New Zealand

Master's degree

Eng.

Jana Maia

Product Design Manager

Introduce yourself, define mentoring expectations and goals. Learn and grow together.

General mentorship

Making remote and globally distributed teams work for you and your needs.

Working remotely

Learn essential burnout prevention techniques and replenish physical and emotional energy.

Managing burnout

Talk to people who have learned to manage their imposter syndrome.

Dealing with imposter syndrome

Understanding factors that lead to a motivated team - recognition, communication and more.

Keeping team members motivated

Understand the process of training, motivating and directing your team members.

Managing people

How to create a positive workplace culture that drives collaboration and productivity?

Fostering a good team culture

Steps to building and maintaining a strong, cohesive and effective team.

Building an effective team

Learn the tips to successfully manage a team in a remote environment.

Managing a remote team

How to maintain trust, commitment, accountability deliver results while handling conflict

Avoiding common dysfunctions

How to determine what is a good balance of skill sets for your organization's needs

Building balanced teams

Get actionable feedback on your resume or portfolio.

Resume and portfolio review

Practice HR, technical and behavioural interviews with mentors.

Practice mock interviews

Learn the best ways to answer technical interview questions with frameworks

Acing technical interview questions

How to set up the team for success by defining and measuring team's performance.

Choosing metrics and team goals

Best practices for running productive design critiques.

Running effective design critiques

How to define and execute a successful launch and managing stakeholders expectations. (eg. MVP)

Launching new products or features

Methods of prototyping and solution validation. When to use which kind of prototype (eg. Webflow, Notion, etc)

Prototyping methods and tips

Manage team expectations and get the most out of your meetings.

Running effective meetings

Identify and define potential product problems and generating possible solutions.

Identifying problems vs solutions

Tips on how to work and collaborate with designers.

Working with designers

How to work with team members with different skill sets but towards a common goal?

Working cross-functionally

Methods and models of exploring, deciding and delivering design.

Building a design process

Managing being the only designer at your company and working with non-designers.

Being the only designer

Explore different generative and evaluative research techniques. User research synthesis and presentation.

Conducting good user research

Ways and resources to improve your design skills.

Improving design skills

Navigating the working relationship with PM's and engineers as a designer.

Working with product and engineering

How to set up product analytics and metrics to track success?

Leveraging Product Analytics

How to create personas, and leverage them in design.

Creating and leveraging user personas

Ways to provide constructive feedback to team members.

Giving effective feedback

How to define an ambitious product vision and how to best communicate it to stakeholders?

Creating a product vision

Tips on how to work and collaborate with engineers and developers.

Working with engineers

What is a successful user onboarding flow and how to achieve it?

Onboarding new users

Best practices for documenting projects, epics, and stories

Writing product requirement documents

How to conduct interviews, what to ask, and how to analyze your results? (eg. user interview)

Conducting effective customer interviews

How to think about design career paths and what progression looks like for designers?

Design career path

Learn the career path and progression for product managers.

Product management career path

As Xero's Product Design Manager, I led the design strategy and direction for multiple product lines while managing a team of designers. Working closely with cross-functional leadership, I aligned the product design vision with overall business strategy and led user research initiatives to inform the design process, ensuring data-driven and user-centered design decisions.

I fostered a culture of collaboration and open communication among the team, resulting in a highly motivated and productive group. Managing the team's workflow, I ensured that projects were delivered on time and met a high standard. I played a crucial role in collaborating with cross-functional leadership to empower teams to achieve outstanding results, championing design within the organization and ensuring it was a key consideration in all product decisions.

As a strategic corporate leader in design & experience, I have successfully led teams in delivering exceptional user-centred designs for a diverse range of clients, including ANZ, ASB, BNZ, MPI, AMP, Genesis, IRD, Goodman Fielder, Public Trust, Hirepool, Waste Management, University of Auckland, Chorus, and Online Republic. With a strong background in design thinking, user research, and data analytics, I have a proven ability to drive innovation and achieve competitive advantage through the use of qualitative and quantitative methods. As Director of Customer Experience at Davanti Consulting, I was responsible for the team's P&L, and played an instrumental role in the development of blue-sky thinking, strategic leadership, and the ability to turn ideas into reality. My expertise in leadership, interpersonal skills, and product design has enabled me to effectively manage and motivate teams to succeed.

As a Product Design Director at Foodstuffs, I leveraged my leadership and strategic expertise to drive the development and growth of the company's omnichannel experiences, specifically the launch of New World's and PaknSave's online shopping portals. By fostering a strong design culture, collaborating with key stakeholders, and utilizing a customer-centric approach, I was able to drive business performance and deliver exceptional, truly innovative experiences for customers. My responsibilities included leading and mentoring the design team, creating systems and processes for team engagement, providing creative direction, and fostering a culture of growth and innovation.

As a Delivery Director, I oversaw multiple project deliveries from initiation to closure, managing budgets, timelines, and resources while mitigating risks to ensure quality standards were met. I implemented project management methodologies and tools that improved delivery efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring compliance with organizational policies and procedures. I provided regular project status updates to senior management and built a high-performing team equipped to manage multiple projects, resulting in a reputation for delivering successful outcomes.

As a Cross Functional Delivery Manager at Pixel Fusion, I managed a high-performing cross-functional team and delivered profitable solutions for clients such as Animates, Child Cancer Foundation, Vector, Metrix, Mercury, RFA, Auckland Zoo, and Auckland Art Gallery. My strong leadership and strategic thinking skills were evident in account management, client retention and development, resource planning, and engagement. I also contributed to the strategic offer and services of the company and engaged in broader management and strategic duties to facilitate operational effectiveness. My expertise in Agile project management methodologies and ability to contribute to the overall strategic direction of the company showcases my ability to think and lead comprehensively. This experience has prepared me for a role as a Product Design Leader where I can use my skills in building and leading teams, strategic thinking, and understanding of Agile methodologies to deliver exceptional user experiences and drive business success.

As Program Manager at HSBC, I oversaw the implementation of global internet banking in digital channels for the LAM region, including user migration, system readiness, and marketing and communications. I led cross-functional teams, developed and executed project plans, identified and managed risks and issues, and monitored and reported on project progress. I successfully established effective communication channels with all stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment throughout the project lifecycle. My experience provided me with a strong foundation in project management, digital banking, and stakeholder management.

As the founder and Design Director of Striped Papaya, based in Dublin, Ireland, I managed a team of two managers and 14 designers while completing my PhD studies. Our work focused on creating and communicating clients' user experience strategies, defining the overall CX/UX vision throughout their digital ecosystem. I collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver UX design solutions that aligned with clients' business goals and improved user satisfaction, spanning multiple industries such as finance, technology, and retail, across countries including the USA, Sweden, Brazil, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, and Australia. Using design thinking methodology, we identified and solved complex user problems, resulting in a significant increase in client satisfaction and user engagement. Additionally, I mentored and trained designers on industry best practices, ensuring that our team remained highly skilled and motivated.

As a part-time Product Design Manager at Paperplat AB in Stockholm, I collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and deliver a new product from concept to launch. I led the design strategy and direction for the product, conducting user research and ensuring that design decisions were data-driven and user-centered. Additionally, I managed the design team's workflow and mentored junior designers to create a collaborative and productive team environment. Throughout my tenure, I also collaborated with major companies in the industry on contract work. All this while pursuing my Masters.

After starting as an intern at Accenture, I was promoted to Consultant and worked on strategic logistics projects for AMBEV/Interview. As a consultant, I utilized my technical background and design thinking skills to improve customer experience and optimize operations. I collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify pain points in the logistics process and developed solutions. At Accenture, I gained valuable experience in project and stakeholder management that prepared me for my current role as a Product Design Director, leading teams and driving digital transformation. I'm passionate about using technology to create exceptional user experiences and solve complex business problems.

During my computer engineering degree at UNICAMP, I interned at Accenture in Sao Paulo on a strategic global supply chain project for Carrefour Brazil. This taught me valuable lessons on large-scale project complexities and the importance of project, collaboration, and stakeholder management. I discovered that my technical expertise and passion for design thinking could be used to create exceptional digital experiences for customers. As a seasoned Product Design Director today, I continue to apply these lessons and remain committed to driving business success through innovative design thinking.

In these mentorship sessions, I will guide you in developing direct and clear communication skills, adapting your behavior to match the group's development stage, and harnessing various leadership styles to empower and lead by example. We'll explore the transformative power of effective leadership and how it can inspire and elevate those around you.

Jana Maia🇳🇿

About Jana Maia

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