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Cristian Barin
  • find out what designs you need and what type of designer you're looking for;

  • discover the best places to hire designers and how to review their portfolio;

  • how to interview designers and make sure they're the right fit;

  • set the right price for your project;

  • find out how to run a successful project: from the brief, to wireframes, to mood boards, to giving feedback, to getting the deliverables

Read more
  • find out what designs you need and what type of designer you're looking for;

  • discover the best places to hire designers and how to review their portfolio;

  • how to interview designers and make sure they're the right fit;

  • set the right price for your project;

  • find out how to run a successful project: from the brief, to wireframes, to mood boards, to giving feedback, to getting the deliverables

This course is an absolute must for anyone that's looking to hire any type of designer (full time, part-time, in-house or remote). Learn how to get the most out of your designers and run smooth projects.

A great design can improve your revenue by A LOT. It's one area where your investment can give you a 10x return. But finding the right designer and pointing him in the right direction is tricky. Use this course to properly manage any designer and any project.

This course is great for:

  • executives, project managers, entrepreneurs who need to hire designers;

  • anyone that's looking to hire any designer of any sort;

  • designers who want to get a different perspective of the client - designer relationship;

Avoid any embarrassment by learning all specific words designers use - you have a PDF attached. Learn how to talk to designers to get the result you're looking for.

Start this course to lead your design project to success.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Hire the right type of designer and set an appropriate budget
  • Review portfolios and cvs and interview designers the right way
  • How to talk to designers, give feedback, implement changes
  • Use briefs, wireframes, and mood boards to ensure the project's success

Syllabus

Introduction
Who this course is for
The challenge of working with creative people
Learn the terminology
Read more

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Career center

Learners who complete How to hire, manage and work with designers will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Design Operations Manager
A Design Operations Manager focuses on optimizing the workflows, tools, and processes that enable design teams to work more efficiently and effectively. This role is inherently about managing elements of design work and the designers themselves. "How to hire, manage and work with designers" provides an exceptionally strong foundation for a Design Operations Manager. The course's deep dive into finding and onboarding designers, setting project goals, managing compensation, streamlining feedback loops, and ensuring successful project completion directly aligns with the core responsibilities of this role. Learners will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to create an environment where designers can thrive and deliver high-quality work consistently. This role often benefits from an advanced degree in design management or a related field.
Startup Founder
A Startup Founder wears many hats, often needing to build a product or service from the ground up with limited resources. Design is critical for market differentiation and user adoption. "How to hire, manage and work with designers" is an absolute must for Startup Founders, explicitly mentioned as a key audience for this course. It equips founders with the essential skills to identify the right type of designer for their vision, set appropriate budgets, and effectively manage design projects from initial concept to final deliverables. Understanding how to review portfolios, draft compelling briefs, and give precise feedback, as covered in the course, enables Startup Founders to leverage design for significant revenue returns, guiding their design projects to success and avoiding costly mistakes.
Product Manager
A Product Manager plays a crucial role in defining the vision, strategy, and roadmap for a product, working closely with engineering and design teams to bring it to life. This course, "How to hire, manage and work with designers," directly addresses the critical need for Product Managers to effectively collaborate with their design counterparts. Learners will understand how to articulate design needs, review portfolios, interview potential design talent, and provide constructive feedback on wireframes and mood boards. Mastering effective communication with designers, as taught in this course, helps Product Managers ensure design deliverables align perfectly with product goals, leading to successful product launches and user satisfaction. Taking this course will particularly empower you to confidently lead the design aspects of your product.
Digital Product Owner
A Digital Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of a digital product, defining user stories, and prioritizing the product backlog. This role highly values a deep understanding of user experience and interface design. For a Digital Product Owner, "How to hire, manage and work with designers" is exceptionally relevant, as it provides the expertise to effectively collaborate with UI and UX design teams. Learning to clearly communicate design requirements, review wireframes and high-fidelity designs, and provide actionable feedback, as covered in the course, helps ensure that product features are not only functional but also intuitive and visually appealing. This particular course empowers Product Owners to guide their design teams toward creating exceptional digital experiences.
User Experience Manager
A User Experience Manager typically leads a team of UX designers, researchers, and content strategists, ensuring that products and services are user-centered, intuitive, and enjoyable. To excel in this role, effectively managing design talent is paramount. "How to hire, manage and work with designers" provides a robust framework for User Experience Managers to identify, recruit, and onboard top-tier UX designers. The course's modules on reviewing portfolios, interviewing, establishing project goals, and giving detailed feedback on wireframes and prototypes are directly applicable. This comprehensive approach to designer management helps ensure that UX projects are run smoothly, leading to high-quality user experiences. This role often requires an advanced degree, such as a Master's, in a related field.
Project Manager
A Project Manager is responsible for leading projects from conception to completion, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and to specification. For those often overseeing creative projects, this course, "How to hire, manage and work with designers," is an invaluable resource. It equips Project Managers with the knowledge to identify suitable design talent, understand pricing, and navigate the entire design project lifecycle, from brief creation to final deliverables. Learning how to establish clear communication frameworks and give effective feedback, as detailed in the course, helps Project Managers cultivate smoother workflows, manage expectations, and mitigate common challenges when working with creative teams. This particular course will enhance your capacity to manage design-centric initiatives with greater proficiency.
Program Manager
A Program Manager oversees a portfolio of related projects, ensuring their alignment with organizational objectives and strategic goals. Within this scope, many programs involve significant design components, whether for new products, services, or internal tools. This course, "How to hire, manage and work with designers," offers Program Managers a valuable framework for understanding and integrating design processes into their larger program initiatives. Learning about setting project goals, managing design budgets, providing effective feedback, and facilitating communication with creative teams, as explored in the course, helps Program Managers ensure design deliverables contribute cohesively to program success. This course will particularly help in leading complex programs that rely on strong design contributions.
Creative Director
A Creative Director leads creative teams, sets the artistic vision for projects, and ensures all visual output aligns with brand strategy. For aspiring or current Creative Directors, "How to hire, manage and work with designers" provides vital insights into the operational aspects of managing design talent. While many in this role have a design background, the course offers a unique perspective on the client-designer relationship and the intricacies of hiring, onboarding, and effectively guiding designers. Learning to review portfolios like a pro, define project goals, and give precise feedback, as covered in this course, will enable a Creative Director to build high-performing teams and consistently deliver exceptional design outcomes, ensuring creative excellence and successful project execution.
Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager is responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies and campaigns that drive brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales. Given the visual nature of modern marketing, collaborating with designers is a core task. This course, "How to hire, manage and work with designers," helps Marketing Managers confidently navigate the process of finding the right design partners and effectively managing their contributions to marketing initiatives. Understanding how to compose a great brief, articulate visual requirements, and provide constructive feedback on designs, as detailed in the curriculum, will allow a Marketing Manager to ensure campaign visuals are impactful and aligned with strategic objectives. Taking this course may lead to more successful and aesthetically coherent marketing efforts.
Marketing Communications Manager
A Marketing Communications Manager develops and implements integrated communication strategies to promote a brand, product, or service. This frequently involves creating a wide array of visual assets, from digital ads to print collateral and website designs. This course, "How to hire, manage and work with designers," provides a Marketing Communications Manager with vital tools for effective collaboration with creative teams. Learning how to articulate visual strategy through clear briefs, assess designer portfolios, manage project budgets, and deliver precise feedback on visual concepts, as covered in the course, helps ensure that all communication materials are visually compelling and consistently reflect the brand's message. Taking this course may lead to more streamlined and impactful communication campaigns.
Brand Manager
A Brand Manager is responsible for developing and maintaining the overall brand identity, image, and perception in the market. This often heavily relies on visual design and consistent aesthetic representation across all touchpoints. "How to hire, manage and work with designers" can be particularly helpful for a Brand Manager in articulating brand guidelines into actionable design briefs and ensuring designers deliver creative outputs that perfectly align with brand strategy. The course provides structured approaches to selecting designers, understanding design terminology, and giving impactful feedback on mood boards and visual concepts. This expertise allows Brand Managers to oversee visual brand development with confidence, ensuring a cohesive and strong brand presence.
Innovation Manager
An Innovation Manager champions new ideas and solutions within an organization, often leveraging design thinking methodologies to prototype, test, and iterate on novel concepts. Working effectively with designers is fundamental to bringing these innovations to life. This course, "How to hire, manage and work with designers," can significantly benefit an Innovation Manager by providing the tools to identify and engage the right design talent for exploratory projects. Understanding how to draft effective briefs for abstract ideas, guide designers through iterative processes, and provide constructive feedback on mood boards and prototypes, as taught in the course, helps accelerate the innovation lifecycle and ensures that experimental designs are both creative and strategically sound.
Chief Executive Officer
A Chief Executive Officer is ultimately responsible for a company's overall success, guiding strategic direction and ensuring operational efficiency. While not directly involved in day-to-day design tasks, the course "How to hire, manage and work with designers" offers Chief Executive Officers valuable strategic insights into leveraging design as a core business driver. Understanding how to identify the right design talent, set appropriate budgets, and foster an environment where design can thrive, as covered in the course, enables CEOs to make informed decisions about creative investments. This knowledge helps ensure that design initiatives contribute significantly to revenue growth and market differentiation. This course may be particularly useful for those executives seeking to maximize their investment in design.
Management Consultant
A Management Consultant advises organizations on improving their efficiency, solving problems, and achieving strategic goals across various functions. Many modern business challenges involve digital transformation and customer experience, making design a critical component. "How to hire, manage and work with designers" may be valuable for Management Consultants, as it equips them with practical expertise to guide clients on establishing effective design processes. The course's insights into finding and evaluating designers, managing design projects, and facilitating communication can help consultants recommend robust creative strategies and operational improvements, ensuring clients make successful investments in design talent and execution. This understanding can enhance a consultant's ability to deliver comprehensive and forward-thinking solutions.
Content Manager
A Content Manager is responsible for the planning, creation, and distribution of engaging content across various platforms, often requiring compelling visual accompaniment. This course, "How to hire, manage and work with designers," may prove helpful for a Content Manager in orchestrating effective collaborations with graphic designers, illustrators, or multimedia artists. Understanding how to articulate visual needs in a brief, review preliminary designs, and give clear, actionable feedback, as taught in this course, helps ensure visual content aligns perfectly with content strategy and brand messaging. This expertise allows Content Managers to streamline content production workflows, ensuring high-quality visual outputs that enhance audience engagement and overall content effectiveness.

Reading list

We've selected 48 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in How to hire, manage and work with designers.
Classic text on project management that provides a comprehensive overview of the field. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn about project management or improve their skills.
This foundational text is essential for anyone beginning to explore design process. It introduces the principles of human-centered design and explains why some products are easy to use while others are frustrating. It provides crucial background knowledge on usability and the importance of understanding user needs, making it a valuable prerequisite read for any design discipline. is widely considered a classic and is often used as a textbook.
Written by the CEO of IDEO, a leading design firm, this book offers a broad overview of design thinking as a human-centered approach to problem-solving that can be applied across various fields, not just traditional design. It's an excellent resource for understanding the strategic role of design in business and innovation, making it highly relevant for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as working professionals. is considered a must-read for grasping the wider implications of design process.
Offers a practical and straightforward approach to conducting customer interviews to validate ideas and understand needs. It's invaluable for the early stages of the design process, particularly user research and discovery. This book provides essential skills for anyone involved in understanding their audience and is highly recommended for students and professionals alike.
Explores inclusive design, arguing that exclusion in design is often a result of mismatches between designs and human diversity. It challenges traditional design processes and emphasizes the importance of considering a wider range of human abilities and perspectives. This crucial read for understanding contemporary topics in design process and is highly relevant for all levels, particularly those interested in creating equitable solutions.
Comprehensive guide to project management that provides answers to common questions. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about project management or solve specific problems.
Provides a comprehensive overview of design management, covering the entire design process from planning and execution to evaluation. It is well-suited for those seeking a broad understanding of the field.
Serves as a comprehensive reference of 125 key design principles, providing concise explanations and visual examples. It's highly useful for gaining a broad understanding of various design concepts that inform the design process across different disciplines. This book is valuable as a reference tool for students and professionals alike.
This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of linguistics, covering topics such as phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. It valuable resource for students who want to develop a strong foundation in the field of communication.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the financial services industry, including budgeting, lending, and investing. It valuable resource for individuals and organizations who want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in the financial services industry.
Practical guide to agile project management that is full of tips and advice. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to use agile methods to improve their project management skills.
Practical guide to project management that is full of insights and advice. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to manage projects more effectively.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of language, covering topics such as the origins of language, the structure of language, and the relationship between language and thought. It valuable resource for students who want to develop a strong understanding of the biological and cognitive aspects of language.
This provocative book challenges designers to consider the ethical implications of their work and the impact of their design decisions on society. It encourages a more responsible and mindful approach to the design process. is highly relevant for contemporary discussions around design ethics and must-read for all designers and those involved in the design process.
Delves into the creation and maintenance of design systems, which are increasingly crucial for ensuring consistency and efficiency in design at scale, particularly in digital product design. It provides a practical guide to a contemporary aspect of the design process in larger organizations. It's highly relevant for UX and product designers working in teams.
Provides a practical guide to design thinking, a human-centered approach to problem-solving and innovation. It is well-suited for those who want to learn how to apply design thinking principles to their work.
Explores the integration of design thinking, lean, and agile methodologies in design management. It provides practical guidance on how to implement these approaches to improve innovation and product development.
Provides a comprehensive overview of nonverbal communication, covering topics such as facial expressions, body language, and gestures. It valuable resource for students who want to develop a strong understanding of how to communicate effectively without words.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the importance of listening and how to improve your listening skills. It covers topics such as the different types of listening, the benefits of listening, and the barriers to listening. It valuable resource for students who want to improve their ability to listen effectively.
Is considered a classic in the field of investing and provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of value investing. The author was a mentor to Warren Buffett.
Explores how products can be designed to create user habits using the 'Hook Model'—a four-step process of trigger, action, variable reward, and investment. It provides insights into user psychology and behavioral design, which are increasingly important aspects of the design process for digital products. It's relevant for those interested in persuasive design and user engagement.
Is written in easy-to-understand language and provides step-by-step instructions on how to create a budget, track expenses, and make smart financial decisions.
This classic guide to writing offers clear and concise advice on how to improve your writing skills. It covers topics such as grammar, punctuation, and style. It valuable resource for students who want to improve their written communication skills.
Presents ten laws for balancing simplicity and complexity in design and technology. It offers a philosophical perspective on design that can inform the design process by emphasizing clarity and ease of use. It's a relatively quick read that provides valuable insights for designers and anyone interested in the principles behind good design.
Focuses on the role of design leadership in driving business transformation. It provides guidance on how design leaders can create a culture of innovation and collaboration to achieve organizational success.
Written by the founders of IDEO and the Hasso Plattner d.school at Stanford, this book focuses on unlocking creativity, a crucial element of the design process. It provides methods and mindsets for developing creative confidence and applying it to problem-solving. It's an inspiring read for anyone looking to enhance their creative abilities within the context of design.
Concise and accessible guide to investing for the long term. The author provides practical advice on how to build a diversified portfolio and avoid common investing mistakes. This great option for complete beginners.
Provides practical advice on how to improve your communication skills as a manager. It covers topics such as how to communicate with employees, how to give feedback, and how to resolve conflict. It valuable resource for students who want to develop the communication skills they need to be effective managers.
Provides practical advice on how to improve your communication skills in the workplace. It covers topics such as how to write effective emails, how to give presentations, and how to handle difficult conversations. It valuable resource for students who want to develop the communication skills they need to succeed in the workplace.
This retrospective of Michael Bierut's work provides insights into the design process of a renowned graphic designer. It showcases a wide range of projects and illustrates his approach to solving design problems through visual communication. It's a valuable resource for understanding the application of design process in graphic design and serves as inspiration for students and professionals.
A practical guide to the professional aspects of being a designer, this book covers topics like getting paid, working with clients, and managing projects. While not solely focused on the design process itself, it provides essential context for how design work is conducted in a professional setting. It's particularly useful for students and early-career professionals navigating the business side of design.

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