Working at a design agency - what no one tells you

Agency life as a designer is genuinely different from working in-house — and most people find out the hard way after joining.

The pace, the client dynamics, the feedback culture, the way you manage your time — none of it is what you expect from the outside.

If you're about to start at a design agency, considering one, or currently struggling to keep up — this session gives you the inside knowledge that takes most designers 2 years to figure out on their own.

What we'll cover

• How to manage multiple client projects simultaneously without burning out

• How to handle difficult client feedback without losing your design integrity

• How to build speed and quality at the same time (they're not opposites in agency work)

• What career growth actually looks like inside an agency structure

• The unspoken rules of client communication that protect your time and reputation

• When to consider moving in-house — and how to use your agency experience as leverage

This session is for you if: You're a junior or mid-level designer working at or joining a service-based design agency, and you want to hit the ground running instead of learning everything the hard way.