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Design manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted experts

Casey DeRoo Ph.D.,

Casey DeRoo Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical design manager skills. We ranked the top skills for design managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.8% of design manager resumes contained sketch as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a design manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 design manager skills for your resume and career

1. Sketch

Here's how design managers use sketch:

Trained staff on Greet and Sketch Approach increasing closed sales by 15%.
Designed marketing collateral for VIP clients, including Postmates and Zenefits, in Sketch and Adobe.

2. Project Management

Here's how design managers use project management:

Project Management-created custom Microsoft ACCESS programs utilized to track all aspects of projects milestones, relationships with customers, and municipalities.
Developed and automated a custom project management process that enables large projects to ensue with minimal problems and increased customer satisfaction.

3. Visualization

Here's how design managers use visualization:

Designed remote visualization services to Campus-based security systems for CNN, University of Louisville and Conoco-Phillips.
Initiated 3-D CAD design and visualization program.

4. User Experience

Here's how design managers use user experience:

Developed and implemented a user centered design process that improved overall website design, production and end user experience.
Managed all client interaction and delivery of design requirements, including visual design, content and user experience documentation.

5. PowerPoint

Here's how design managers use powerpoint:

Prepare presentations in PowerPoint and designed promotional materials Accomplishments.
Devised PowerPoint presentations to dealers, buying groups and interior design students to utilize in combination with theme boards.

6. 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 managers use design process:

Identify and assess site-specific vulnerabilities and collaborate with partners to intuitively address security risks through the design process.
Developed application guidelines and strategic partnerships worldwide to ensure design processes met quality and design requirements.

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7. Revit

Revit, also known as Autodesk Revit, is computer software used by architects, structural engineers, and designers to perform building modeling tasks. Revit was designed to facilitate users, draw building modeling structures in a 2D and 3D format. Creating such models allows architects and engineers to pre-planning, scheduling, estimating the life of the structure and the entire cost of construction.

Here's how design managers use revit:

Managed an 80-user project team utilizing Architectural Desktop and Revit Architecture.
Provided structural documents of building superstructures using AutoCad, and Revit.

8. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how design managers use customer service:

Provided exceptional customer service, ensuring timely product delivery and setup according to requests.
Provided customer service and technical support to professional photographers in over 40 different states.

9. Design Concepts

Here's how design managers use design concepts:

Collaborated with customers on design concepts and color on digital strike-offs.
Worked directly with architects and interior designers to finalize design concepts.

10. Design Development

Design development is used to refer to a number of positions and skills in a number of different industries. In the architectural world, Design Development is used to refer to an architectural plan that is already halfway or more done but needs further development, alteration, and testing. In the automotive industry, it refers to the skills necessary to create and develop new car, engine, and other designs, as well as to ensure that all designs are safe and effective.

Here's how design managers use design development:

Reduced potential production issues during initial design development hand off, illustrating similar or alternative resolutions to achieve end result.
Project manager for major and minor transportation projects, and recommended policy and procedures for project design development process.

11. Product Development

Product development is the complete procedure of creating a product from concept until release of the final product. Product development has many stages after which a product is released into the market. Identifying the need, creating the opportunity, conceptualizing a product, and providing a solution, all are different stages of product development.

Here's how design managers use product development:

Managed all aspects of print and digital product development related to design, illustration, photography, and production/implementation.
Instituted lean product development practices to drive first-time-right and order-to-release performance.

12. 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 managers use product design:

Coordinated product design within manufacturers specifications to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction.
Coordinated, developed new and critical custom product design in collaboration with engineering staff.

13. 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 managers use graphic design:

Developed and managed full-range of interior and graphic design, vendor management and other special projects impacting bottom-line results.
Provided updates on industry improvements in technology and graphic design techniques.

14. UI

Here's how design managers use ui:

Partnered with an international team of product managers to integrate UI specifications into application visual language.
Hired and managed a team of visual designers and CSS developers who supported 50+ SAS shipping products and common UI frameworks.

15. 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 managers use design projects:

Complete complex technical design projects, installation procedure drawings, fabrication drawings, vessel layout and interface/interference checks/control.
Developed and executed strategic visual design projects for various University units in support of Advancement goals and initiatives.

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What skills help Design Managers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on design manager resumes?

Casey DeRoo Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Iowa

Rather than a concrete skill, previous experience in managing teams to accomplish engineering-related tasks is sure to make you a standout. Showcasing familiarity with work management software (e.g., Jira) or budget/total effort tracking systems is important. Find out what software the company you're seeking employment with uses, and be sure to highlight this if you're familiar with it.

What soft skills should all design managers possess?

Casey DeRoo Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Iowa

The ability to understand the people on your team and allocate project work accordingly is important. In this role, you may find that you "step back" from the day-to-day of engineering and coordinate work on a project across multiple individuals with unique outlooks and skillsets. Recognize that "one size doesn't fit all" when it comes to management. Harnessing the make-up or the desired professional goals of your team to accomplish your assigned projects leads to better outcomes and productivity. Many skilled engineers lack leadership skills, so highlight these on your resume or during your interview if you have applicable experience.

What design manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Yi Yang PhD

Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University - Abington

In the next 3-5 years, I believe management skills will become increasingly important. Engineers who can bridge the gap between technical complexity and business strategy, driving innovation and growth in their organizations will be very valuable.

What type of skills will young design managers need?

Bennie F. Johnson

Executive Director, AIGA, the professional association for design

Our Design Futures research from 2018 covered this topic in some detail. Some highlights of needed skills include an understanding of business models, complex systems, and data. One of the seven Design Futures trends is "Bridging Physical and Digital Experiences," which has become even more important in a COVID world. Of course, mastering craft and specific tools remain important, especially for entry-level work, but so is a general ability to "learn how to learn," as the rate of technical change (and obsolescence) is only getting faster.

In May of 2020, AIGA conducted an industry pulse check survey around the impact of COVID-19 on the design community and found, not surprisingly, that adaptability skills continue to be the most critical for design professionals, and collaboration made the list of top five skills for the first time.

What technical skills for a design manager stand out to employers?

Patrick Atkinson

Professor, Kettering University

Broadly speaking, employers are looking for employees who can jump in, take on a project and move things forward. Since engineers are data-driven, knowing how to read and interpret findings from a variety of sources is key. This can be very challenging if the data conflicts between sources or the data is unclear. Whether the data is from a mathematical model, a physical test laboratory, or from the field, learning how to synthesize the findings and balance the strengths/weaknesses of a given data source are key. At the end of the day, every project needs a way forward and it is the engineer's job to optimize a design to meet the objectives for the product.

What hard/technical skills are most important for design managers?

Donald Yeung

Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education, Affiliate Professor, Computer Science Department, University of Maryland - College Park

In terms of hard technical skills, I believe the courses students take along with their GPA in these courses is one level of demonstration. (As I mentioned above, employers know about our program probably down to specific courses, and so if someone gets an A+ in some notoriously challenging course, that's probably known and appreciated). Some employers will give technical interviews and require students to solve problems on their feet. But I think most employers will judge this based on a student's transcript.

Do you want to know more?

List of design manager skills to add to your resume

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

Sketch
Project Management
Visualization
User Experience
PowerPoint
Design Process
Revit
Customer Service
Design Concepts
Design Development
Product Development
Product Design
Graphic Design
UI
Design Projects
Human Centered Design
Business Development

Real Estate
Design Standards
User Interface
BIM
Client Facing
Direct Reports
HTML
CAD Standards
Team Support
Brand Design
Space Planning
PC
Aided Design
Prototyping
CSS
Media Design
MEP

Design Software
Auto CAD
Creative Direction
QA
Design Direction
Lead Design
Solidworks
Civil 3D
HR
R
Industrial Design
RF
Autodesk
End Design
Facebook
Shop Drawings

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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