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Design Director skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted Experts

Edward Sobel,

Brian Pirman

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical design director skills. We ranked the top skills for design directors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.6% of design director resumes contained sketch as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a design director needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 design director skills for your resume and career

1. Sketch

Here's how design directors use sketch:

Designed, managed, and executed development of all products, from concept sketch through production.
Managed many Projects from napkin sketch to packaged product.

2. Human Centered Design

Here's how design directors use human centered design:

Led a global, technology driven company's drive to establish and expand Human Centered Design as a new core competency.

3. Product Design

Product design can be described as a process of imagining, creating, and iterating products that solve user's problems and talk about the specific needs of users in the market. Product design is an engineering disciple and it is the basic design and idea that goes before the mass production of the product.

Here's how design directors use product design:

Supervised and developed high-functioning assessment management teams specializing in product design, development, intellectual property management, and vendor management.
Created product design best practices specification to achieve consistent design methodology across multiple design locations and to promote continuous learning.

4. User Experience

Here's how design directors use user experience:

Initiated and delivered high impact strategic design projects for step function improvements in user experience on key hardware and software/systems products.
Collaborated with internal clients and stakeholders to define and prioritize business-aligned user experience requirements while advocating the user.

5. Architecture

Here's how design directors use architecture:

Established architecture process allowing architecture evolution through contributions
Develop Venture Strategic Architecture with emphasis on structuring long-term solutions, current tactical design solutions and future direction.

6. UI

Here's how design directors use ui:

Created product pitches, UI, and graphics for educational book, web, software, and game properties.
Created and developed a detailed UI standard guidelines to educate and promote consistent, customer-focused UX design.

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7. Graphic Design

Graphic design is the art of making visual content to communicate messages. Designers apply different page layout methods and visual hierarchy by using letters and pictures to meet the need of end-users. Most companies use graphic design to sell their product or services and to convey complicated information by using infographics.

Here's how design directors use graphic design:

Supervised 5 graphic designers in creation of award-winning printed collateral for university departments and corporate affiliates.
Maintain graphic design, computer animation and video editing projects Design Director.

8. Project Management

Here's how design directors use project management:

Streamlined the production department by implementing project management methodologies resulting in a 35% increase in successful project completion.
Provided project management for domestic and international clients for both remodel and new build front of house furniture/interior installations.

9. Prototyping

Here's how design directors use prototyping:

Established agency-wide design production process guidelines, evaluated and implemented new department software, and created procedures for prototyping.
Negotiate and finalize all design contracts concerning prototyping, manufacturing and packaging.

10. Design Process

The process by which a product is formed is referred to as the design process. It requires the conceptualization of what the product may look like in terms of aesthetics, what it will be made of and most importantly, what it will do. A design process puts this process in order so that the creation of the product is seamless and has the least amount of errors and slack while it is being made.

Here's how design directors use design process:

Acquired and implemented SolidWorks into design process resulting in higher quality products and reduced development time.
Conduct trend and forecasting seminars and perform market analysis to infuse innovation to design process.

11. Design Solutions

The design solution is a process that is used to simplify or translate high-level client requirements into a simpler form that may be also be regarded as a solution. For this purpose, the technical requirements and models are to be transformed into alternative designs which are then analyzed and the best one among all the alternatives is chosen as the ultimate solution.

Here's how design directors use design solutions:

Head of design division, in partnership with environmental design team, to deliver award-winning design solutions.
Created video campaigns, web-design solutions, print and clothing production services.

12. Creative Direction

Here's how design directors use creative direction:

Conduct bimonthly meetings with priority markets to provide creative direction on locally relevant campaigns.
Brainstorm creative direction and continue to provide design services for high-level university initiatives.

13. Design Concepts

Here's how design directors use design concepts:

Generated new website design concepts by facilitating brainstorming meetings with team members.
Created innovative new design concepts and marketing strategies for global distribution.

14. Design Projects

Design projects are used to create a product or service to serve a specific customer or client need. They may entail thinking about the ideas, materials necessary for the idea and the steps that will be followed to realize the idea.

Here's how design directors use design projects:

Collaborate with principal designers on high-end residential design projects including construction, interior design and custom furniture.
Leveraged relationships with staff members and management to facilitate visual design projects within budget and scheduling requirements.

15. Design Direction

Here's how design directors use design direction:

Established company design direction through domestic and international research of trend in color, fabrication, and ornamentation.
Designed and provided design direction for a multiplicity of strategic package design and print collateral projects.

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What skills help Design Directors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What Design Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Edward Sobel

Associate Professor, Resident Director, Villanova University

I would recommend becoming familiar or expert in creating work that can live in a medium other than in-person performance. For example, one could learn about digital editing software or lighting and camera technique. The future is likely also to reward those with entrepreneurial skills. They are learning how to create and manage a budget, articulate a business plan, and raise money. I'd also suggest that artists who can make a strong case for the social benefit of the work they do, be it locally, community-based, or more widely, are more likely to find support and success. Investing now in those social causes for which one feels an affinity will serve the greater good and allow a graduate to begin building a network to continue their artistic work meaningfully.

What type of skills will young Design Directors need?

Brian Pirman

Associate Professor, St. Norbert College

For someone who is contemplating a career in graphic design, I recommend several things. One would be to develop a portfolio that shows a diverse skill-set. This may include expertise in design and layout, photography, illustration, typography as well as animation and video. If you have a more varied skill set, you are more likely to either gain employment or able to do freelance work. The other thing is internships, internships, internships. Having a portfolio of applied work (versus school projects), as long as it's good, will separate you from the competition.

Do you want to know more?

List of design director skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a design director resume and required skills for a design director to have include:

Sketch
Human Centered Design
Product Design
User Experience
Architecture
UI
Graphic Design
Project Management
Prototyping
Design Process
Design Solutions
Creative Direction
Design Concepts
Design Projects
Design Direction
Development Process

Apparel
PowerPoint
Design Development
Market Research
Market Trends
Web Design
B Testing
CAD
CSS
Visualization
User Interface
HTML
Client Facing
Direct Reports
Strategic Thinking
Digital Marketing

Concept Development
Art Direction
Design Standards
Product Development
Lead Design
End Design
Animation
Facebook
Photography
Fine Arts
Brand Design
Business Development
Industrial Design
Emerging Technologies
NYC

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Design Director Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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