Lea Stewart on Fulfillment and Growth in Your Work and Learning from Design Horror Stories

Episode 6 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!

On this episode we're joined by Lea Stewart.

Lea Stewart, senior manager for baby and parenting products at Newell Brands, shares her career journey and insights in this episode. She discusses how she chose to study industrial design and the challenges she faced in finding job opportunities. Lea emphasizes the importance of not overlooking creative opportunities and finding value in every job, regardless of the company's reputation. She also highlights the significance of building connections and learning from experienced professionals. Lea's story reminds us that success in design is not defined by working for well-known companies, but by finding fulfillment and growth in our work. Lea Stewart discusses the importance of finding a job that enables the rest of your life and brings you joy. She emphasizes the need to consider factors beyond just the work itself, such as work-life balance and the people you work with. Lea also shares insights on dressing for interviews, highlighting the importance of reading the room and being comfortable while still dressing appropriately. She provides an overview of her company's hiring process, which includes initial camera-off interviews to assess character and portfolio reviews in later rounds. Lea emphasizes the importance of understanding and communicating your impact in design careers, as well as the satisfaction of positively influencing and developing others. She also shares a personal design horror story where a lack of stakeholder alignment led to a failed presentation. Lea recommends the book series 'The 12 Tomorrows' and podcasts like Radio Lab, This American Life, and Freakonomics for thought-provoking content. She also mentions the Women in Design Deep Dive event happening in June.

Takeaways

• Don't overlook creative opportunities and consider the value they can bring to your career.
• Success in design is not solely defined by working for well-known companies.
• Build connections and learn from experienced professionals to enhance your skills and knowledge.
• Find fulfillment and growth in your work, regardless of the company's reputation. When job hunting, consider how the job will enable the rest of your life and bring you joy beyond just the work itself.
• Take into account factors like work-life balance and the people you will be working with when evaluating job opportunities.
• When dressing for interviews, read the room and dress appropriately while still being comfortable.
• In the hiring process, it is important to assess character through camera-off interviews and evaluate portfolios in later rounds.
• Understanding and communicating your impact is crucial in design careers, and positively influencing and developing others is a measure of success.
• Be prepared for unexpected challenges and failures in design, and learn from them to improve future outcomes.
• Recommended books: 'The 12 Tomorrows' series. Recommended podcasts: Radio Lab, This American Life, Freakonomics.
• The Women in Design Deep Dive event will take place in June and will provide valuable insights and networking opportunities.

More info on the Women in Design Deep Dive Event in Philadelphia on 25th June 2024: https://www.idsa.org/conference-details/women-in-design-deep-dive-2024/

Lea's recommended reads: The Twelve Tomorrows Series: https://mitpress.mit.edu/series/twelve-tomorrows/

Lea's recommended Podcasts:

• Radiolab https://radiolab.org/podcast
• This American Life https://www.thisamericanlife.org/listen
• Freakonomics https://freakonomics.com/podcasts/

Connect with Lea Stewart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leadesigns/

Connect with Chris Whyte on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about Kodu Recruitment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://teamkodu.com/