Design Managers Course
The design managers course is a suite of three half-day workshops covering key communication skills for leading design projects. Together, the workshops offer a process to define, guide and advocate effectively for a project.
Each participant applies the principles to a current project and discusses their project with the group. The course is perfect for team-building and an excellent opportunity to share information across the office. The three workshops are best delivered over individual days.
This course is for
Design professionals who manage project teams, liaise with clients and report to stakeholders. Recent participants include developers, project managers, project leaders, senior associates, team leaders and studio directors.
Part 1
Leading design projects
Clearly define your role and objectives
CORE TOPICS
- Expectations, challenges and limitations of the role.
- Developing a shared vision.
- Communicating clear design objectives.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
You’ll learn why the role of design leader is often misunderstood and how to articulate its purpose and value. You’ll learn how to define clear project goals and design objectives that set up a solid basis for critique.
WHAT WE’LL DO
In the first part of this workshop we’ll explore roles and relationships, plus the impact of communication on project outcomes. We’ll build on successes and brainstorm areas for improvement. The second part of the workshop will focus on techniques for setting clear project goals and design objectives including real-life examples. Each participant brings a work-related project to the workshop. We will use this as a starting point to define a clear design objective.
Details
Duration: 3.5 hrs
Maximum no. of participants: 8
Part 2
Effective design critique
Give insightful, actionable feedback
Core Topics
- Learn the difference between feedback and critique.
- Explore techniques for critique.
- Tips for clear written and verbal delivery of critique.
What you’ll learn
You’ll learn the different types of feedback that help or hinder a smooth design process. You’ll learn how to measure design decisions against project objectives using critical thinking. You’ll come away with skills to confidently critique a project using appropriate language.
What we’ll do
We’ll explore the roles of creative and analytical thinking in the design process. We’ll role-play different techniques for critique and discuss their impact – both on projects and people. We’ll then practice a simple technique for effective critique that you can apply at your next design review.
details
Duration: 3.5 hours
Maximum no. of participants: 8
Part 3
Promoting design excellence
Raise the profile of design with your stakeholders
Core topics
- Get buy-in from your audience.
- Justify design decisions with the right data.
- Tips for confident verbal delivery.
What you’ll learn
Internal stakeholders can be the toughest clients to convince. You’ll learn why some project pitches succeed and others fail, even when the idea is a good one. You’ll learn tips to articulate a clear message as well as your desired outcome. You’ll get a picture of your natural style as a presenter and learn how to make it work to your advantage. You’ll come away with useful knowledge on how to manage nerves and think on your feet, so you can feel confident and prepared when it’s your turn to speak.
What we’ll do
We’ll analyse your audience and goals, then look at appropriate content, language and structure. Using a current project, you’ll brainstorm a short pitch in pairs, then have the opportunity to deliver it to the group. Time is allocated for self reflection and group feedback to help build your own presentation style in a supportive environment.
Details
Duration: 3.5 hours
Maximum no. of participants: 8
What people are saying about this Course
“Gained insight on how to communicate with clients who don’t know what they want.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed SNDC’s Design Managers course. The interactive workshops went deep into some of the challenges design managers face. One particularly useful session centred around facilitating design critiques. This course reveals how the processes embedded in our practice can be taken for granted and how to use them in new ways that benefit the whole studio. Thanks Saneia!”
Deb Robbins, Studio Director, Brisbane, Aspect Studios
“Useful tools for staying on track with a project team, especially when people come and go.”
“Helps give clients certainty about what the design will deliver and bring them along on the journey.”
“All these light bulbs started going off. I’ve put the tips for critique into practice already with great results.”
“Useful tools to help me to work more effectively with consultants.”
“We have our own opinions (good or bad) of how we think we perform, but how often do we actually get individual feedback? I’ve come away with some really clear things to work on that will improve how I present.”
“Great to present to and share challenges with peers. We’re all so busy and spread out, we don’t do it enough. Able to implement the techniques straight away.”
“Learned useful structures to interrogate my design thinking. Got to know my colleagues. Good to know I’m not the only one to get nervous when public speaking.”
“Well-structured course that has given me confidence to reach for more opportunities.”
“So valuable. Loved the real application of the tasks, tailored to us and our projects.”
“Really good and critical review of how you communicate with others. Great, implementable tools for improved future communications”