The promotion conversation you never hear (From a UX Design Manager who was in the room)
2.5K views · 2026-05-01
Interaction & UX
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What actually gets said about you in promotion calibrations? As a design manager, I sit in these rooms and see what separates designers who get promoted from those who get stuck — even when their work is equally good. In this video, I'm pulling back the curtain on what calibration looks like from the other side of the table.
I'm launching a group coaching program in Fall 2026 for designers ready to increase their strategic influence.
🔗 Join the waitlist: https://femke.design/coaching
Featuring insights from @mitchclementsdesign and @chris-abad
----------------------------------------------
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STAY CONNECTED
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Intro
0:16 — What happens when your name comes up
0:49 — What is calibration?
2:05 — Framer
3:47 — Promotions are not a checklist
5:29 — What makes promotion cases easy
9:17 — What makes it hard to advocate for someone
12:31 — The reality check
13:42 — Three things you can do now
🔗 Try 1 month FREE of Framer Pro: https://www.framer.com/?via=femke-van-schoonhoven&dub_id=nkPJVn9fgLGDu1SQ
Use code: FEMKE1 (valid for 3 months from April 8th)
#FramerPartner
What actually gets said about you in promotion calibrations? As a design manager, I sit in these rooms and see what separates designers who get promoted from those who get stuck — even when their work is equally good. In this video, I'm pulling back the curtain on what calibration looks like from the other side of the table.
I'm launching a group coaching program in Fall 2026 for designers ready to increase their strategic influence.
🔗 Join the waitlist: https://femke.design/coaching
Featuring insights from @mitchclementsdesign and @chris-abad
----------------------------------------------
WORK WITH ME
📚 Take my course: https://femke.design/course?utm_source=youtube
🚀 Join Level Up Club: https://femke.design/level-up-club?utm_source=youtube
💬 Book mentoring: https://femke.design/work-with-me?utm_source=youtube
STAY CONNECTED
📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.femke.design/newsletter/?utm_source=youtube
🎙️ Listen to my podcast: https://www.designlife.fm/?utm_source=youtube
🌐 Website: https://www.femke.design/?utm_source=youtube
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/femkesvs/
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femkedotdesign/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/femkesvs
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Intro
0:16 — What happens when your name comes up
0:49 — What is calibration?
2:05 — Framer
3:47 — Promotions are not a checklist
5:29 — What makes promotion cases easy
9:17 — What makes it hard to advocate for someone
12:31 — The reality check
13:42 — Three things you can do now