Rachel Donnat: Shaping the next generation of design talent

Key notes

1. Transitioning from agency work to design education

   After working as a graphic and UX designer at agencies like Napoleon, Donnat shifted into full-time teaching at Gobelins. Despite taking a pay cut, she found greater personal meaning in educating future designers rather than managing client projects.

2. Evolving agency expectations for entry design roles

   Job listings for designers have expanded significantly over the past decade, demanding broader skill sets spanning strategy, artificial intelligence and user empathy. Companies seek to minimise hiring risks by introducing multi-step recruitment processes and strict candidate criteria.

3. Replacing artificial hiring tests with work reviews

   Donnat argues that practical design tests in job interviews fail to reflect real working conditions and place an excessive burden on applicants. Instead, hiring managers should review candidate Figma files from real projects to evaluate their decision-making process.

4. Impact of senior candidates on junior hiring

   A stable number of design job openings alongside a growing talent pool has created a challenging market for recent graduates. Experienced designers frequently apply for junior positions at lower rates, making it difficult for entry-level talent to secure roles.

5. Mentoring junior designers benefits senior leadership

   Hiring apprentices and junior staff forces senior designers to refine their communication, management and delegation skills. Explaining core design concepts to less experienced team members gives leaders fresh perspectives and clarity on their own workflows.

6. Overcoming management challenges when scaling agencies

   Agency founders stepping into chief executive roles often struggle when hiring their first design leads. Effective delegation requires leaders to avoid expecting new hires to replicate their exact working style or communicate without explicit alignment.

7. Supporting long term growth in design hires

   Agency leaders should avoid restricting new employees to the single technical tool they were initially hired to use, such as artificial intelligence automation. Design managers must continue evaluating and developing candidate design thinking rather than limiting their scope.