InsideOut Design Leader Community

The Best Newsletter of the Year! (Ok, it's OUR best newsletter of the year!) It's time for more Inside Ideas, and this edition includes an overview of our exciting year and links to lots of resources for YOU. 🎁 As we close out 2024, we'd like to send a warm hug 🤗 ⛄ to all the amazing leaders in our InsideOut Design Leader Community who have shared their ups and downs and brilliant minds with us this year. We couldn't have done it without all the insights from the many experts tagged below who took the time to share their knowledge with our community. They're all featured in the newsletter, too, so get to reading! It's 💯 true that great people know great people, and we're feeling pretty darn great right now. Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Fabulous New Year! 🥳 #aquentinsideout #insideideas #designleadership #creativeleadership #creativeoperations Kristen Hadeed Meg Niman Kate Sullivan Erica Hill-Rodriguez Philip VanDusen 🔥Teresa Cain Sculpd 28Muses Alyssa Gundred Ryan Leffel Jack Teuber Bob Schwartz Clair Carter-Ginn Michael Seum Paul Strike Aquent Kate Gottfried Simon Lusty

Is your team getting all the resources you need? If not, we've got some ideas. 💡 Last week, our very own Susie Hall spoke at RoboHead's #Converge 2024 Conference, bringing powerful insights from the Creative Ops Leaders in our InsideOut Design Leader Community. Her message? Creative teams need more than just great ideas—they need strategic communication. Here are some key takeaways: ✔️ Stop seeing departments like Finance and Legal as obstacles. They're potential strategic partners who can help you win. ✔️ Always present multiple options with clear cost and impact. Give stakeholders choices, not just requests. ✔️ Use the power of 'What if...?' storytelling to help decision-makers visualize potential outcomes. Want to transform how your creative team advocates for growth? Watch the full video from the RoboHead User Conference below to learn more about turning potential roadblocks into opportunities. (https://lnkd.in/gtyYrM8S) Aquent, Susie Hall, Kate Gottfried, Abbie Hatch (Thiebaut), #OptionswithImpact #businesscaseforgrowth, #aquentinsideout, #businesscase, #creativeoperations,

DIFFERENTIATION (STILL) MATTERS. We had some lively discussions in the Fall about the State of Design today, which included the sad fact that innovation seems to be taking a backseat to simply “doing more, faster” or “exploring AI”... Everyone seems to be feeling this, but Design Leaders know:  ✔️ Without Competitive Advantage, companies will fail to stand out and secure their intended audiences (duh, innovation is not a “nice-to-have”) ✔️ AI is helpful for efficiency but NOT great at differentiation–and is already leading to watered-down sameness ✔️  While execs believe in the cost-savings promise of AI, there are simply no “savings” yet (and honestly, a whole lot of cost in exploring without clear direction) And so, it turns out that differentiation STILL matters AND that Design leaders are simply the best partners for finding and delivering on competitive advantage. So don’t discount your Design team. Ask them for more than efficiency and unlock real business potential. Susie Hall, Kate Gottfried, Aquent, #leadershipinsights, #lightbulbmoments, #aquentinsideout, #businesscase,, #creativeoperations, #designleadership, #designinsights, #futureofdesign #designingthefuture, #iolightbulbmomentsseries Photo by Theo Crazzolara on Unsplash (https://lnkd.in/gf8WntnA)

In our latest 'Read to Lead' series, discover the books that have inspired our senior leaders. Together, let's explore ways to keep up with change, improve performance through trust, and understand what's next, through resources shared by really amazing and smart leaders. 📚 We'll provide a little context from our conversations but encourage you to click through to find the best resources for YOUR challenges: 📕 Zone to Win by Geoffrey A Moore (https://lnkd.in/gWuJNBag) If you're trying to help your business keep up with the pace of change–to win! 📗 The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey (https://speedoftrust.com/) If you want to improve performance through increasing trust. 📘 Squiggly Careers by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis (https://a.co/d/bBhjNxo) If you're looking for a guide to understanding your strengths, values, and exploring career possibilities. Kick-off your weekend with this inspiring list and check back each week for more recommendations from our amazing InsideOut members. Susie Hall, Kate Gottfried, Aquent, #readtolead, #aquentinsideout, #leadershipinsights,#designleadership, #creativeoperations, #leadershiplibrary, #ioreadtoleadseries Photo by Edoardo Botez on Unsplash (https://lnkd.in/dyZZ_MXR)

THE STORY OF YOU. Leaders have found themselves in the midst of change all year. Shifting teams and the elimination of roles have made finding that next perfect fit harder than ever. When applying to roles with lots of competition and lots of noise (thanks AI!) how can you ensure they remember you? In recent Jobseeker roundtables, smart Design leaders shared the importance of knowing your personal brand during your job search. Despite being virtual, people and personalities still matter. Being able to tell your story clearly and consistently, throughout the whole process, is key. Have a strong resume, a good 30-second elevator pitch, and case studies that all tie back to your narrative. 🔥 HOT TIP: Find transferrable skills and have results-driven PARs that you can easily use in multiple situations. No matter what role you’re applying for, know the story of YOU and you’ll find the right fit. ❤️ Susie Hall, Kate Gottfried, Aquent, #leadershipinsights, #lightbulbmoments, #aquentinsideout, #creativeoperations, #designleadership, #designinsights, #futureofdesign, #designingthefuture, #iolightbulbmomentsseries Photo by Theo Crazzolara on Unsplash (https://lnkd.in/gf8WntnA)

Be kind. Do right by people. Listen. And look for bright spots. ☀️ These are just some of the amazing insights shared by our very own bright spot, Susie Hall, as she shares her career story and the launch of our InsideOut Design Leader Community on the latest podcast by Ryan Leffel. Check out this episode (and other wonderful episodes) on #ThatPivotalMomentOfChange website: https://lnkd.in/gH-Bq6DE #Leadership, #Mentorship, #CareerGrowth, #Trust, #ThatPivotalMomentOfChange Susie Hall, Ryan Leffel, Aquent, Kate Gottfried, #aquentinsideout, #leadershipinsights

STORYSHOWING. You read that right. The power of storytelling is indisputable, but let’s be honest, not everyone is great at listening. Plus, everyone learns differently, and with today’s declining attention spans, the best-told story simply may not resonate with busy partners. In recent ops roundtables on how to build a business case to get what your team needs, clever Creative Operations reminded us that “Show, Don’t Tell” is a more powerful way to gain support. In fact, when aiming to persuade an audience who simply doesn’t know what your team does (or have time to learn it), showing them examples of possible outcomes–both positive and negative–can bring home the weight and opportunity of their decision. 🧩 Put those together (Storytelling + Show, Don’t Tell) and you’ve got a new way to connect: STORYSHOWING. 📖 Tell your story through examples and increase your odds of getting what you need.  📣 You heard it here first. Or maybe you didn’t, but listen up: The next time you advocate for much-needed support, resources, technology, anything!, give Storyshowing a whirl, and let us know what you discover! Susie Hall, Kate Gottfried, Aquent, #leadershipinsights, #lightbulbmoments, #aquentinsideout, #businesscase,, #creativeoperations, #designleadership, #designinsights, #futureofdesign #designingthefuture, #iolightbulbmomentsseries Photo by Theo Crazzolara on Unsplash (https://lnkd.in/gf8WntnA)

What a joyful way to wrap up the year with our InsideOut Design Leader Community! 🥳 Yesterday we gathered virtually to celebrate 110 sessions together this year and to find some peaceful moments with the kind folks at 28Muses. We took time to breathe (!), let go of control (!!) and embrace imperfection as we tried our hands at Suminigashi, the ancient art of Japanese paper marbling. The sake tasting also helped... 🍶 This year has been a beast for most of us, and taking the time to step back and just STOP trying to control what's clearly out of our hands is so difficult–and so wonderful. We are incredibly grateful for the generous, brilliant and passionate creative and design leaders who share their time with us. Community is a gift. 🎁 If you don't have one, find one stat. Happy Holidays, and here's to fabulous days ahead for us all! ❤️❤️❤️ #designleadership #creativeleadership #powerofcommunity #creativeoperations #aquentinsideout Kate Gottfried Simon Lusty Aquent

Giving Tuesday is about giving back and for the past 5 years, our leaders have been giving back to one another in every session. ❤️ In our weekly #iolightbulbmomentsseries, we share insights, in short form, from our roundtables. But in the spirit of giving, we wanted to share more. Find all of our insights here: https://lnkd.in/gtiijrRU We love to give back and are truly a community FOR senior leaders built BY senior leaders, and we're proud to be just that. ❤️ ❇ We create safe, productive spaces for Leaders to connect & learn with peers ❇ Leaders choose the topics, making our discussions timely and relevant ❇ Our facilitation and follow-up lets Leaders be present during live sessions ❇ We make direct connections based on common challenges If you're a senior design, experience, or creative operations leader of an in-house team at a high-profile brand looking for a Community where you get to give back to others every week, let us know. Aquent, Susie Hall, Kate Gottfried #givingback #sharinginsights #iolightbulbmomentsseries, #leadershipinsights, #lightbulbmoments, #aquentinsideout, #creativeoperations, #designleadership

Only 2 days until Henry Stewart Events #FestivalofCreativeOps!!! Register today! 🎉