Mastering Design Leadership Fundamentals - Course overview
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to leading design teams. Unlock your leadership voice by building on your superpowers, adapting to your team’s needs, and creating a culture authentic to you and your organization.
Who this course is for
Senior/lead designers who want to grow into leadership roles.
Early career design leaders who want to build their foundational leadership skills.
Choose your course time slot
Tailored to your individual needs, select the perfect time slot for you and book the course.
Identify your leadership superpowers
Foster meaningful connections with your team
Conduct more effective 1:1s
Build a culture of creative excellence
Design creative rituals for your team
Practice real-time feedback and coaching
Maximize the potential of your design team
Map key stakeholders and spheres of influence
Tiffany is a seasoned design leader with over a decade of experience in human-centered design and the creation of impactful product and learning experiences.
She currently leads Visual Design and Learning Experience Design at Airbnb, shaping host education and development programs that empower hosts to deliver exceptional hospitality and grow their businesses. Previously, Tiffany led strategy on Apple’s Retail Engagement and Marketing team, launching a global leadership foundations program for retail leaders. Before Apple, she was a design leader at IDEO, focusing on learning and education and creating meaningful impact for educators and students.
Guest Lecturers
Tey is a leader in AI strategy, product, and design. He was formerly a Partner at McKinsey, where he led McKinsey Design Europe.
Kim is a global leader in Belonging and Purpose, Global Vice President of Impact at Steelcase and the best-selling author of You Belong Here.
Alice is a community strategist and consultant who has worked with organizations like Dropbox and Red Bull to craft programs that foster connection.
Andy is a design leadership coach, educator and writer who helps clients transform themselves. He was formerly a Design Director at Fjord Australia.
Meet our graduates
Discover how our course participants have evolved into confident design leaders and take the next step in their careers.
Want all course information at a glance? Request the flyer now!
Onboarding week & kick-off session
We start the course with an introductory week during which you will familiarize yourself with the learning management system. This is followed by the kick-off session to get to know each other and set you up for success.
Week 1: Design leadership as a creative practice
Identify, synthesize, and activate your leadership superpowers. You'll walk away with tangible tools to revisit and reflect on how these skills evolve over time.
Week 2: Foster inclusive and meaningful connections with your team
Learn how to cultivate inclusive design teams by understanding and making space for the many identities that shape us as individuals, teams, and organizations. You'll walk away with tangible tools to help you reflect on the identities that shape who you are and craft team agreements that create the conditions for inclusion and belonging.
Week 3: Inspire creativity and excellence through culture
Learn how to cultivate a team culture grounded in creativity, excellence, and community. You'll walk away with tangible tools to design creative rituals for your team and guide your next design critique.
Week 4: Motivate and empower through coaching
Learn how to ask the right questions to nurture growth and create the conditions for your team to do their best work. You'll walk away with tangible tools to help you facilitate and coach your team towards shared objectives.
Week 5: Drive impact and influence across your organization
Learn how to mobilize and communicate the value of your team’s skills and work to leaders and teams beyond design. You'll walk away with tangible tactics to evolve how you create cross functional value, operate dynamic team structures, and measure the impact of your team.
Closing session
We end our course with a live session to celebrate your achievements and onboard you to the iF DESIGN ACADEMY alumni community.