't do: actually experiment with the small product i built on real customers and get traction. i was too focused on making a perfect product.🤦♂️ perfecting a thing, according to me, is a very bad idea. what i've learned is you should just start experimenting with the product on the ground and then improve it over time.✨ yesterday, i was watching the third lecture of buildspace s5, and Farza Majeed touched on this exact pain point. he shared his experience of wasting almost a year working on a product that barely mattered. so, here's the funny part: i used to joke about buildspace taking everyone in—no exclusivity, just come on in, the water's fine! 🌊😆 but then i joined, and you know what? it's actually brilliant. it's perfect for people who are hungry and want to achieve something. their 6-week framework, where you develop something within 6 weeks, is so important. it helps you avoid the huge opportunity cost of perfecting an idea that might not even be needed. 🚀 instead of wasting months, you rapidly implement and see if the market actually needs your product. this approach saves time, energy, and resources. ⏳ #entrepreneurship #buildspace #productdevelopment buildspace builders, let's connect and share ideas! 🤝 let's keep experimenting! 💪✨

🕰️ #ThrowbackThursday: Journey through Time at OpenPledge🚀 💡 From brainstorming sessions fueled by raw creativity to the excitement of seeing our ideas take shape on the screen, the journey of logo design taught us invaluable lessons about the power of visual storytelling. 🌟 🙏 Huge shoutout to our amazing designer - Zala Benko! Your talent and hard work have truly elevated our startup's identity with the perfect logo. We couldn't have asked for a better partner in this journey. 🎨✨ In the photo Žiga, Neja, and Zala are gathered in a cozy living room, bringing the logo to life. It's moments like these, where ideas flourish and dreams take shape, that define our journey as a startup. 🌱 As we navigate the early stages of our startup journey, let's never forget the magic of our humble beginnings and the endless possibilities that lie ahead. Here's to many more milestones, memories, and moments of growth on our path to success! 🥂 #StartupLife #LogoDesign #Beginnings #Milestones #DreamBig 🎨✨

How I almost sank transitioning from the Bezalel Design Academy into the start-up world. Going to work for a startup was like taking a cold shower. It was a new world for me: – No respect for anything but real results. – There is never time for a proper design. – Focus is on speed, not process. – Too many decision-makers. – Failing is OK. It was a bumpy road. I had to rebuild myself to: → Fit my process to start up reality. → Manage my mental state. → Stop being an "artist". → Grow and prosper. So what’s so difficult about design for start-ups? ↳ Business pivots. ↳ Shifting priorities. ↳ Shifting timelines. ↳ Everyone is a Designer. ↳ One must juggle many things. ↳ Artistic ego is not appreciated. ↳ There is no ownership of the design. ↳ Aesthetics mean less than user experience. It is tough for a newbie. So, what’s the upside of working with a start-up? ✓ Your ideas matter. ✓ You meet motivated people. ✓ You can get equity in a company. ✓ Your ideas can impact the product directly. ✓ You have autonomy in many parts of the work. Is it worth it? Totally yes! I helped 30+ start-ups design a new software product, and I’m working on few new ones as I write this post. Follow for more.

It's that time of year again! For the next 30 days... Polyform Studio is taking applications for our summer cohort. If you're a funded founder who need a design team - hit me up! What we do: - Product advisement - Product design - Startup branding - Startup marketing All as an "all in one service" with a subscription pricing model. How to work with Polyform: 1. Book an intro call through my LinkedIn page (Featured section). 2. We'll run a Discovery Workshop with your startup to learn & uncover. 3. If the fit is right, you sign up online and we start COOKING! 4. Instantly get a full team of product designers, managers, & directors. 5. We charge a flat rate each month you can pause or cancel any time. Within 90 days you'll have a viral ready brand, marketing funnel for sign-ups, and a product design that has been validated & tested with real users. We have worked with companies like Nike, Amazon, the Olympics, Red Bull, and countless other Fortune 500s in order to bring the tactics and thinking of the "big players" to first time founders building something new. Learn more about Polyform at www.polyform.co Book a meeting with me straight from my profile (Featured Section). I look forward to chatting with many new founders as we find partners for the upcoming season.

How I almost sank transitioning from the Bezalel Design Academy into the start-up world. Going to work for a startup was like taking a cold shower. It was a new world for me: – No respect for anything but real results. – There is never time for a proper design. – Focus is on speed, not process. – Too many decision-makers. – Failing is OK. It was a bumpy road. I had to rebuild myself to: → Fit my process to start up reality. → Manage my mental state. → Stop being an "artist". → Grow and prosper. So what’s so difficult about design for start-ups? ↳ Business pivots. ↳ Shifting priorities. ↳ Shifting timelines. ↳ Everyone is a Designer. ↳ One must juggle many things. ↳ Artistic ego is not appreciated. ↳ There is no ownership of the design. ↳ Aesthetics mean less than user experience. It is tough for a newbie. So, what’s the upside of working with a start-up? ✓ Your ideas matter. ✓ You meet motivated people. ✓ You can get equity in a company. ✓ Your ideas can impact the product directly. ✓ You have autonomy in many parts of the work. Is it worth it? Totally yes! I helped 30+ start-ups design a new software product, and I’m working on few new ones as I write this post. Follow for more.