design-career-planning

Design Career Planning

Career Paths

IC Track:              Management Track:
Junior Designer        Junior Designer
↓                      ↓
Mid Designer           Mid Designer
↓                      ↓
Senior Designer        Design Lead
↓                      ↓
Staff Designer         Design Manager
↓                      ↓
Principal Designer     Director of Design
↓                      ↓
Distinguished          VP of Design

Specialization

Specialty	Focus
Product Design	End-to-end product experience
Visual/Brand	Visual identity and aesthetics
UX Research	User understanding and evidence
Interaction Design	Behavior and motion
Design Systems	Components and tooling
Content Design	Language and information
Design Engineering	Code and design intersection

Skill Development Strategy

1. T-shaped: Deep in one area, broad in adjacent areas
2. Deliberate practice: Work on weaknesses, not strengths
3. Build in public: Portfolio, writing, speaking develops your thinking
4. Seek feedback: From people better than you, not just peers
5. Teach: Mentoring juniors accelerates your own growth