Design Career Insurance

Welcome to Leading by Design!

The Design Leadership Playbook

⏰ Today In 5 Minutes or Less

In five minutes or less, you will learn exactly how to audit your design process, secure your performance metrics, and navigate US and UK specific employment rights so you’re never one Slack lockout away from a career reset.

The Long Way Home

It’s been a while. I haven’t been in your inbox since January, and for good reason. I spent the end of 2025 and start of 2026 traveling extensively through California and New Mexico, a "soul-searching" trek to decide exactly where I wanted my next chapter to unfold.

While the reception from friends, mentors, and clients in the US was incredibly warm, and many expected me to stay, I hit a surprising realization. Like anyone who has lived abroad for years, I felt that familiar sense of displacement. Despite fully expecting to settle back in the US, I realized my heart (and my family) needed me back in the UK. So, that is where I’ll be based for the rest of the year.

The State of Play

Coming home has given me a "both sides of the pond" perspective on the current market, and the view is sobering. For those currently employed, the air feels heavy with performance pressure and restructuring talk. For those who have already been laid off, and I know there are many of you, I am truly sorry. My goal is to help you realign and get back to what you actually love doing.

In the spirit of being prepared (and apologies for being a bit of a "Debbie Downer"), this week’s edition is a very practical guide. Whether you feel safe or sidelined, here is how to preemptively gather what you need now to make your move to your next perfect role seamless.

Preparing for the Unthinkable

It’s a heavy time to be in Product and UX. In the last year alone, the tech sector has seen over 260,000 layoffs globally, with design and product teams often taking the hardest hits as companies "flatten" their hierarchies. In the UK, redundancy rates have climbed to their highest levels since 2020, while US tech hubs continue to see daily "restructuring" announcements.

Being laid off often happens with jarring speed. One minute you’re in a sprint planning meeting; the next, your Slack access is revoked and your laptop is a brick. If you wait until the "invite" hits your calendar, it’s already too late to save your legacy. Your instinct to prepare isn't cynical—it's professional survival.

A Note on Intellectual Property (IP): Before you save anything, check your contract. Do not download client lists, proprietary code, or trade secrets. This can trigger IT alerts, lead to legal action, or cost you your severance. Focus exclusively on "personal-professional" data: your reviews, your connections, and your design process.

🌍 The Universal Checklist (US & UK)

Regardless of where you pay taxes, these are the "Must-Dos" for every Product Design leader before you lose your SSO:

• Archive Your Design Process: Don’t just save final UI. Screenshot the "messy middle”. FigJam brainstorms, early wireframes, and sticky-note workshops. These prove how you solve problems.

• Record Prototype Videos: Record a screen-capture (with audio narration) of your best prototypes. It’s much easier to show a video in an interview than to rebuild a Figma prototype from scratch.

• The "Impact" Ledger: Write down your metrics now. Did you improve conversion by 12%? Reduce support tickets by 20%? Anonymize user research quotes that prove your design solved a real pain point.

• Evidence of Collaboration: Screenshot "kudos" from developers and PMs. If a lead engineer thanked you for a clean handoff, that is your best future testimonial.

• Inventory Your Tech Stack: List the tools you’ve mastered (e.g., Mixpanel, Hotjar, Storybook, Zeroheight). Being an "expert-level" user is a major selling point in a tight market.

• BCC Your Personal Email: For non-sensitive, purely personal emails (like praise from a client), BCC your personal account. Avoid bulk-downloading files, which often triggers security flags.

• Digital & Physical Housekeeping: Clear your browser history and saved personal passwords. Start taking personal items (plants, books, photos) home now so you aren't carrying a "box of shame" later.

🇺🇸 The United States Checklist

In the US, "Employment at Will" means you can be locked out in minutes. You must act today.

• Tax & Pay Records: Download your last 3 months of pay stubs and your most recent W-2. Ensure you have a personal login for your payroll portal (ADP, Workday) that doesn't rely on company email.

• FSA/HSA Management: Use your FSA funds now. If you have a balance, buy prescriptions or medical supplies today. Once you're out, that money is usually gone. Note your HSA account details; that money stays with you.

• Benefit Summaries: Download your Summary of Benefits (Health, Dental, Vision) and your 401(k) statements.

• COBRA vs. Marketplace: Design roles currently take 3–6 months to land. Research the cost of COBRA versus a plan on the Healthcare.gov marketplace so you aren't surprised by the premium.

• Portfolio Redaction: US contracts are aggressive about "Work for Hire." Ensure any work you take is destined for a password-protected site or is sufficiently redacted to protect company secrets.

🇬🇧 The United Kingdom Checklist

The UK offers stronger redundancy protections, but you need to know your rights to leverage them.

• Statutory Rights: If you’ve been at the company for over 2 years, you are legally entitled to Statutory Redundancy Pay. Use the GOV.UK calculator to know your number.

• The P60 & P45: Ensure you have your P60s. Your employer must issue a P45 upon your departure; keep a close eye on this for your next role.

• Consultation & Consent: If 20+ people are being let go, there is a legal consultation period (30–90 days). Use this time to ask your manager for written permission to use specific projects in your private portfolio.

• Garden Leave Strategy: Check if your contract has a "Garden Leave" clause. If you are paid to stay home during your notice period, use those weeks to update your case studies while the "why" behind your decisions is still fresh.

• Pension Tracking: Note your provider (Nest, People’s Pension, etc.) and your policy number. It’s easy to lose track of these small pots once you move on.

• LinkedIn Networking: UK recruiters are heavily LinkedIn-reliant. Export your Outlook contacts to a .CSV file now so you can reconnect with colleagues and vendors on your own terms.

🚀 The Short of It Is

The tech landscape is shifting beneath our feet, and while we can’t control corporate restructuring, we can control our readiness. Your "survival kit" isn't just about saving files; it’s about preserving the evidence of your impact. The "messy middle" of your process, the hard metrics of your success, and the professional relationships you’ve built.

Whether you are navigating the "at-will" speed of the US market or the statutory protections of the UK, the goal is the same: to ensure that when one door closes, you have everything you need to walk confidently through the next one.

Don't wait for the calendar invite; start your housekeeping today.!

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