Design professionals are often multi-skilled, interdisciplinary, and nomadic individuals.

They are wired to take on pervasive problems, stand up revolutionary products, or reveal market segments hidden in plain sight. But if the chaos they enjoy becomes an oasis, they move on.

You can’t keyword this amalgam of expertise. Or easily see the through-line of a career path with curious pivots. Which makes these candidates among the most challenging categories of talent to find, assess, and win over. And highly valuable when you land them.

Defining the design leader you need may be among the toughest searches you undertake.


Evaluating design talent can be confusing!

What mix of hands-on, project management, and leadership skills do you need? How will that hybrid skillset affect a candidate's fit and performance?

Do you need branding and market segment expertise?
Design research and strategic thinking?

What expressive skills are most desirable? Experience design? Storytelling?
Service design?

How would a particular creative personality fit within your organization
and company culture?

Given the collaborative nature of design, can you discern an individual’s
impact from their portfolio?

What is the ideal balance of aesthetic sensibility and technical skill for your role?
Your company?