Hallå designers,
I have some exciting news to share with you! I recently switched teams at Klarna, and I wanted to give you all an update on what led to this change and how things are going so far.
For the past 6 months, I was part of the App Search Experience team, which was awarded the "Best Team Award" at Klarna. However, I found myself struggling to fully settle in. Despite the team being skilled and working on a strategically important product, the job required more visual design skills than I was used to, and the pace was quicker than I was comfortable with.
I had a conversation with my manager and expressed my concerns. To my surprise, he mentioned that there was an opening in the Boost team (Klarna's shopping assistant) that he was having trouble filling. He thought I would be a good fit for the team as they needed someone who was structured and could collaborate with multiple teams.
After some reflection and a recommendation from my career coach, I decided to make the switch. And I have to say, I'm so glad I did! It's only been 3 work days, but it feels like a better fit. I get to collaborate more closely with other designers, the new PM and I have a similar working style, and I feel I can have a big impact on the problem space. The entire team is based in Stockholm, so we'll be meeting in-person every week, which is a huge plus.
Throughout my career, I've always found that switching teams (or roles) has been for the better. At my first company, I switched from UX research to product design, at my second company, I switched from general product design to growth design, and at my third company (H&M), I switched from the Digital Checkout team to the Pre-loved team.
Only time will tell if this latest switch will have the same outcome, but I wanted to share my experience in case anyone else is feeling stuck and is considering making a change. The potential upside is definitely worth it!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for more updates from me!
Best regards,
Dan
P.S. This newsletter was previously called “Weekly Notes” but I changed the name to “The Accelerated Designer”. Going forward, it will be about how I find ways to accelerate my growth in my career and myself.
Absolutely no shame in switching teams internally - I think it enriches your experience because you can bring different perspectives into new teams! I've also switched teams in my current job, moving from a B2B team to a team that focuses on innovation. It was a better culture and skill fit!
Curious to see how you will land and continue to grow in your new team, Dan!