Designing Leadership Skills: A Transformative Journey at Hyper Island

Design is all around us, shaping products, services, and the way we experience the world. For those in design leadership roles, guiding teams and managing complex projects requires not only creative skills but also a strong grasp of interpersonal dynamics and effective leadership. In this article, we follow Liza, a seasoned brand strategist, as she shares her journey through the Hyper Island Design Lead program. From overcoming fears of moving abroad to discovering new leadership approaches, Liza reflects on the challenges and insights gained through her experience.

Former Design Lead student at Hyper Island, Liza has spent the last 10 years working as a brand and communication strategist. Her career spans large global advertising agencies like Grey, BBDO, and McCann, as well as smaller local design studios. She’s also worked as an independent consultant, balancing her experience across various environments.

“I’m pretty content with my career choices and don’t plan on making any big shifts,” Liza says.

However, she realised that steady professional growth sometimes needs a boost of inspiration, along with stronger soft skills to truly move forward. “That’s when I knew I wanted to go to Hyper Island,” she continues.

But moving to a new country can feel daunting, especially when it means leaving behind your support system and adapting to an unfamiliar environment. For Liza, the risk of feeling isolated and navigating life in a place where she didn’t speak the language was her main concern.

“My fear of moving abroad was mostly connected to being far away from my close ones and adapting to a new environment,” she shares. 

However, she quickly found comfort in her Hyper Island community. 

“Meeting my classmates was a game-changer. It definitely felt much easier with so many lovely people around, and they made me feel very welcome. I instantly had 40 new friends in Stockholm, and that number just grew throughout the year as I met other Hypers, industry leaders, and people in the network,” she adds.

Liza joined Hyper Island’s Design Lead program in the fall of 2023, eager to expand her understanding of design leadership. 

Design itself is a broad concept, applied across countless situations and fields. What makes the Design Lead program unique at Hyper Island, however, is its focus on the soft skills and human side of design leadership—the aspect of leading teams, shaping processes, and managing relationships with clients and stakeholders. For Liza, this emphasis on leadership was transformative. 

“I definitely had lots of revelations about my leadership style,” she shares. Learning to understand her strengths and weaknesses as a leader enabled Liza to navigate her approach to team relationships and manage projects more effectively. “I can now contribute in a more conscious way and have a much clearer vision of the leader I aspire to become one day,” she continues.

One of the many modules that stood out to Liza was Product & Service Design where she loved working with her teammates. “It was immaculate team dynamics and I now know what heaven at a workplace looks like”, she says.

However, it was the Leadership module, facilitated by Ruthie Zerai Semere, that left a lasting impact on her.

“She is an incredible individual and powerhouse of a leader“, Liza says. “The amount of insights and inner work I did with her guidance throughout this module is unbelievable”.

It was at this moment that Liza felt she could really reflect on her professional journey. 

“Hyper Island definitely breathed new life into my career,” Liza shares. “After reflecting on it, I’m now more conscious of my past journey, and I feel clearer about my future choices. I came out of the program more self-assured and motivated, with a brighter perspective on my path ahead.”

Today, Liza is working on exciting projects in the music and tech industries, helping brands shape their visions for the future—dream projects she’d been aiming for over the years. 

As she jumps into exciting projects in the music and tech fields, Liza carries with her the lessons learned and friendships made during the Design Lead program. With newfound confidence and a clearer direction, she is ready to embrace whatever comes next.

She leaves us with these final words, a reminder for other international students thinking of taking the leap to build their skills abroad: