💸 Salary Transparency Survey Results!


Hey Reader,

Our recent dive into the Salary Transparency Survey has unveiled some fascinating insights, and we can't wait to share them! Interested in all results? Read more here.

1. Role & Employment: A substantial 88.8% of you are crafting magic in the realm of product/UX design, with 87.4% living that full-time life.

2. Geography & Identity: The design pulse is strong in North America—home to 50.9% of our respondents. Notably, 68% identify as women, amplifying their voice in the design community.

3. Experience & Growth: With 30% having 4-6 years of experience and 44.8% at senior positions, our community is a blend of seasoned professionals and emerging talents.

4. Compensation Insights: The sweet spot for many is the USD$100,000 – USD$119,000 salary bracket. And while 54.7% navigate without stocks, an encouraging 19.1% have RSUs or stock options lighting their path.

5. Community Pulse: A special shoutout to the 38.7% waving the femke.design flag. For those not yet on board—there’s always room for more brilliance!

Want to dive into more? Review the full breakdown here.


This is your sign

Apply now to join The Craft's next cohort and transition to your new reality. Learn with Sera Tajima and other industry leading designers. Readers of Femke’s newsletter will receive a $2,000 early bird discount if you apply before Sept 16th.


✨ Experiences from Cohort 2

A heartfelt thank you to each and every student who joined Cohort 2 of Product Strategy for Designers. Your passion, dedication, and insights have truly enriched the course, and I am profoundly grateful for the shared experience. 🙏

Inspired by their journey? Ensure you don't miss out next time. Sign up for the waitlist and be the first to know when the course reopens!


👇 Should designers know business?

💡 Boost Your Design with Business! Dive into the d.MBA course - a unique experience tailored for designers hungry to integrate business wisdom into their craft. Enroll by Sep 17th and snag a sweet €100 off by selecting my name in the "How did you hear about us" section on the application form. Elevate your design thinking and speak the language of business with confidence! 🚀


💎 Gems of the week

🙌 I always send out feedback survey results after my course, here are the results!

🤩The results are remarkable! We’ll be running the course again in the Spring - make sure you don’t miss out by signing up here.


Have a topic you'd like us to chat about? Reply to this email and let me know!

Level up your product design career!

Join over 30,000 designers! Learn to advocate for your ideas, influence your team–and step up your product design career with Femke ✨

Read more from Level up your product design career!

Hey Reader Many designers find themselves stuck in a cycle: they create thoughtful solutions but struggle to get buy-in from stakeholders. The issue often isn't the quality of their work—it's how they communicate their ideas to business leaders. This week, I'm sharing insights from a conversation with Ari Zalmanow, a former police detective turned market researcher, about a communication framework that transforms how designers present their work. His approach helps designers move from being...

Hey Reader, Ever feel like you’re designing in the dark — with product decisions made on hunches instead of user insights? When user research is missing, you're left balancing intuition, stakeholder opinions, and guesswork — all while trying to build something that actually works. In today's email: How to navigate assumption-driven product culture Why trusting “the process” might hold you back How Canva builds AI design tools — from fast prototyping to product decisions. 🎟️Join Sarah Doody...

Hey Reader, Stepping into a design lead role can feel like switching operating systems—everything looks similar, but nothing works quite the same. Balancing execution, strategy, and new responsibilities often feels overwhelming. In today's email: From senior to lead: How to navigate your first 90 days: OKRs, planning, and stakeholder alignment Smart insights on design simplicity from the team behind the Dia browser UX/UI resources to sharpen your skills and grow your network 🎟️ Join Sarah...