This month I passed the 6-month probation at Klarna! It's quite a milestone so I thought it would be a good time for some reflections.
Reflections on my performance
All in all, I think I did well considering joining at a hectic time when the MVP launched, having to do a lot more visual design than I am used to, and the team I joined not having many processes. But still, it wasn't where I wanted to be.
I wanted to have a feeling of hitting it out of the park. Kind of getting the comment "Just keep doing what you're doing!". On the other hand, it is good that things didn't go that smoothly because then that means there is room for improvement.
So, let's break it down. What was good, and what could be improved?
The good
Improving my product team's way of working with new processes; design reviews, workshops, and fast feedback gathering
Refining how we think about customer behavior by defining "Shopping modes"
Aligning with the other domain designers by sharing design early and often
Improvement points
I struggled to deliver visual design at the desired speed and quality
I didn't grow as fast as I could because I didn't take ownership of my growth
The collaboration between myself and the PM was not at the level I wanted
What kept me from having a flying start?
I think I underestimated how much I could keep my priorities straight during challenging times. When having lots to do, it's easy to completly focus on putting out fires. Then there's not much headspace or energy to zoom out and make the necessary changes.
What would help me going forward?
I've decided to be more serious about my career. I asked myself "What is the number one thing that would help me take my performance to where I want it to be?". The answer is a design career coach.
I'll be testing out working with a paid coach. I've had an intro call with him, and I am excited for the next one. He has an impressive list of experiences:
Former Director of Product Design at Patreon
Design Manager at Google Maps (he invented the Popular Times feature)
Startup founder at Google's Area 120 incubator
Design Lead at Time Magazine
We will meet every other week, and I'll update him on what's happened and discuss what I should do to work towards my goal.
Of course, I will share my learnings with you along the way. Stay tuned!
P.S. If you want me to ask my coach something, drop the question below