INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Design Director positions are at a 11% growth rate, which is faster than average. With that said, there are currently 98,500 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 10,800 to 109,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Design Director jobs was $97,270 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $54,530, and the highest 10% more than $199,250.
Our conclusion? The Design Director job market is wide open for candidates.
Top design director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to Write a Design Director Resume Experience Section
Design director resume experience: checklist
- Use either chronological or reverse-chronological format when listing your previous jobs;
- Mention only relevant positions that add value to your resume;
- Briefly state the challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them;
- Highlight the results from your efforts (for bonus points, add numbers, percentage rates, etc.);
- Forget about buzzwords! Use power verbs instead.
Use the examples below to build your own experience section!
- Managed the full scope of all of KOTUR’s creative programs.
- Over saw all design aspects of brand including collection development, packaging and social media development, insuring that all content properly represented brand effectively and coherently
- With my Design Direction brought Kotur to be a top seller on Net-a-porter and Shop Bop
- Launched 3 new brands to the Bed Bath Portfolio
- Grew design team 3x
- Implemented new design processes and methodologies
- Led all aspects of design
- Developed overseas and USA manufacturing
- Lead design team to work on all design stages from master plan to construction, including FF&E.
- Work with project stakeholders and operation team to identify their requirements and project’s objectives.
- Work closely with consultants (structure, MEP, landscape) on a daily basis to resolve design issues, propose design solutions and make sure project information of all disciplines are coordinated.
- Work with specialist subcontractors, suppliers and vendors to identify the optimized solutions and most suitable materials for the project.
- Work with QS team to make sure design is within budget, take part in value engineering process and carry out design changes as necessary.
- Work with contractors to make sure they fully understand the design, review and agree appropriate construction methods.
- Visit site to make sure contractors fully comply with the design and construction is on programme and meets expected quality.
- Visualization and Leadership - Brand Identity & Equity
- Creative direction, brand strategy and management.
- Fit, garment construction, and wash/finishing.
- Product development and production.
- Lead transition team combining product for Gap Body, Gap Speciality and Active Shop
- Set Direction for seasonal knit (active, sweaters and tops) for Gap Speciality and Outlet teams
- Manage design, graphics and logo team for Women's Knits
- Meet with cross-functional teams for production, tech and merchandising
- Trend and inspiration shop for product categories
- Present Kick Off shops to Gap Women's team
- Directed all components of USA sourced and produced athleisurewear collection
- Art Directed all marketing, social media content, video and photoshoots
- Managed sales team, showrooms and international distributors and participated in 8 yearly trade shows
- Allocated and directed all accounting, financial planning, investor pitches and team budget
- Designed and sourced four seasonal collections annually
- created diffusion lined called Thread by Nesh NYC which shipped to Anthropologie and Soul Cycle
- Opened brick and mortal retail pop-up store for Nesh NYC. Sept 16-Sept 17. FEATURED IN THE WGSN NYC SHOPPING GUIDE
- Collection sold to over 200 speciality stores including Carbon 38, Bandier, Ron Robinson and Holt Renfrew
- Successfully re-launched the iconic 1980's line GO SILK
- Design and Merchandise 8 collections a year from concept to completion
- Edit and style photoshoots for look book and e-comm presentations
- Review and approve tech-packs for China development
- Design and Merchandise Junior and Girls 4-16 cut and sew knits and wovens collections
- Managed team of designers, graphic designers, pattern makers and sewers
- Pitched and designed print line, embroidery and screen prints for MUDD License
- Trend Shopped in Europe and Tokyo for for all divisions
- Designed clothlines for renowed celebrities in India like Kiran Majumdar,Sumit B,Iram Khan,Sujata Shetty etc
- Developed and marketed the brand of 'Divya Punjabi'.
- Established partnerships with various suppliers .
- My areas of expertise include
- Understanding of cuts and fits
- Intricate Embriodary using beads,tubes,sequins,silk thread
- Understanding client requirements and styling them as per their body type
- Understanding of fashion trends across the world
- Understanding of fabrics -feel ,fall and behaviour
- Conceived, directed, and sold in vision and concepts of contextual awareness experiences and led team to execute quickly with early prototypes, and user data to get buy in from key stakeholders
- Built stepping-stones of contextual awareness, starting with automation, setting the groundwork and foundation for artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Led and managed usability improvements for Motorola’s automation solution resulting in the increased adoption of SmartActions from 1.5 million users to approximately 4.8 million users by the end of 2012
- Initiated and lead the design of adaptive mobile experiences leveraging contextual cues. Spearheaded efforts to move towards a conversational chrome less UI able to learn and anticipate needs based on user behavior and sensor data.
- Grew contextual experiences across the broader mobile ecosystem to encompass imaging, automation, display, voice, gestures creating ongoing conversations with users based on their specific behavior.
- Led concept and design direction of mobile fitness app that leveraged sensors and bio data from mobile phone, serving as the foundation for the Moto Body experience on Motorola’s smartwatch, the Moto 360.
PRO TIP
Make sure to relate your experience to your job description, but never lie. That’s not tolerated and will show up in the face-to-face interview later on.
Action Verbs for Your Design Director Resume
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Design director resume: The skills section!
How to write a strong design director resume skills section?
- Make sure to include all types of skills - soft, hard, technical;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise in the field;
- Check the job description for keywords and make sure to add them to your resume – this will help you pass ATS;
- Leave room for discussion – elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your resume
Top Skills for Your Design Director Resume
Photoshop
Illustrator
Microsoft Office
Autocad
Jira
Scrum
Communication
Active listening
Conflict resulotion
Stakeholder management
Empathy
Openmindedness
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
Design director resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your design director resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Design Director resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
A career summary for your design director resume
Things to include in your Design Director resume summary:
- Your total years of experience in the industry;
- 2-3 of your most remarkable achievements so far;
- How your experience relates to the position you’re applying for;
- A very brief description of your strengths.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a professional taster. Use it wisely. Effectively convey your professional profile and let the hiring manager know that if they hire you, they won’t be disappointed. Make sure to include keywords from the job description too! Elaborate on your abilities further in your experience section. Again, cater to the job description.
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Design director resume: the education section
Things to include in your resume's education section:
- Your highest education degree – including course, year of graduation, institution;
- Awards received as part of your education;
- Extracurricular activities that have helped you gain relevant skills;
- Certifications that have helped you master new skills and increase your expertise;
- Entry-level applicants only: relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your design director resume
Thinking Like an Art Director with PaintShop Pro
Design theorem,Art Director,Compositions
Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design
UX Design & User Experience Design Course - Theory Only
This course is for anyone interested in learning the theory of UX design.
User Experience Design Essentials - Adobe XD UI UX Design
Use XD to get a job in UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, UX design & Web Design
Master Digital Product Design: UX Research & UI Design
A complete design education for product designers: Research the user experience, then design a great user interface
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PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Design Director. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Choosing the right format for your design director resume
In general, there are three basic formats for your resume:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Some things to consider when choosing the right format for your Design Director resume include the stage of your career, whether you have all the right skills required for the job or are looking for an industry change, and what field you’re looking to grow in.
The reverse-chronological resume format is the most common one. It lets you describe your most recent job and then move backward. This makes it great for people who have around or less than 10 years of experience and are looking to highlight only their work-related skills and qualities.
If you’re just starting your career journey and reverse-chronological resumes sound too demanding, go for the functional resume format. It’s ideal for showcasing your strengths, personal qualities, skills, education, and the courses you’ve taken, without putting too much pressure on experience and expertise.
Don’t worry if neither of these sounds suitable for you – the hybrid or combination resume format will surely match your needs. It’s similar to the reverse-chronological, but with a catchy twist. Combination or hybrid resumes are great for showcasing both your experience and work-related skills and your personal qualities. Add a “What my day looks like” section for enhancing the jaw-dropping experience!
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your Design Director resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your Design Director resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
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PRO TIP
Test your draft Design Director resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Other sections suitable for your design director resume
Depending on the position and the industry, you can spice your resume up by adding some more sections. They will help the recruiter get a glimpse of who you are as a person, besides all your job-related skills and qualities.
Here are some examples:
How to add creativity to your design director resume
Gone are the days when creative resumes were frowned upon by recruiters!
What’s more, the right amount of creativity will make recruiters remember you and want to learn more about who you are – both as an individual and as a professional.
There are two ways to build a creative resume - add creative sections or go for a more creative design approach in general. Go for whatever suits you, the position, and the industry most!
What makes a great design director resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
