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Head designer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Jennifer Jorgensen Ph.D.,

Lorrie Ivas

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical head designer skills. We ranked the top skills for head designers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.1% of head designer resumes contained product design as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a head designer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 head designer skills for your resume and career

1. 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 head designers use product design:

Worked with in-house design team and outside design firms to oversee product design for mobile and Web-based products.
Executed Branding, Product Design, Development, Production, Graphic Design and Marketing.

2. UI

Here's how head designers use ui:

Performed page design testing to validate user interface design of developed applications against UI Specifications and Navigational diagrams.
Developed interactive UI features, database schema design, security module design and development.

3. Sketch

Here's how head designers use sketch:

Sketch, designed artwork, developed tech packs and communicate overseas to assure the understanding of the details of garment.
Design, sketch, and produce, couture items for fashion line.

4. User Experience

Here's how head designers use user experience:

Designed user experience and guided definition of new interaction guidelines for mobile and responsive framework.
Redesigned and maintained both back and front-end of Adobe ColdFusion site, optimizing user experience and page load latency.

5. 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 head designers use product development:

Report directly to President of the company with accountability for all product development from initial concept to line duplication.
Traveled extensively to overseas factories to conduct all phases of product development.

6. Lead Design

Here's how head designers use lead design:

Lead designer for sustainable active accessories, mostly gym bags with elements made by local and worldwide artisans.
Lead designer responsible for the creative direction of the company's fashions.

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7. Prototyping

Here's how head designers use prototyping:

Created the project plan and executed the prototyping of the rocket.
Developed a collection from sketching through prototyping to small production.

8. Market Trends

Here's how head designers use market trends:

Traveled extensively to clearly define new market opportunities and research target market trends.
Create new & revise lines / Identify market trends & sampling (Asia & Local) Communicate w/overseas manufacturing.

9. 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 head designers use graphic design:

Provided leadership in business processes and design excellence within product and graphic design across multiple categories.
Directed and managed Assistant Designer and Graphic Designer.

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 head designers use design process:

Recruited as head designer accountable for developing and implementing formal design process.
Managed associate designers throughout design process.

11. Facebook

Here's how head designers use facebook:

Developed and delivered content through social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to increase brand awareness.
Created guerilla marketing campaigns including astroturf blogs, Google+, and Facebook pages.

12. Design Direction

Here's how head designers use design direction:

Collaborate with product manager to ensure fabric, and materials are kept true to the overall design direction and target retail.
Design direction and elaboration of artworks and drawings with the design team (1 assistant, 2 interns).

13. Creative Direction

Here's how head designers use creative direction:

Provided creative direction in design and research for real world HCD solutions.
Provide creative direction and manage design team.

14. Market Research

Market research is a collective effort to collect information related to a consumer's needs and wants. It is a systematic approach that involves recording and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. Market research helps a business to identify a target market correctly and identify the gaps in potential consumer's expectations.

Here's how head designers use market research:

Performed market research, sourced overseas manufacturers, formulated a business plan and co-founded the corporation based on planning and research.
Conducted an extensive market research to develop and establish a clear point of view for the Life Fitness Apparel line.

15. Brand Design

Here's how head designers use brand design:

Resigned to pursue a graduate degree in visual brand design at Milan, Italy's Domus Academy.Career Highlights (continued)
Directed brand design, website design + development, email marketing design + development, and all marketing material.

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What skills help Head Designers find jobs?

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What skills stand out on head designer resumes?

Dr. Jennifer Jorgensen Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The retail industry is robust and requires many skills. Content and industry-related knowledge are essential, including comfort with computer applications like Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Excel. Beyond knowledge of the industry, job candidates need excellent communication skills in written and oral forms. It's also highly recommended that job candidates have work experience in their area of interest, which could include an internship, job shadow, or part-time position.

What soft skills should all head designers possess?

Lorrie Ivas

Full-time Faculty, Santa Monica College

Love the actual definition of "soft skills": personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.

What is often overlooked is communicating professionally via email, text, phone, and/or personal interactions. Basic business etiquette is very important. Fashion is a creative field, yet it is also a business ... and professionalism always stands out... Attention to detail will set one apart from the others. So many resumes come in with spelling errors! It is often just one page! Not proofing once - and then proofing again, and then having someone else's fresh eyes proof it one more time - shows a lack of attention to detail.

Design is a collaborative proposition, so the ability to share ideas with a team is vital.

And again, knowledge of social media platforms, where professional and creative communication/writing skills are as important as the photographs, represents someone who will be a valuable addition to a design firm.

What hard/technical skills are most important for head designers?

Lorrie Ivas

Full-time Faculty, Santa Monica College

The ability to communicate your design concepts to the team (or future boss/interviewer) is vital. Hand and digital fashion sketching and illustration skills are necessary at every step. Scholarships, competitions, or internships often request a sample portfolio, so it doesn't go any further if the illustrations don't "wow" the judging viewer. One can sew/tailor beautifully, but knowing how to "show" that skillset to the judge or employer is vital - i.e., photographing the step-by-step process with close-up details of tailoring skills and presenting it digitally... will win. One may not show actual garments... so knowing how to "sell" your skills is crucial.

What head designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Chris Chapin

Professor and Chair, Kansas City Art Institute

I would recommend they take this time to learn and practice new digital tools of the Product Design field. The expectation, once they enter the profession, is that they will already be up to speed on the tools. I advise students to research their target employers and become familiar with the ways in which they work. This pandemic period is a great opportunity for students and graduates to round out their skills, knowledge, and professional perspective via online-course offerings. There is also no guarantee that a job will be waiting for them. In which case, it is best if they are prepared to create their own career starts with a spirit of persistence and entrepreneurship.

What type of skills will young head designers 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 head designer stand out to employers?

Elaine Grullón

Lecturer, University of Rhode Island

Some technical skills that stand out to employers is the ability to combine the manual with the technology, in other words combining the old and new media. The rise of new media has caused a need to understand social media but not just the practical but the functional side which includes data analysis. You have to be able to answer questions related to why this trend or if not favorable how we can make improvements. It is all about adaptability and responding to a change in need or even want. Also having knowledge on using computer aided programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or even InDesign, it is important to be able to perform technical writing. Marketing is all about catching the consumers attention in that first moment. Without an understanding of design, and the principles and elements that go alongside the purpose of great marketing will be defeated.

Do you want to know more?

List of head designer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a head designer resume and required skills for a head designer to have include:

Product Design
UI
Sketch
User Experience
Product Development
Lead Design
Prototyping
Market Trends
Graphic Design
Design Process
Facebook
Design Direction
Creative Direction
Market Research
Brand Design
CAD

Design Development
Tech Packs
Design Concepts
R
User Interface
Production Process
Direct Reports
Adobe Illustrator
CSS
Technical Design
Adobe Photoshop
HTML
Solidworks
Web Site
Industrial Design
Presentation Boards

Product Line
Photo Shoots
Web Design
Trade Shows
Mood Boards
Trend Research
Brand Development
Line Sheets
Aided Design
NYC
Embroidery
Conceptual Development
Overseas Factories
Promotional Materials
Sample Room
Denim

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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