Mollie Cox

Cohort 1

Cohort 2

Soft skills are often viewed as something you either have or don't. This common misconception holds back countless talented designers from reaching their full potential. You can significantly improve your influence and impact by understanding and practicing key principles of relationship building, strategic thinking, and organizational dynamics. These skills aren't just "nice to have" - they're the critical differentiator between designers who contribute and designers who lead. Through this intensive 3-week experience, you'll join a cohort of designers to master the foundational skills that accelerate design careers. Every session combines frameworks, hands-on practice, and real-world implementation. What Makes This Course UniqueThis course teaches soft skills and career development strategies specific to product design that aren't available elsewhere: not in books, not on YouTube, not in podcasts, not in typical design education. You'll get:• Real-world scenarios and practical solutions• Hands-on workshops practicing key skills• Frameworks specifically designed for UX careers• Direct feedback on your implementation• A concrete action plan for career acceleration Who This Course Is ForYou'll get the most value if you're:• A Senior Designer looking to expand influence (3+ years experience)• A Design Lead preparing for broader impact• A Design Manager building effective teams• An IC designer ready for the next level Most importantly, you should be:• Currently practicing UX/product design• Ready to examine and improve your approach• Open to new perspectives and strategies• Committed to long-term career growth The Catalyst ExperienceOver three intensive weeks, you'll work alongside up to 40 ambitious designers to:• Master relationship building across organizations• Develop strategic communication skills• Create personal evaluation frameworks• Build concrete career acceleration plans• Practice real-world scenarios• Construct implementation strategies Each week builds on previous learning:Week 1: Foundation for Impact* Understanding key soft skills* Building relationship frameworks* Mastering strategic communication Week 2: Assessment &amp; Growth• Understanding competency frameworks• Creating personal scorecards• Developing growth strategies Week 3: Implementation &amp; Action• Practicing with real scenarios• Creating action plans• Building accountability systems The TransformationBy the end of this course, you'll:• Build more influential relationships across your organization• Get deeper buy-in for your design decisions• Navigate complex organizational dynamics with confidence• Develop solutions to challenging team dynamics• Better influence executives, peers and team members• Create frameworks for continuous career growth Join our next cohort of catalyst designers ready to accelerate their impact and advance their careers.

Amplifying your impact.

Course syllabus

Foundation-building sessions where you'll learn key concepts and frameworks through: <ul><li>Interactive lectures on core concepts</li><li>Guided exercises to practice new skills</li><li>Real-world case study analysis</li><li>Framework introduction and application</li></ul> NOTE: All sessions are recorded.

Tuesday Live Sessions

45-minute drop-in sessions for:<ul><li>Questions about weekly content</li><li>Project guidance</li><li>Personal scenarios</li><li>Implementation support</li></ul>

Optional Thursday Q&A Sessions

Hands-on workshops where you'll apply what you learned that week through:<ul><li>Structured practice with real scenarios</li><li>Direct peer feedback on your work</li><li>Framework refinement and customization</li><li>Action plan development and review</li></ul>

Saturday Implementation Workshops

<ul><li>Read assigned book chapters</li><li>Complete module exercises</li><li>Work on projects</li><li>Review supplemental resources</li></ul>

Self-Paced Weekly Projects
 

Course schedule

Mid to Senior-level design professionals with 3+ years of experience who want to amplify their impact beyond technical design skills.

You've mastered the craft of design, but stakeholders ignore your ideas. Your technical skills have outpaced your career growth.

You want to turn design expertise into influence by mastering strategic relationships, stakeholder management, and development frameworks.

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

Create a personal influence map and develop communication strategies that get stakeholders on board. Learn to navigate complex team dynamics and build allies across your organization.

Master Relationship Building & Strategic Communication

Develop a personalized career scorecard using proven evaluation frameworks. Learn to identify growth opportunities, set meaningful goals, and create actionable development plans.

Build Your Professional Assessment Framework

Learn to translate design decisions into business outcomes. Practice presenting to leadership, managing up effectively, and positioning yourself as a strategic partner.

Transform Design Skills into Organizational Impact

Walk away with a concrete action plan for your next career move. Include specific milestones, accountability measures, and strategies for continuous growth and influence.

Create Your Career Acceleration Roadmap

Master strategies for thriving in VUCA environments. Learn to identify hidden influencers, manage competing priorities, and turn challenging situations into opportunities.

Navigate Complex Organizational Dynamics

Learn to lead without authority. Master stakeholder management techniques, build social capital, and create networks that amplify your organizational impact.

Develop Leadership Through Influence 

Equipping talented designers with the strategic relationship skills and leadership frameworks needed to amplify their career trajectory.

Three Keys to Building Influence Beyond Your Design Skills

Design and Product Leader, Founder • 15 + Years in Design • Currently @ Branch

Learn a practical framework to evaluate your career-critical soft skills and identify growth opportunities.

Quick-start guide to soft skills assessment

Watch a real-time walkthrough of how to assess one key soft skill using a proven scorecard template.

Live framework demonstration

Get a simple template and quick-win strategies you can use right after the session.

Learn directly from Mollie Cox

Mollie Cox

Courses

The Design Career Catalyst: Amplify Your Impact

Lightning Lessons

Three Keys to Building Influence Beyond Your Design Skills