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No one is coming to make you a Design Leader

After 100+ conversations with Heads of Design, one truth keeps coming back: no one is waiting to hand you a leadership role. This talk shares concrete patterns — drawn from real careers — to help you move forward with intent, starting now.

Self

Format

Talk

Day

Thursday, Oct 15

Room

Aula K

Time

01:10 PM

The people who got there didn't wait for permission

No one is coming to make you a Design Leader. The people who got there didn’t wait for permission, they acted. This talk share 100+ real career stories from my Podcast “Head Of Design” into actionable patterns that anyone can apply.

Why is this conversation important now?

Designers are being asked to prove its value like never before. The designers who will shape what comes next are not necessarily the most talented, they are the ones who know how to measure their impact, speak the language of business, and act without waiting for permission.

Who is this session for?

Designers who want to grow beyond their current role, build visibility, and understand what Design Leaders actually did before they had the title. Practitioners ready to move from reflection to action.

Key takeaways

The goal is simple: to give every person in the room the tools and the confidence to move toward their ambitions, thanks to actionable patterns drawn from 100+ real Design Leaders careers

Paul Menant is the co-founder of Design Club, a talent partner reinventing design consulting across Europe. After years in the Design business as Head of Sales for a leading design agency in Paris, Paul set out to challenge the traditional agency model. Design Club gives scale-ups and corporates instant access to elite, on-demand design and research talent.

Beyond Design Club, Paul hosts Head of Design, a podcast spotlighting France’s and Europe’s most influential design leaders, now past 100 episodes and 50,000+ streams. He also runs Design Loop, a Barcelona-based meetup connecting the local design community.

Drawing on 100+ conversations with design directors, Paul’s talks explore what it really takes to lead design today.

Service Design Disrupted 26

 

DHub Barcelona
Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, 38
08018 Barcelona, Spain

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