The design director may have many responsibilities within their organization. They are responsible for communicating with stakeholders to understand their vision for a design, creating a visual concept for each design, designing digital visuals such as website landing pages, coordinating with others in the design department to ensure the visuals are consistent throughout, and more.

Landing this role requires specific and progressive experience within creative fields, such as experience in graphic design, marketing, or advertising. It also requires an array of important soft skills, such as creativity, superb project management skills, and great communication.

Below, you’ll find some great example resumes from design professionals, as well as our tips and tricks as to how to make your resume stand out when applying for these roles.

Design Director Resume Templates

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Design Director

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Keywords for Design Director Resumes

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Summary

Experience

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Template 1 of 2: Design Director Resume Example

The design director is a senior-level role within an organization. They are responsible for collaborating cross-departmentally to develop a cohesive vision for the company and bring that vision to life using their artistic skills. The design director is responsible for overseeing all operations relating to design within creative departments, such as graphic design and marketing.
The design director is also responsible for the technical side of creating designs. This means most directors of design have experience utilizing programs like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, CAD, and other creative tools that allow them to draft designs for a company.
When hiring for a design director, hiring managers will be looking for someone with solid experience. A bachelor's degree in graphic design or industrial design is required for the role. A master’s may not be required but may help you stand out for this senior-level role.
In addition to relevant education, qualified candidates will have several years of related work experience. Previous experience as a graphic designer, creative consultant, content creator, curator, and more are relevant experiences that can help someone land the role of design director.

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Resume displaying experience as a design director, including managing a team of designers, ensuring the design process runs smoothly, and delivering high-quality designs

Tips to help you write your Design Director resume in 2024

Create an attractive artistic portfolio to land the role of design director

Although the design director may wear many hats within a company, the most important skill for a design director to have is the ability to create inspiring and innovative visuals. Compiling your previous projects and putting them in a portfolio can be really helpful to show potential employers what you are capable of. As long as you have permission from previous employers and/or clients to share your work, it’s wise to send in a creative portfolio alongside your resume for the role.

Also see: What to Include in Your Resume Header

Create an attractive artistic portfolio to land the role of design director - Design Director Resume

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Showcase your ability to collaborate effectively within an organization

The design director never works alone. It’s important that aspiring design directors are able to effectively communicate their vision to a variety of departments, and work with every facet of the organization to ensure the vision created is cohesive and effective. It is wise to highlight your experience with cross-departmental collaboration and communication on your resume for this reason.

Also see: How To Demonstrate Teamwork on Your Resume

Showcase your ability to collaborate effectively within an organization - Design Director Resume

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Skills you can include on your Design Director resume

Template 2 of 2: Fashion Design Director Resume Example

The fashion design director is tasked with overseeing all aspects of the fashion design process within a company. They will work with other designers to analyze the company’s current line of apparel, develop new design ideas, and improve on existing fashion designs. They may also help with the marketing of these designs, such as organizing photoshoots or web pages.

To be a fashion design director, you must have a mix of the right skills and education. Typically, hiring managers will look for someone with a bachelor's degree in fashion design. A master’s isn’t always required but can help you land this role more easily.

Companies will certainly be looking for someone with several years of experience in the world of fashion design. Prior experience as a fashion merchandiser, assistant designer, creative consultant, or curator is necessary to land this role.

Fashion design directors will exhibit several necessary soft skills, such as creativity, teamwork, leadership, and superb communication skills.

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Resume emphasizing experience as a fashion design director, including overseeing the design process, managing a team of designers, and ensuring the creation of high-quality fashion products

Tips to help you write your Fashion Design Director resume in 2024

Show your experience marketing apparel to land the role of fashion design director

A big part of the fashion design directors role, apart from creating designs, is to know how to properly market these designs to make sales. The director of fashion design may need to create email campaigns, advertisements, or design window displays to market new designs to customers. Previous experience marketing physical goods, particularly apparel, will stand out to hiring managers. Even better if you can provide numbers and data on how your marketing efforts increased sales or decreased stale inventory.

Also see: How To Write Your Resume's Work Experience Section

Show your experience marketing apparel to land the role of fashion design director - Fashion Design Director Resume

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Demonstrate your ability to create new and successful designs

The fashion design director is responsible for looking at a company’s current apparel line and identifying what it might be missing. Often this means coming up with new designs or new sectors of apparel to break into. For this reason, it’s important that aspiring fashion design directors can show they are creative and able to develop new designs. On your resume, you should detail any original designs you have come up with, and how they helped the company’s bottom line.

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Skills you can include on your Fashion Design Director resume

Design Director Resume Tips

We spoke with hiring managers who recruit Design Directors at top companies like Apple, Nike, and Airbnb. They shared insider tips on what they look for in resumes that stand out. If you're applying for a Design Director role, make sure to follow the tips below to create a resume that will impress employers and help you land your dream job.

Highlight your design leadership experience

Employers want to see that you have experience leading and managing design teams. Use your resume to showcase your leadership skills by including:

Size and composition of teams you've managed
Major projects you oversaw from start to finish
Mentorship of junior designers and their career growth under your leadership
Collaboration with cross-functional teams like product and engineering

Quantify your impact where possible, such as increasing user engagement by X% or launching Y new features. Avoid simply listing your responsibilities without concrete examples of your leadership in action.

Bullet Point Samples for Design Director

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Showcase your design strategy and vision

As a Design Director, you'll be expected to set the overall design vision and strategy for the company. Highlight examples of how you've done this in the past:

Developing and implementing a cohesive design language across products
Aligning design initiatives with overall business goals and metrics
Conducting user research to inform product strategy and design decisions
Presenting design concepts to executive leadership to get buy-in

Use your resume summary to touch on your high-level approach to design leadership:

Seasoned Design Director with 10+ years of experience crafting user-centered design strategies that balance business needs and customer delight. Proven track record of building and leading high-performance design teams to deliver innovative, engaging digital experiences.

Emphasize your cross-functional collaboration skills

Design Directors need to be skilled at working with stakeholders across the organization, from product and engineering to marketing and customer support. Show that you're an effective collaborator:

Partnering with Product Managers to define product roadmaps and prioritize features
Working closely with Engineering to ensure designs are feasible and implemented correctly
Collaborating with Marketing on go-to-market strategies and branding initiatives
Gathering input from Customer Support to inform design improvements based on user feedback

Avoid focusing solely on your design output without touching on the cross-functional nature of the role. For example:

Created wireframes and prototypes for new features
Delivered final UI designs and specs for development

Include examples of your industry thought leadership

Top companies want Design Directors who are influential leaders in the industry. Highlight ways you've established yourself as a thought leader:

Speaking at design conferences or on panels
Teaching workshops or courses on design topics
Publishing articles or blog posts on industry trends and best practices
Participating in or leading local design community events

Show that you're passionate about shaping the future of the design industry beyond just your day-to-day work. Quantify your influence where you can, such as:

Spoke at 5 major UX conferences including NN/g and IxDA with an average audience of 500+ attendees
Published 10 articles on design leadership in industry publications like Smashing Magazine and UX Collective

Demonstrate your impact on user engagement and business metrics

While your designs may be beautiful, employers want to know that they deliver real results. Use metrics to show the impact of your work on user engagement and key business goals:

Redesigned mobile app onboarding flow, increasing completion rate from 60% to 85%
Launched new e-commerce product pages, contributing to a 20% lift in conversion rate and $XM in incremental revenue
Overhauled enterprise SaaS platform UI, improving key user satisfaction metrics by 30%

Whenever possible, tie your design work directly to business KPIs to show your impact on the bottom line. Don't simply list the designs you created without any context of why they mattered.

Created new homepage design to improve visual appeal
Designed dashboard UI for analytics platform

Tailor your resume to the specific company and role

While it's tempting to use the same resume for every application, it's important to customize it for each company. Research the company's products, design aesthetic, and culture. Then tailor your resume to highlight relevant experience and skills, such as:

Experience designing for similar products or industries
Familiarity with the same design tools and methodologies they use
Design work or side projects that align with their brand style
Passion for the company's mission or values

Show that you've done your homework and understand what the role entails at that particular organization. Avoid sending a generic resume that could apply to any Design Director job posting.

Writing Your Design Director Resume: Section By Section

Header

As a Design Director, your header is the first thing a hiring manager sees. It's crucial to make a strong first impression and set the tone for the rest of your resume. Here's how to write a compelling header that will catch their attention:

1. Keep it simple and clean

Your header should be easy to read and understand at a glance. Stick to a simple, professional font and avoid any unnecessary graphics or colors.

Here's an example of a well-formatted header for a Design Director:

John Smith
Design Director
New York, NY | [email protected] | 555-123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith

Notice how the header is clean, organized, and easy to scan. The hiring manager can quickly find the information they need without any distractions.

Tip: If you're applying for remote positions, consider adding "Open to remote work" to your header to make it clear you're willing to work from anywhere.

2. Highlight your job title

As a Design Director, your job title is one of the most important pieces of information in your header. Make sure it stands out by putting it on its own line or using a slightly larger font.

Avoid getting too creative with your job title. Stick to industry-standard titles like:

Design Director
Creative Director
Head of Design

Using a non-standard title like "Design Guru" or "Creative Ninja" may seem clever, but it can actually make it harder for hiring managers to understand your role and experience.

Before finalizing your resume, run it through Score My Resume to get instant feedback on how well your header (and the rest of your resume) is optimized for your target job.

3. Include key contact details

Your header should include all the essential information a hiring manager needs to contact you. At a minimum, include:

Your full name
Your email address
Your phone number
Your location (city and state)
A link to your online portfolio or LinkedIn profile

Avoid including your full mailing address, as it's not necessary and takes up valuable space. And double-check that all your contact details are up-to-date and professional-sounding.

Tip: Use a professional email address that includes your name, like [email protected]. Avoid using casual or outdated email addresses like [email protected].

Summary

A resume summary is an optional section that sits at the top of your resume, just below your name and contact information. It provides a brief overview of your professional experience, skills, and achievements, and can be particularly useful if you're changing careers or have a lot of experience to summarize. However, it's important to note that a summary is not the same as an objective statement, which is outdated and should be avoided.

When crafting your summary for a Design Director position, focus on highlighting your most relevant qualifications and experiences that align with the job requirements. Use concrete metrics and examples to showcase your impact and value in previous roles. Keep it concise and engaging, as this is often the first section a hiring manager will read.

How to write a resume summary if you are applying for a Design Director resume

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1. Tailor your summary to the specific role

When applying for a Design Director position, it's crucial to customize your summary to the specific requirements and responsibilities of the role. This demonstrates your understanding of the position and shows the hiring manager that you're a strong fit.

Experienced Design Director with a proven track record of leading creative teams and delivering innovative solutions.

Instead, consider highlighting specific skills and experiences that directly relate to the job:

Creative Design Director with 10+ years of experience in brand development, user experience design, and product innovation. Proven success in leading cross-functional teams to deliver award-winning digital experiences for Fortune 500 clients.

Use Targeted Resume to ensure your summary includes the right keywords and skills for the specific Design Director role you're applying for.

2. Quantify your achievements

To make your summary more impactful, use specific numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements and demonstrate your value. This helps the hiring manager quickly understand the scope and scale of your contributions.

Experienced Design Director with a background in graphic design and team management. Skilled in developing creative strategies and overseeing projects from concept to completion.

Instead, try incorporating specific metrics:

Results-driven Design Director with 8+ years of experience leading design teams of up to 15 members. Spearheaded the redesign of a flagship product, resulting in a 25% increase in user engagement and a 20% boost in revenue. Managed an annual design budget of $1.2M.

After quantifying your achievements in your summary, use Score My Resume to get instant feedback on how well your resume highlights your impact and value.

3. Showcase your leadership and soft skills

As a Design Director, your leadership and soft skills are just as important as your technical expertise. Use your summary to highlight your ability to inspire and guide teams, communicate effectively, and foster a collaborative work environment.

Design Director with exceptional leadership skills and a passion for creativity.
Proven track record of managing teams and delivering successful projects.

While these statements touch on leadership, they lack specificity. Instead, consider providing concrete examples:

Visionary Design Director known for building and mentoring high-performing teams. Implemented a collaborative design process that improved team efficiency by 30% and boosted employee satisfaction scores by 25%.
Exceptional communicator with a talent for translating complex design concepts to cross-functional stakeholders. Successfully pitched and secured buy-in for a $500K design initiative that transformed the company's brand identity.

Remember, your summary is a snapshot of your most relevant and impressive qualifications. Keep it concise, impactful, and tailored to the Design Director role you're seeking.

Experience

The work experience section is the heart of your design director resume. It's where you'll highlight your most impressive achievements, leadership abilities, and technical skills. Hiring managers want to see that you've successfully led teams, delivered high-impact projects, and driven business results through design.

In this section, we'll break down the key steps to writing a compelling work experience section that will grab the attention of potential employers.

1. Lead with strong action verbs

When describing your work experiences, use powerful action verbs that demonstrate your leadership and impact. Some great examples include:

Spearheaded the redesign of the company's flagship product, resulting in a 25% increase in user engagement
Directed a team of 12 designers to deliver a new mobile app within a tight 6-month deadline
Pioneered the use of user research to inform design decisions, leading to a 30% reduction in customer support calls

Avoid weak or passive language like "responsible for" or "helped with." Instead, use strong verbs that show you took ownership and drove results.

Tip: Vary your action verbs to keep your bullet points engaging. Use a thesaurus to find powerful synonyms, like "orchestrated," "championed," or "innovated."

2. Quantify your impact with metrics

Whenever possible, use hard numbers to quantify the impact of your work. Metrics help hiring managers understand the scale and significance of your achievements. For example:

Increased user conversion rates by 15% through a redesign of the onboarding flow
Managed a $2M annual budget and consistently delivered projects 10% under budget
Grew the design team from 5 to 18 designers over a 3-year period

If you don't have access to specific metrics, you can still provide context for your accomplishments:

Redesigned website for a Fortune 500 company

While this bullet provides some useful context, it would be even stronger with metrics:

Redesigned website for a Fortune 500 company, resulting in a 20% increase in page views and a 15% boost in lead generation

Not sure if your resume is highlighting your impact effectively? Try Targeted Resume, which analyzes your resume against a job description to ensure you're including the right skills and keywords.

3. Showcase your leadership and collaboration skills

As a design director, your ability to lead teams and collaborate cross-functionally is critical. Use your work experience section to highlight these skills with examples like:

Partnered with product and engineering leaders to define the vision and roadmap for a new design system
Coached and mentored a team of junior designers, resulting in two promotions to senior roles within a year
Collaborated with the marketing team to develop a new brand identity that increased brand recognition by 30%

These examples demonstrate your ability to work effectively with different stakeholders, develop talent, and align design with broader business goals.

Tip: If you've received positive feedback or recognition for your leadership or collaboration skills, consider including a brief quote in your work experience section. For example: "Recognized by the CEO as a 'true partner to product and engineering' in driving the success of our new mobile app launch."

4. Highlight your technical skills and tools

While your work experience section should focus primarily on your achievements and impact, it's also important to showcase your technical skills and proficiencies. Mention specific design tools, methodologies, or technologies you've used to deliver results. For example:

Implemented a new design sprint process using Figma and InVision, reducing time to market by 20% and improving collaboration with cross-functional teams.

This example highlights the candidate's familiarity with specific tools (Figma and InVision) as well as their ability to improve processes and collaboration.

However, avoid simply listing tools without context, like this:

Proficient in Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, and Zeplin.

Instead, try to weave your technical skills into your accomplishments to show how you've used them to drive impact.

Tip: Be sure to tailor your technical skills to the specific job you're applying for. Review the job description carefully and highlight the tools and technologies that are most relevant to the role.

Education

Your education section is an important part of your design director resume. It shows hiring managers your academic background and how it prepared you for the role. In this section, we'll cover what to include and how to format your education for maximum impact.

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1. Put your education at the top if you're a recent graduate

If you graduated within the last few years, position your education section above your work experience. This is because your degree is likely your strongest qualification at this stage in your career.

Include the following details for each degree:

Name of institution
Degree earned
Graduation year
Relevant coursework, honors, or awards

BFA in Graphic Design, State University, 2020
Relevant coursework: Typography, Web Design, Branding
Graduated Summa Cum Laude

If you're still in school, include your expected graduation date and label it as 'Expected' or 'Anticipated'.

2. Keep your education section concise if you're experienced

For design directors with several years of experience, your work history and accomplishments take precedence over education. Keep your education section brief, limiting it to 1-2 lines.

Bad example:

BS in Graphic Design, XYZ University, 2005-2009. Relevant coursework: Color Theory, Typography, Branding, Web Design. GPA: 3.8. Dean's List 2007-2009.

Good example:

BS in Graphic Design, XYZ University

You can leave off the graduation year if you have over 10 years of experience to avoid potential age discrimination.

3. Highlight design-related certifications

In addition to your degree, include any relevant certifications you've earned. These demonstrate your commitment to ongoing learning and professional development in the design field.

Some examples:

Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop CC
UX Design Certification, Nielsen Norman Group
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)

You can list certifications under your education section or in a separate 'Certifications' section, depending on how many you have and their relevance to the role.

Only include substantial certifications from recognized organizations. Online courses or workshops can be mentioned in your skills section instead.

Action Verbs For Design Director Resumes

When writing your design director resume, it’s crucial to use action verbs to describe previous experiences, skills, and achievements. You should always use action verbs at the beginning of a bullet point on your resume. You should try to avoid overusing the same action verb and aim for a variety of action verbs to explain past experiences.

The action verbs you use should relate closely to the job title you're applying for. As an example, design directors are often tasked with creating new designs and marketing materials, so action verbs like “created” or “conceived” will work well on your resume.

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Created
Conceived
Collaborated
Advertised
Enabled
Developed
Produced
Designed
Established
Composed
Curated
Molded
Revamped
Transformed
Made
Generated

For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.

Skills For Design Director Resumes

When applying for the role of design director, it’s important to highlight the relevant skills you will need for the job. Many organizations use applicant tracking software that automatically weeds out resumes that do not list the key skills they are looking for.

It’s extremely important to make it past this software to land an interview with the hiring manager. To do this, you must identify the relevant skills for the role and work them onto your resume. You might list them off in their own section or work the key skills into your experience sections.

Either way, it’s important to identify the key skills an employer is looking for in the role. Re-reading the job posting you are applying to can give you a hint of what skills they are searching for. You can also read the list below of the most popular skills for roles in design.

Graphic Design
Art Direction
Graphics
Logo Design
Page Layout
Typography
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Brochures
Adobe Photoshop
Branding & Identity
Advertising
Illustration
Branding
Corporate Identity
Web Design
Photography
SOE Design
Visual Communication

For more skills, visit Design Director Skills & Keywords.

How To Write Your Skills Section On a Design Director Resumes

You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:

How To Write Your Skills Section - Design Director Roles

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Skills Word Cloud For Design Director Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Design Director job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.

Top Design Director Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

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