The Design Leadership Community exists for people who work in design with leadership roles. It has over 1000 members from around the globe.
Since it was born in Sweden, the online Slack group (where community members mainly interact) has threads both in English and Swedish. This online group is a great space for you to exchange experiences, feedback, and advice with over 1000 professional designers. Besides growing you on a professional level, the online group can also encourage you to connect with people deeply, make new friends, and meet people with similar interests as you.
Twice a year, community members gather in person or virtually. In these meetings, there are guest speakers who talk with members about topics at the intersection of design and leadership.
Additionally, the community has its own mentorship program. The "Buddy Program" works on a pairing-based system that matches you with a professional design leader. The coach will match your personal areas of interest, as well as the orientation you choose (leading teams, or leading organizations). You can apply now for the next version of the program, which will begin in Fall 2022. There are limited spots. If you are selected to join, the fee is approximately $30.
On the other hand, the Design Leadership Community conducts one of the largest design reports. The "State of Design" report gathers insights from design leaders in Sweden. You can access a limited version of the report for free, but you can also access the premium version ($45) and the premium+ version ($459).
Lastly, the community requires a fee if you want to join. Paid membership costs $8 per month or $67 per year.
Participate in a global community of design leaders:
The Design Leadership Community has over 1000 members from all over the world interacting in the Slack online group. You can join them to exchange powerful experiences and insights about design and leadership roles.
Get a mentor with the community's pairing-based program:
Design Leadership has its own mentorship program, called the "Buddy Program". It works by pairing you with an expert design leader who has the same orientation and interests as you. Spots are limited, if you are selected to join the fee is approximately $30.
Read the annual report for design leaders:
The Design Leadership Community conducts an annual survey that gathers insights of design leaders in Sweden. It's one of the largest design surveys, and the 2021's version will be the seventh consecutive year they publish it. You can access a limited version of the report for free, as well as read past years' reports.
No requirements.
Virtual
Members of the Design Leadership Community meet in-person twice a year. These events usually feature expert speakers (whether it be from the community or leaders around the globe). Guest speakers discuss with members topics around design and leadership roles, such as leading organizations, leading people, or leading products/services.
The community has developed a "Buddy Program". This is basically a mentorship program that pairs coaches with design leaders just like you. All mentors are experienced leaders in the design field, hand-picked from the community's network. To participate, you have to have a formal leadership position (regardless of your mode of employment). There are two orientations, depending on what you lead (companies or teams of people).
You will be matched with someone in the same area of orientation and that shares as much as possible the focus areas you are interested in. This allows you to find a mentor that will be the perfect fit for you according to what you need at that moment. You can apply now for the next program, which will be launched in Fall 2022. The fee to participate is approximately $30.
Community 1000+ members interact via Slack in their own online group. Inside, members share knowledge and help each other out by providing advice and feedback. Besides further growing each member professionally, the Slack group it's a perfect place to know people that live near you, that have the same work as you or have the same passion for design. Feel free to interact and network with other members!
Most of the threads are in English, but some people also write in Swedish. If you join the community, don't forget to first read the Slack guidelines before you begin to connect with others.
The Design Leadership Community launch an annual report, called "State of Design". It has several insights about design leaders, specifically in Sweden. It has been running for seven years already, and it's one of the largest design surveys. You can access a limited version for free, the premium version ($45) or the premium+ version ($459). You can also read reports from past years from the community's website.
"The State of Design report is the perfect way to get a grip of trends in the Swedish design community. To me, it goes without saying, answer the questionnaire and read the report every year." -Annette Öberg