17- Christian Hertlein @N26 - How to organize design teams and promote design culture

Christian Hertlein is a head of design at N26, the mobile bank startup with over 1 million customers across 17 European markets. A year ago, Christian took over a team of designers in super fast growing startup and started integrating design across different departments and promoting design as an important part of the culture. We discussed: how is the design team structured and organized within the N26, how to get a seat at the table by proactively shaping what the design team works on rather than passively waits for project briefs, and what are design consultants naive about when they work with clients.   Show notes: 1:40 How did Christian get into design? 6:05 What are consultants naive about when working with clients? 14:15 What are the responsibilities of a head of design? 16:45 Why is investing in design research important? 24:55 The importance of proactiveness 27:40 How is design team structured at N26? 30:50 The importance and advantage of tangibility 34:25 What KPIs does the design team use at N26? 36:50 The role of design as a driver of trust 46:00 Future plans for the N26’s design team