Level up your design career.
Two practical guides to help you build the habits, skills, and visibility that actually drive growth and promotion.
1,000+
Designers
2
Practical guides
8+
Years experience
Choose your guide
Practical, no-fluff resources for designers who want to grow.
10 Tips for Designers
The 10 habits every designer needs to keep growing in an AI world.
€10
- Instant digital download (PDF)
- 10 actionable habits
- Practical frameworks
- For early-to-mid career designers
Bundle — Both Guides
Get both guides and save €7. Everything you need to grow and get promoted.
€52
- Both guides instantly
- Save €7 vs buying separately
- 20 chapters + 10 habits
- Quarterly promotion checklist
Senior Designer Playbook
10 comprehensive chapters on how to operate at senior level and get promoted.
€49
- Instant digital download (PDF)
- 10 in-depth chapters
- Promotion readiness checklist
- For designers 3–7 years in
10 Tips for Designers
The designers who stay ahead aren't necessarily the most talented. They're the ones who understand what skills actually compound. This guide shows you exactly what those are—and how to build them.
Perfect if you're early-to-mid career and want a clear framework for what to focus on in an AI world.
Master the Design Fundamentals
Build judgment that lets you evaluate AI-generated work critically. Your value is in thinking, not execution.
Understand Product Strategy
Think holistically first. Designers who understand the why before the how move up faster.
Do Continuous Discovery & Research
Build the habit of learning from real usage patterns and customer behavior.
Test & Validate with Customers
Get comfortable with feedback early. The faster you get signal from reality, the faster you learn.
Articulate Your Design Thinking
Explaining why you made decisions separates execution from leadership.
Collaborate Across Disciplines
Your career compounds through relationships. Be the designer everyone wants to work with.
Develop Your Perspective & Taste
Build a strong point of view about what good design is. That's what separates you from tools.
Ship Fast & Iterate
Speed is a skill. Designers who ship regularly build intuition faster and learn more.
Use AI as a Thinking Tool
AI is powerful only if you know when not to use it. Master the thinking first.
Build Systems & Patterns
Designers who think in systems are more valuable and move up faster.
Senior Product Designer Playbook
The designers getting promoted aren't always the most talented. They're the ones who've figured out how to make their judgment visible, their impact legible, and their value undeniable.
10 comprehensive chapters on the exact behaviors, mindsets, and strategies that drive promotion. Best for designers 3–7 years in.
Bonus included
Quarterly Promotion Readiness Checklist + "What to Do If You're Not Promoted" Guide
Part 1 — Craft & Hard Skills
Problem Framing > Problem Solving
Reframing the problem gives you more leverage than solving it perfectly.
Designing at the Right Level
Master the judgment to work at the right fidelity for each problem.
Decision-Making With Imperfect Data
Move forward confidently without waiting for certainty.
Working Effectively With Engineering
Partner with engineers, not fight them.
Measuring Impact
Own outcomes, track results, and iterate based on reality.
Part 2 — Soft Skills & Senior Qualities
Confidence as an Operating Style
Make clear decisions and stand by them.
Visibility Without Self-Promotion
Make your impact legible without being loud.
Managing Your Manager
Give your manager the material to advocate for you.
Becoming the Go-To Designer
Build trust through consistent follow-through and reliable delivery.
Teaching & Raising the Bar
Senior designers make everyone around them better.
About the author
Hi, I’m Dylan
I’m a product designer with 8+ years of experience at design-forward companies. I’ve watched dozens of designers get stuck and promoted — and documented the exact patterns that separate them.
These guides exist because I wish someone had given them to me earlier. They would have saved me years of trial and error.
designbydyl.com
What designers are saying
“I realized I wasn't getting promoted because I was invisible to leadership, not because my work was weak. Within 3 months of implementing the visibility tactics, I got promoted.”
Sarah K.
Senior Product Designer at Figma
“The decision-making chapter alone is worth the price. I'm now comfortable moving forward with incomplete information, and people respect that.”
Marcus J.
Product Designer at Stripe
“This guide answered questions I didn't even know I had about designing in an AI world. I've already shared it with my whole team.”
James M.
Product Designer at Figma
“I was worried AI would replace me. Reading this made me realize my value is in thinking strategically, not pixel-pushing. Changed my whole perspective.”
Lisa T.
Senior Designer at Stripe
“The 'Managing Your Manager' chapter was eye-opening. I now give my manager the material to fight for me instead of hoping they notice.”
Emma L.
Product Designer at Notion
“The section on building taste while AI commoditizes execution is gold. I feel way more confident about my career now.”
Ahmed K.
Product Designer at Notion