Cohort 1

Build confidence, drive business impact, and become a strategic partner, not just a design executor.
 

Dan Winer

Transform your career with insights from a seasoned design leader

Strategy and Influence for Product Designers

ConvertKit

PandaDoc

TIME

Smile

Toptal

Stuck executing other people’s ideas? Wondering how to move beyond the work and into product strategy? Not sure how to take the next step in your design career? This course is your blueprint for transitioning from executor to strategic partner: someone who influences product direction, not just UI. ———— What You’ll Gain: • A path to promotion: Build the skills that get you noticed and promoted. Learn how to align your work with business goals, influence decisions, and lead with clarity. • Practical tools for immediate impact: Get real-world frameworks and templates you can apply right away to make better decisions, communicate value, and influence direction. • Confidence to lead: Whether it’s running discovery, presenting to stakeholders, or shaping strategy, you’ll build the confidence to lead with impact. ———— This course is for ambitious designers who want to: Communicate the value of their work:• Learn how to explain the impact of your designs in terms stakeholders care about.• Use practical templates to link your work to business goals.• Get strategies for advocating effectively and gaining recognition. Lead product discovery sessions:• See how leading discovery can accelerate your growth.• Use a clear framework to uncover insights and shape product direction.• Get tips for running lightweight but effective discovery sessions. Present their work with conviction:• Follow a practical structure to tell clear, compelling stories.• Focus on the “what, why, and impact” without the fluff.• Use my proven slides and feedback techniques to improve both your work and your reputation. Shape the future of their product:• Use stakeholder management frameworks to build alignment.• Learn how to lead workshops and define a shared product vision.• Apply a three-step process to become a trusted strategic partner. ———— Why this course is worth it You won’t just watch content, you’ll apply it to your real work. Each week, you’ll complete a focused project using the templates and frameworks provided, then get direct, personalised feedback from a design director. You’ll leave with:• Tangible outputs you can use at work to drive alignment and influence decisions• Confidence to speak the language of the business and lead conversations• A strategic mindset that sets you apart from execution-focused designers This is not a theory-only course. You’ll be doing real work, with real guidance, and building skills you can use immediately. ———— Perfect for:Product designers who want to take control of their careers, get promoted, and make a bigger impact. Not right if:• You’re looking for tutorials for tools like Figma.• You’ve never worked in a product design role.• You’re outside the tech industry. This course focuses on digital product teams. ———— Ready to grow your impact and confidence? Enrol now and take the first step toward becoming a trusted design leader.

From pixel pusher to design leader

Aspiring design leaders: For designers aiming to transition into leadership roles, seeking to increase their influence.

Ambitious designers: Junior to mid-level designers aspiring to senior and beyond roles, eager to be seen as strategic partners.

Overlooked design teams: Where advocacy is critical to elevate the role of design within product and engineering-led organisations.

Who is this course for

You have at least 1–2 years working as a product or UX designer in a tech company or startup.

Experience in product design

This course isn’t for those new to UX or still learning the basics; it’s for designers ready to take their skills to the next level.

Not for beginners

You want to move beyond execution and learn how to influence product direction and business outcomes.

Looking to grow your strategic impact

What you’ll get out of this course

Learn to tie your design decisions to business outcomes and speak in terms stakeholders care about.<ul><li>Use frameworks to unpack how your company works and where design fits in.</li><li>Communicate clearly with practical templates.</li><li>Tips for building influence and advocating effectively.</li></ul>

Showing value and connecting your work to business goals

Become the expert your team turns to for clarity and direction.<ul><li>Use discovery to connect design work to business goals.</li><li>Run lightweight, effective sessions that help your team make smarter decisions.</li><li>Use frameworks and templates to turn messy ideas into meaningful insight.</li></ul>

Drive product discovery

Present your work in a way that builds trust and drives decision-making.<ul><li>Use a flexible structure to frame the problem, solution, and impact.</li><li>Adapt storytelling techniques to clarify your thinking.</li><li>Request structured feedback that improves your work and reputation.</li></ul>

Showcase your work

Shift from task executor to strategic partner.<ul><li>Use stakeholder frameworks to build alignment and drive product direction.</li><li>Apply a structured approach to shaping vision and influencing outcomes at a higher level.</li></ul>

Position yourself as a key strategic player 

Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.

Lifetime access

Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.

Community of peers

Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.

Certificate of completion

Get a toolkit of ready-to-use templates and frameworks you can apply immediately in your day-to-day work.

Practical templates and frameworks

Provide a brief description for each module as a way to sell the value of what students will be learning throughout the course.

First Module

Second Module

Third Module

Course syllabus

What people are saying

Meet your instructor

Each project gives you hands-on practice applying a core concept to your real work. These are not just exercises; you’ll leave with assets you can reuse, share, and build on to demonstrate impact and move your career forward.

Weekly projects

Each Q&amp;A is a live working session where you’ll get direct feedback, unpack tough challenges, and apply course lessons to your actual context. It’s personalised support, not just theory.

Every Wednesday

Course schedule

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Active hands-on learning

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Interactive and project-based

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

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About this course

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