Live event on March 25th with Jess Eddy from Google! How designers can build strategic influence at work
Femke van Schoonhoven
Develop your
strategic influence
as a Designer
Most designers get promoted for their craft. Then hit a ceiling at senior that skill alone won't break through. That's the gap I can help you close.
1,000+ hours mentoring designers
Design Lead at Gusto, previously Uber and Wealthsimple
500+ designers coached
Went from intermediate designer → design lead in 6 years
OPTION 1
The missing part
What’s missing isn’t skill — it’s influence.
OPTION 2
The missing part
What’s missing isn’t skill — it’s influence.
Product influence isn't innate—
it's a skillset you can develop
OPTION 1
Which one describes you best?
I want to grow to senior lead with personalized support
Best for:
New design managers building leadership skills
Preparing for promotion to Staff or Lead designer
Anyone ready to invest in intensive, personalized growth
I want proven frameworks I can apply immediately
Best for:
Independent learners who prefer self-paced study
Designers seeking foundational strategic skills
Anyone wanting to start building influence immediately
I want [be a part of supportive design community]
Best for:
point 1 (will add if we decide to go with this design option)
point 2 (will add if we decide to go with this design option)
point 3 (will add if we decide to go with this design option)
OPTION 2
Begin your starategic influence
Which one describes you best?
I want proven frameworks I can apply immediately
I want to grow to senior lead with personalized support
Accelerate Your
Design Career
I accepted an offer for Senior Product Designer with Hubspot and I'll be moving to San Francisco! Your great advice during the 1:1 mentoring calls and all your amazing videos helped me so much during my job hunt and interview preparation. I was so anxious and nervous for it but the 1:1s really helped me manage my anxiety and get through it successfully!
Jo, Senior Product Designer
Femke provided personalized feedback that gave me clear direction on how to improve.
Deepika, UX/Product Designer
I really appreciated Femke’s clear, actionable approach to every part of the design process—it made it easy to apply what I learned to my current work, interviews, portfolio reviews, and even helped me land job offers.
Su, Product Designer
Femke's videos and tips helped me get a job at Disney
Jayden, Product Designer
Before, I was pulling myself in different direction but after speaking with her I feel like I know what I need to do.
Ayesha
If you're a designer wanting to build more confidence with decision making, level up their strategic thinking, and have more of an impact overall — Femke's course is for you.
Erica, Visual Product Designer
Limited spots
Strategic Design Leadership Coaching
Cohort program for senior designers ready to build the strategic influence and executive presence that drives career advancement
9 months
15 designers
Group & 1:1 coaching
Hey, I'm Femke
I spent six years going from intermediate designer to design lead — at Uber, Wealthsimple, and now Gusto — and built a framework for strategic influence along the way.
Along the way I've coached 500+ designers through career-defining transitions at companies like Shopify, Stripe, and Meta. Not by teaching them to design better — but by helping them make their thinking visible, their impact undeniable, and their voice heard in the rooms that matter.
What I've learned from 1,000+ hours of mentoring: the gap is almost never craft. It's always the strategic layer — knowing how to speak the language of the business, build influence across an organization, and position yourself for the opportunities you actually want.
That's what everything I build is designed to teach.
Designed at these companies
Spoke at these events
Config
Awwards Conference
Design Chumps
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I've learned so much from Femke's newsletter and YouTube channel and attribute successfully landing interviews, and ultimately a job. She just makes it so easy to digest and implement, always keeping you up-to-date on industry events and info, tools, and best practices.
Sara, Product Owner & Designer
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