Upcoming live event on March 25th with Jess Eddy from Google!
How designers can build strategic influence at work
Develop your
strategic influence
as a Designer
I help mid-to-senior designers communicate their thinking, influence stakeholders, and lead with confidence.
1,000+ hours mentoring designers
Design Lead at Gusto, previously Uber and Wealthsimple
500+ designers coached
Went from intermediate designer → design lead in 6 years
Femke van Schoonhoven
Hey, I'm Femke
Design lead, educator, and mentor — I've spent my career building products and helping designers develop the strategic skills that drive real career advancement.
I've been designing products at Uber, Uber Eats, Wealthsimple, and currently at Gusto. Along the way, I started a YouTube channel with over a million views, co-created the Design Life Podcast, and coached 500+ designers through career-defining transitions at companies like Shopify, Stripe, and Meta.
What I've learned: the designers who advance fastest aren't always the most talented. They're the ones who pair craft with strategic thinking, business fluency, and the ability to build influence across an organization.
Designed at these companies
What’s missing isn’t skill — it’s influence.
You're technically strong. Your work is solid. But when it comes to getting buy-in, influencing the roadmap, or landing that promotion — something's missing. It's not your design skills. It's the strategic influence and business acumen that separates senior ICs from design leaders.
01
You speak design, but stakeholders speak business
You can articulate design rationale all day, but when leadership asks about impact, revenue, or strategic alignment, the words don't come as easily.
02
You're stuck in execution mode assuming good work sells itself
You get things done, but decisions happen without you. But promotions don't go to the best designer in the room — they go to the one who makes their impact impossible to ignore.
03
You're frustrated by "strategic alignment"
Every time your work gets deprioritized or watered down, you hear the same thing: it doesn't align with business goals.
04
You can't articulate your impact
When it's time for performance reviews, you struggle to frame your contributions in terms that matter to leadership.
Sounds familiar?
Coming Fall 2026
Strategic Design Leadership Coaching
Cohort program for senior designers ready to build the strategic influence and executive presence that drives career advancement
9 months
15 designers
Group & 1:1 coaching
Product influence isn't innate—
it's a skillset you can develop
I feel empowered to create change in my organization, securing design a seat at the table to make informed decisions
Gemma
Senior Product Designer
OPTION 1
Which one describes you best?
I want proven frameworks I can apply immediately
Best for:
Independent learners who prefer self-paced study
Designers seeking foundational strategic skills
Anyone wanting to start building influence immediately
I want to accelerate to senior lead with personalized support
Best for:
New design managers building leadership skills
Preparing for promotion to Staff or Lead designer
Anyone ready to invest in intensive, personalized growth
Not sure yet?
OPTION 2
Which one describes you best?
I want to grow to senior lead with personalized support
Best for:
New design managers building leadership skills
Preparing for promotion to Staff or Lead designer
Anyone ready to invest in intensive, personalized growth
I want proven frameworks I can apply immediately
Best for:
Independent learners who prefer self-paced study
Designers seeking foundational strategic skills
Anyone wanting to start building influence immediately
I want [free resources]
Best for:
New design managers building leadership skills
Preparing for promotion to Staff or Lead designer
Anyone ready to invest in intensive, personalized growth
I accepted an offer for Senior Product Designer with Hubspot and I'll be moving to San Francisco! Thank you for all your great advice during the 1:1 mentoring calls and all your amazing videos. It helped me so much during my job hunt and interview preparation. I was so anxious and nervous for it but the 1:1s really helped me manage my anxiety and get through it successfully!
Jo
Senior Product Designer
Free resources to help you accelerate your career
free resources section: YouTube, Podcast, Newsletter
I've learned so much from Femke's newsletter and YouTube channel and attribute successfully landing interviews, and ultimately a job, to the knowledge I gained from her inspiring content. She just makes it so easy to digest and implement, always keeping you up-to-date on industry events and info, tools, and best practices.
Sara
Product Owner & Designer