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Managing this Moment
Findings from our 2024 research study on managers in design/UX
September 30 at 12pm ET | Free
Over the past year, many managers in our 1:1 coaching and group programs have told us they’re struggling: overwhelmed by their team’s needs, undervalued by their orgs, and unsure of how to be successful. So this summer, we set out to better understand this group: How’s their wellbeing? What's most challenging for them? And what do they need from their leaders and orgs right now?
During July and August, we collected detailed survey responses from 132 line managers working in design—including product and UX design, user research, and content roles. Then we conducted in-depth interviews with 10 of those respondents. We heard so much about what’s really on design managers’ minds right now.
“As a middle manager, you really don’t have very much visibility into the top, and when speaking to high level leaders, they may not always be very transparent with you.”
—Principal UX researcher“Periodic layoffs and lack of clear communication from executive leadership is frustrating. However I am experienced enough to do what I can and know what is out of my control. I’m able to compartmentalize stressors.”
—Senior director of design“I’m practicing being more intentional with my time and taking time to learn, even if it means not racing to a competing task. I’m also making sure that I spend time with my direct report and provide stability for our team. It feels like I’m in a planning phase, as I try to regroup and figure out what we can do amidst all the noise.”
—UX research manager
Join us on September 30 as we reveal the biggest themes we found in the data—and what both line managers and their senior leaders can do to make managing humans in this moment more successful and sustainable.
What we’ll share
How design managers are doing right now, and what factors at work are most impacting their wellbeing and mental health
How perspectives on the industry have shifted in the past two years
The biggest challenges design managers face in their day-to-day work
The strategies managers use to cope with these challenges
What skills and support managers need to be successful now
We’ll leave time for Q&A, and after the event, we’ll send you a copy of the full research report.
Event registration
This event is free and will be recorded! Register and you’ll automatically get a copy after the event.
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Presenters
Sara Wachter-Boettcher
CEO, Active Voice
Sara is a leadership coach, author, and speaker dedicated to changing design and tech for good. She’s the founder of Active Voice, and she conceptualized this project to further research trends she was seeing amongst Active Voice’s clients.
Sara partnered with Urszula to develop the study and analyze data, and is the lead author of the research report.
Urszula Pruchniewska, PhD
Research consultant
Urszula is a researcher whose work focuses on designing with and for underrepresented and vulnerable populations. She partnered with Active Voice to develop this survey, led the interview process, and analyzed data alongside Sara.
In her day-to-day work, Urszula is a UX research lead working in civic tech.