Design, Research & Product Coaching.

Coaching to help service designers, user researchers and product practitioners strengthen their craft, confidence and impact.

Our 1:1 coaching service works as a partnership with practitioners who are looking to build their confidence, skills and toolkit. We work with each individual to gain a holistic understanding of their work context, and personalise the coaching to suit their expressed needs, aims, and goals. It’s a collaborative, creative process that will help maximise the professional potential of those who take part.

We can cover topics for user research, service design, product management and leadership, agile ways of working, and human-centred design. We can focus specifically on your career or help you be the best practitioner/s possible for your current piece of work. We have experienced coaches available for those just starting out in their career, all the way up to Executive level individuals. 

Our role as your coach is to help you set and achieve goals by:

  • asking challenging questions

  • shining the light on blind spots

  • guiding your professional growth

  • helping you find your own solutions

  • refocusing your time and energy.

Coaching hours can be used in a number of ways.

We will work with you to develop your own specific coaching plan and approach. 

Examples of coaching activities:

Observe you in action, providing suggestions and reflection exercises

  • conducting user research

  • running weekly agile events

Review artefacts

  • service blueprints

  • research plan or insights report

Coach during key points in your project or program of work

  • creating a unified vision

  • creating a product roadmap

  • planning research, analysis and synthesis

Discuss, brainstorm and help problem-solve current challenges or interests

  • how to get team or executive buy-in

  • how to ensure diverse user research recruitment

Who this coaching is for

  • Service designers strengthening their practice

  • User researchers wanting support with methods and synthesis

  • Product practitioners working more closely with research and design

  • Practitioners stepping into more strategic or leadership roles

  • People who want a trusted sounding board for complex work challenges

  • Charlie was a senior designer who approached Propel with a desire to transition into more design lead roles. While Charlie was a strong practitioner, they lacked the confidence and experience needed to move into new leadership positions.

    Our coaching journey with Charlie started with a phone call to figure out what they were hoping to achieve, and to match them with the right coach for their situation. Charlie’s goal of developing leadership skills and the right mindset was perfect for a Propel Design coach to help them tackle. Unlike traditional training programs, coaching was able to provide Charlie with flexibility and a more personalised approach to meeting their needs.

    We matched Charlie with an experienced coach known for their expertise in design leadership development. Once Charlie met their coach, they figured out a plan that took into account their goals, capacity and budget.

    Over a 10-session coaching program using a series of focused 1:1 discussions, we concentrated on several key areas:

    • Confidence building - our coach helped Charlie to identify their strengths and accomplishments, practice effective communication skills and recognise their value as a design leader.

    • Navigating workplace politics - our coach provided guidance on navigating internal dynamics, how to influence stakeholders and build strong relationships within the organisation. This helped Charlie to position themselves strategically and advocate for design within their organisation.

    • Leadership development and career progression - we assisted Charlie in developing their design leadership skills, how to increase their impact in the workplace, and interview preparation.

    By the coaching program’s conclusion, Charlie was feeling confident and achieved their goal of securing a design leadership position. They purchased some additional ad-hoc time with their coach which allowed continued support during Charlie’s transition into their new role. Together they tackled adjusting to Charlie’s new responsibilities, and building upon their design leadership style. Charlie gained not only the skills necessary to thrive in their new role but also the confidence to lead with impact.

Ready to invest in your growth?

Whether you have a learning and development budget or are investing in yourself, start with a free 30-minute call. We will talk through your goals, your current context, and match you with the right coach for where you are headed.

No preparation needed. Just bring what is on your mind.