2025 Career Shortcuts
Annual round of hand-picked resources to level up your career
It’s December, which means it’s time for career shortcuts, following the tradition from 2023 and 2024. I handpicked all kinds of tools, practical resources, and inspiring material throughout the year, and I’m excited to share my favorites with you.
10 categories, 3 picks per topic, 30 shortcuts in total. Let’s dive in!
Favorite new tools
The star of the show it’s the personal assistant, which can be delegated a wide variety of tasks, giving us a glimpse of what the future of the browser looks like.
!Camera by Not Boring Software
If there’s one thing this camera does well, it’s bringing joy to photography, with thoughtfully built controls that make it fun to capture your favorite moments.
While technically not new, it wasn’t until this year that I started using it and became essential to my daily workflow.
Designers building and having fun
Ryan Stephen is turning ubiquitous interactions into playful ideas.
Sam Peitz is always adding joy to every day moments.
This canvas that Tobias Renström is building looks like pure delight.
Talks that kept me thinking
Career paths aren’t linear, and David Hoang shared how the skills you build along the way can be the key differentiator to impact other functions as designers.
One of the most candid conversations on building with intention, nurturing ideas, and making thoughtful products.
Design at the speed of startups
When you’re the first designer, creating clarity and momentum is your main goal. Gabriel Valdivia shared practical lessons for rapid iterations at early-stage startups.
Must-follow shows
Tommy Geoco and his team are doing something different these days by telling stories full of soul and engaging narrative.
Design pioneers in the software space, sharing their journeys in candid conversations with Soleio.
Claire Vo is having fun, practical chats with operators who share AI workflows you can try right away.
Brands to feed your imagination
Raycast
The latest Raycast Wrapped designed by Jordan Amblin is a perfect example of the high bar kept by this team.
Framer
I don’t know what I’m more eager about, their new features or the stunning visuals by Benjamin.
Perplexity
Their announcements are anything but ordinary. All you have to do is look at one of the latest vids by Cam Sackett, to know that the team at Perplexity is clearly having fun with their brand.
Favorite portfolio inspiration
Gabriel Valdivia, Fractional Design Partner
Clean and clear, letting the work speak for itself.
WoraWork, 3D artist from Thailand
Showing us there are creative ways to let others enjoy your work.
Bruno Simon, creative developer
Bruno’s original website was already fun to explore. This new version looks like Kakariko village with a built-in racing track.
Courses for detail-oriented builders
Rauno’s attention to detail is well known in the industry, and his course is jam-packed with interactive lessons to learn by doing.
Emil’s course is all about applying animation principles to level up your UI animations from good to great.
Nanda Syahrasyad breaks down the core concepts of SVGs to use them as a wonderful material for animations.
Practical tips for product builders
Building product at Stripe: Craft, metrics, and customer obsession
Jeff Weinstein reminds us that building products is all about keeping the customer at the center of the process.
Become a better communicator: Specific frameworks to improve your clarity, influence, and impact
The more we advance in our careers, the more communication becomes essential for making an impact. Wes Kao shares practical frameworks to excel in this vital skill.
From ChatGPT to Instagram to Uber: The quiet architect behind the world’s most popular products
Well-rounded conversation with Peter Deng on everything about Product teams, with incredible insights on hiring for autonomy and growth mindset.
Deep reads
George Mack does a fantastic job at explaining what high agency looks like, common pitfalls, and how to practice this on a daily basis.
I never expected I would be smiling while reading about screens, but Dan Hollick has a way with words that turns complex subjects into engaging stories.
We all know the importance of shipping, early and often. But how do we do it at the pace of a startup? Mihika Kapoor shares her lessons and practical tips to shipping, and using the story of Figma Slides as an example.
It’s not what it seems
Apple TV
The new intro could’ve been easily created with CGI. Instead, they went old school and made everyone talk.
Framer Spring launch
Their event visuals were so mesmerizing that people thought it was AI. It was all beautifully executed 3D by Ben Fryc.
Ditherface
The clean lines and sharp edges of Tom Johnson’s Ditherface project aren’t made with a filter or AI, they’re all made by hand, one line at a time in Figma.
Thanks for reading, sharing, and learning with me this year!
If this sparked something, let’s continue the conversation on Twitter. And if someone you know is navigating their own creative uncertainty, share this their way.
Keep exploring, Laura ✌️
This article comes at the perfect time for reflection. I especially appreciate the insight that career paths aren't linear, it truly resonat.