A competency matrix provides design leaders with a visual map of team skills that strategically informs hiring decisions, facilitates targeted professional development, and enables skill-based work allocation. This comprehensive guide explains how to create and maintain an effective skills matrix for UX teams, covering both technical and soft skills assessment using a simple 1-5 rating system, while avoiding common pitfalls to build more balanced, capable design teams.

Discover how identifying and leveraging your core values can provide stability and confidence when navigating the complexities of leadership roles and help maintain your authentic identity during challenging periods.

Don't overthink it. Just do the thing. I've spent so much of my life overthinking and sitting on ideas. I've found that I do best when I just go for it and trust that I will figure it out.

Your professional reputation is your most valuable career asset, built through consistency, reliability and effective communication with stakeholders.

Collaborate with other designers and developers to build your experience

Learn how to build an effective professional network that opens doors to new opportunities. Discover why networking isn't just a necessary evil but an intentional relationship-building process that creates valuable connections.

A well-maintained LinkedIn profile with professional photos, clear headlines, and recommendations acts as your digital first impression and complements your CV and portfolio.

Venessa discusses the importance of staying relevant in an ever-evolving design industry

Venessa discusses essential factors to consider before accepting a job offer, including the quality of management, career growth opportunities, alignment with personal values, and the company's commercial health. Venessa emphasises the importance of treating job interviews as a two-way process, where candidates evaluate the company as much as the company evaluates them.

Venessa emphasises the importance of showing your design process in case studies. Documenting each step, from sketches to final outcomes, helps to show hiring managers how you think.

Nessa’s knowledge bombs are a series of short bite-size bombs of advice that I have learned over my career.

Nessa’s knowledge bombs are a series of short bite-size bombs of advice that I have learned over my career.

Nessa’s knowledge bombs are a series of short bite-size bombs of advice that I have learned over my career.

One observation I’ve made in my career is that some of the best designers are not necessarily the most talented but the ones that are great at communicating and making the right connections, in short the best hustlers.

Nessa’s knowledge bombs are a series of short bite-size bombs of advice that I have learned over the years.

Receiving negative feedback is not easy - here are my tips on how to deal with negative feedback.

Nessa’s knowledge bombs are a series of short bite-size bombs of advice that I have learned over the years.

Starting a new job can be hard especially joining a large company here are some tips as to how you can be more than just another employee and make a difference.

This is the season that you start to reflect on the past year, and I thought it might be a good time to reflect on my 8 months at Cazoo.

Progressing your career can be tough especially in the ever-changing world of design, here are 5 tips that I have picked while working in the design industry.