Quick note from me
Let's talk about something that doesn't get enough attention in design industry: career planning.
We spend hours perfecting our portfolios, obsessing over case studies, and refining our positioning. But how much time do we actually spend designing our careers? Your career deserves the same design thinking you apply to your work.
One quick question before you start reading:
What would you read more about?
Story outline
Step 01: Define your destination (Point B)
Step 02: Assess your current position (Point A)
Step 03: Map backward from B to A
Step 04: Design your first experiment
Step 05: Build your system and look for signals
Step 06: Know when to persist or pivot
Step 01
Define your destination (Point B)
Before you can plan anything, you need to know where you're going. And I don't mean "I want to be a senior designer". That's too general.
1. Write down your Point B with specificity
What role do you want?
What type of company or environment?
What kind of work will you be doing daily?
2. Define your WHY
What values does this align with? (autonomy, creativity, stability, impact, learning)
What life circumstances are you designing for? (family time, financial goals, location freedom)
What energizes you about this direction?
Example: "I want to be a design lead at a B2B SaaS company focused on healthcare because I value mentorship opportunities, want to make meaningful impact in people's health, need predictable hours for my family, and am energized by solving complex problems with long-term thinking"
My old value map
Step 02
Assess your current position (Point A)
You can't map a route if you don't know your starting point.
1. Honest inventory of where you are
Current role and responsibilities
Current skills and strengths
Current constraints (time, money, location, experience)
Current network and opportunities
2. Identify the gap
What skills does Point B require that you don't have yet?
What experience is missing?
What network connections would help?
What mindset shifts are needed?
Write this down without any judgment. You just want to understand the gap between where you are right now and where you want to be next. These points will become your roadmap.
New brag document template (coming soon)
Step 03
Map backward from B to A
This is where design thinking really kicks in. We're going to reverse-engineer your path.
1. Identity work
If you were already at Point B, answer these:
How would you think about problems?
What would your daily habits look like?
How would you show up in meetings?
What would your portfolio demonstrate?
Who would be in your network?
2. Milestone mapping
Work backwards and identify 3-5 major milestones between A and B.
Example path from "Mid-level Product Designer" to "Design Lead at B2B SaaS":
Milestone 5 (Point B): Design Lead role
Milestone 4: Managing 1-2 designers or leading design on major product
Milestone 3: Senior designer role with strategic influence
Milestone 2: Strong case studies in B2B SaaS space
Milestone 1 (Point A): Current mid-level designer role
3. Identify potential actions
For each milestone, brainstorm possible actions that could get you there. Don't filter yet, just generate options.
My very old career planning board
Step 04
Design your first experiment
Here's where most people get stuck. They have big plans but no small actions. We're fixing that.
Choose ONE experiment that
Moves you toward Milestone 2
Can be tested in 2-4 weeks
Gives you clear feedback
Feels 70% doable (challenging but not impossible)
Example:
Experiment Name: Develop Design + Build Skills
What: Learn to build functional prototypes using Cursor
Goal: Ship 3 working products that real users can interact with
Why: To transition from pure UX designer to design builder who can validate ideas faster and ship end-to-end. This positions me for product designer or founding designer roles.
Timeline: Next 8 weeks
Success Criteria:
Shipped 3 functional prototypes with real user feedback
Have one "built and shipped" case study in portfolio
Can discuss technical constraints confidently in interviews
First 3 Action Steps:
Complete basic Cursor tutorial by Week 2
Build a simple landing page in Cursor by Week 3
Rebuild one case study design as a functional prototype by Week 4
Top level planning example
Step 05
Build your system and look for signals
You need infrastructure to support your experiments AND the self-awareness to know when to adjust.
1. Create your Career Lab (in Notion, Google Docs, or wherever)
Experiments Tracker: Active experiments, results, learnings
Brag Doc: Wins, accomplishments, positive feedback, growth moments
Skills Inventory: What you're learning, what you're good at, what you want to develop
2. Signal tracking
Daily CEO Review: Every day, quickly note:
What's working?
What's draining me?
Where am I growing?
What signal did I notice today?
I talked more about the daily CEO review system in previous newsletter issue.
3. Experiment reviews
A template from Tiny Experiments:
What worked: Keep doing this
What didn't work: Stop or adjust this
What you learned: Key insights and observations
What's next: Your next experiment based on these findings
Step 06
Know when to persist or pivot
1. Set adjustment triggers
Before you start any experiment, define:
Persistence threshold: "I'll give this 3 months of consistent effort"
Pivot signal: "If I see zero traction after 6 months, I'll adjust strategy"
Success signal: "If this happens, I'll double down"
2. Recognize the difference
Don't change goals too quickly just because something feels hard or uncomfortable. Growth is supposed to be challenging. Do adjust strategy if:
You've been sending 1000 applications for 6 months with no interviews → Your portfolio or positioning needs work
You've been posting on LinkedIn for 4 months with zero engagement → Your content strategy isn't resonating
You've been trying to break into a niche for a year with no warm leads → Maybe that niche isn't aligned with your strengths
3. Build uncertainty tolerance
You're going to feel uncomfortable. That's not a sign you're on the wrong path, but often that you're growing. You need to keep experimenting despite the doubt.
🫶 Together with Framer
A tool that matches how designers think
Good tools don’t get in your way. You almost forget they’re there.
Framer feels natural if you’re a designer. You can try ideas, tweak layouts, adjust spacing, play with motion, and immediately see how everything works together. It’s not about dragging boxes around. It’s about shaping the experience.
You design, write, add interactions, and publish in the same place. No jumping between tools. No rebuilding things later. Just one clear flow from idea to live site.
That’s why Framer has become my go-to for building modern websites.
Try Framer here
Want help with your UX portfolio? 🎁
Build your UX Portfolio with this course
Book a portfolio strategy call with me
Questions? Reply directly.
Keep designing ✨
Aneta
