Career Levels

0 Level 0 Starting out
1 Level 1 Junior
2 Level 2 Mid-level
3 Level 3 Senior
4 Level 4 Principal
5 Level 5 Director
6 Level 6 Executive

Starting out

Level 0 Skills

Starting out - You understand basic design principles and processes.

Design

You understand basic design principles and methods.
You understand the role of design and how to communicate and discuss this.
You can work in a team and source information and answers where you need them.

Design Process

You understand the design process and contribute to elements of it.
With guidance you can complete design elements as part of a team.

Design Research

You understand the contribution design and audience research brings to a project.
You contribute to research workshops and make connections to design function.

Strategy / Business Impact

You understand how strategy guides business and project objectives.

Talent Development

You know what you don’t know and seek to develop.
You get input and guidance from multiple sources.

Design Career Levels Download the PDF

Junior

Level 1 Skills

In addition to Level 0

Learning - You contribute to a team, on research, concepts and applying design systems.

Design

You apply design principles and methodologies as part of a team.
You can follow standard design rules and systems, learning to execute competently.
You understand the importance of connecting design across all touchpoints.

Design Process

You follow standard design rules when creating work.
You consistently apply the design process to projects.

Design Research

You can utilise qualitative and quantitative findings to inform a design project.
You ask the right questions to identify research goals and hypotheses.

Strategy / Business Impact

You execute the vision and the strategy defined for the design practice.
You focus (with guidance) on impactful work.

Talent Development

You work with design managers to set up and coordinate team training.
You assemble materials and designer onboarding activities with managers.

Design Career Levels Download the PDF

Mid-level

Level 2 Skills

In addition to Level 1

Developing - You help design communications strategy and design projects to complex briefs.

Design

You contribute to information audits, hierarchy and content strategy.
You understand and execute established design systems.
You contribute to critique and feedback.
You represent end user needs.

Design Process

You design customer journeys for improved experience.
You iterate based on feedback, data and research.
You design and specify elements for delivery.

Design Research

You advocate for research throughout the design and development process.
You identify clear research goals and form testable hypotheses.

Strategy / Business Impact

You articulate the vision and contribution of design to client businesses.
You contribute to strategic innovations that have a business impact.

Talent Development

You identify skills gaps across teams and suggest how they are best overcome.
You onboard designers sharing overview and insight into their teams and roles.
You connect people from different disciplines to amplify their abilities.

Design Career Levels Download the PDF

Senior

Level 3 Skills

In addition to Level 2

Proficient - You advance design, strategy and results, ensuring quality and consistency across team.

Design

You maintain design quality and consistency across communications, products, features and platforms.
You reframe problems, anticipate and solve customer needs.
You deliver without oversight.

Design Process

You use design principles and processes across multiple project types and phases.
You develop area specific skills to a high level.

Design Research

You guide teams by reframing their questions and assumptions.
You guide research goals, hypotheses, learning and application.

Strategy / Business Impact

You contribute to the creation and articulation of business vision and strategy.

Talent Development

You contribute to a feedback-rich environment.
You identify external resources to enrich the design practice and build a learning culture.
You assess team skills to identify potential opportunities and inform recruitment.
You facilitate team assessments.

Design Career Levels Download the PDF

Principal

Level 4 Skills

In addition to Level 3

Advanced - You develop strategy and design responses, aligning client and agency team.

Design

You develop and communicate brand and/or product design systems.
You lead critiques and feedback sessions.
You coach teams in thinking strategically about designs contribution to goals.
You define and deliver solutions to complex business and customer problems.

Design Process

You use design processes to deliver business and customer objectives.
You establish new cross-functional processes to deliver results.

Design Research

You connect diverse team members with design research and thought leadership.
You leverage research to drive initiatives and align all stakeholders.

Strategy / Business Impact

You develop strategies to which deliver the mission and vision of a business.
You connect multiple strategies and initiatives to deliver agreed impact.
You align all stakeholders around strategy and/or initiatives.

Talent Development

You lead a forum that provides ongoing inspiration and energy to teams.
You coach the design team with critique and motivational best practice.
You facilitate team reviews, hire and nurture great design talent.
You advocate for the design community and promote design efficacy to other sectors.

Design Career Levels Download the PDF

Director

Level 5 Skills

In addition to Level 4

Leader - You lead teams and advocate for strategic design solutions across all stakeholders.

Design

You lead design across specific product areas for business-critical objectives.
You create collaborative design processes that ensure teams focus on high impact work.
You align stakeholders across client and business.

Design Process

You lead end-to-end design process to drive initiatives and align stakeholders.
You coach and mentor peers and communicate design process both internally and externally.

Design Research

You advocate for research in the design process.
You articulate methodology and best practice to educate on quality research.

Strategy / Business Impact

You work at scale solving business issues with strategic thinking.
You focus the design team on work most likely to deliver communications or business strategy.
You collaborate with leadership on communications and business strategy.

Talent Development

You identify and develop new business opportunities.
You create an environment that fosters collaboration and learning across all disciplines.
You lead discussions on team development and future capabilities.
You lead the recruiting and hiring process.
You create a candidate experience and process to hire the best talent.
You promote the design practice to attract talent from the industry.

Design Career Levels Download the PDF

Executive

Level 6 Skills

In addition to Level 5

Industry Leader - You are a thought leader on strategy and design as a driver for business and culture.

Design

You further develop and hone skill and experience.
You maintain leading expertise on emerging trends.
You advise and align business leaders.

Design Process

You speak on and advocate for the design process and share knowledge across the global design community.

Design Research

You collaborate with industry leaders to develop effective use of design research.

Strategy / Business Impact

You are an industry thought leader in design and business strategy.
You guide strategic initiatives in own business and multiple other sectors.

Talent Development

You nurture business development and longevity.
You raise profile of design practice within identified sectors of opportunity.
You initiate and secure business partnerships.
You contribute to defining a design skills matrix for the industry.
You attract and nurture the best talent across all disciplines.

Design Career Levels Download the PDF

Map your Career Path

Select your area of design and your current level in industry. Explore where you want to go next and what you’ll need to get there.

Your Discipline

Your Position

Your Destination

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