About This Project
Over a decade ago, during my UX program at General Assembly, my instructor Wesley Yun said something that stayed with me:
There are different types of designers, and they often align with different stages of a company.
At the time, I did not fully understand what he meant. But as my career unfolded, I began to feel it.
I was consistently drawn to early-stage startups, especially pre-seed to seed companies where ambiguity was high and direction was still forming. I loved the energy, the speed, the possibility. I just never had the language to explain why.
Later, as I became a hiring manager, I noticed something else. I was always looking for a specific type of designer in those early environments. Not just strong designers, but designers whose instincts matched the stage of the company. I did not have a formal framework, but I could see the pattern.
As I mentored peers who were navigating career decisions between startups, scale-ups, and mature companies, I kept thinking back to what Wesley said years ago.
Different environments amplify different designers.
I was also inspired by a former manager, Meagan Ryan, who once created a design archetype Figma plugin to help designers reflect on their strengths. That idea of understanding your design instincts more structurally stayed with me.
The Design Spectrum is the evolution of those conversations.
It is a simple tool to help you:
- Discover your design archetype
- Understand your strengths and blind spots
- Explore which company stages and project phases amplify your impact
My hope is that this helps you find where you belong, or intentionally choose where you want to stretch.
Misalignment is not failure.
It is often just a mismatch between designer and environment.
Take it for a spin. And if you enjoy it, share it and share your archetype. If you have feedback, I would love to hear from you.
Jessica Phan
Built in collaboration with Cursor and ChatGPT