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