DESIGN LEAD SKILLS, EXPERIENCES, AND JOB REQUIREMENTS

Published: Jan 16, 2026 - The Design Lead applies deep expertise in IP development, subsystem architecture, RTL design, and advanced verification methodologies to deliver commercially successful hardware solutions. This role requires proficiency in Verilog, SystemVerilog, scripting languages, bus protocols, and ASIC design tools to ensure accurate design, simulation, and optimization processes. The lead also strengthens engineering teams by providing technical leadership, mentorship, and management experience that enhances collaboration and overall performance.

Essential Hard and Soft Skills for a Design Lead Resume
  • Design Strategy
  • Visual Design
  • UX Prototyping
  • System Design
  • Brand Consistency
  • Architecture Coordination
  • Logic Design
  • Prototype Design
  • Usability Research
  • Process Improvement
  • Team Leadership
  • Collaborative Leadership
  • Client Management
  • Strategic Communication
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Problem Solving
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Team Mentorship
  • Project Leadership
  • Feedback Management

Summary of Design Lead Knowledge and Qualifications on Resume

1. BA in Graphic Design with 7 years of Experience

  • Experience working within design sprints/agile methodologies
  • Understanding of how to align and prioritise business needs with user needs
  • Hands-on skills in delivering prototypes and design artefacts
  • Strong POV on how to continuously improve and set the standard for design output
  • Ability to carry out qualitative research and user testing, and collaborate with researchers
  • Experience in scoping and outlining approaches to projects 
  • Able to provide realistic time/scope/risk estimates for a project, define artefacts and milestones
  • Skill to design and develop forward-thinking and innovative design proposals within an automotive environment
  • Ability to solve complex problems and provide creative solutions
  • Ability to communicate and present design proposals and ideas across the company in different forums
  • Understanding of feasibility and production methodology, along with 2D and 3D IT skills such as Photoshop and 3D CAD software skills
  • Understanding of financial budgeting

2. BS in Industrial Design with 5 years of Experience

  • Significant experience working in an Agile/Scrum development process
  • Ability to quickly visualize concepts for solutions for a range of services for consumer and business/institutional clients
  • Working knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript for mock-ups and rapid prototyping
  • Experience developing usability studies and analyzing research results
  • Ability to collaborate with front-end developers and engineers
  • Familiarity with Design Thinking methodology and experience putting principles into practice
  • Strong communication skills to lead squads of designers, collaborate with various stakeholders, interpret and respond to feedback
  • Previous financial services experience will be strongly considered
  • Experience working in client environments or at a creative agency serving a financial services client 

3. BA in Visual Communication with 6 years of Experience

  • Ability to dive into complex issues, identify the core of the problem, and quickly see potential solutions
  • Extensive work experience with digital product design
  • Experience with different design tools
  • Experience working in a SaaS company 
  • Experience in creating and maintaining a design system that makes customer experiences easier and design and development work more efficient
  • High working capacity and great communication skills
  • Able to take pride in making accessible solutions to limit bias in education
  • Passionate about shaping the future of assessment and education
  • Familiar with Structure’s design supervision task (report review/tools/codes)
  • Familiar with Orcaflex (or equivalent) software

4. BS in Digital Media with 9 years of Experience

  • Experience with user experience design, interaction design, and visual design
  • Experience managing people or projects
  • Experience in executing and facilitating concept ideation, wireframing, design iterations, and successful product launches across multiple platforms
  • Excellent presentation skills
  • Experience using research and analytics to inform design
  • Advanced knowledge of tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and other relevant software
  • Must be able to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines while staying organized and detail-oriented
  • Experience working in cross-functional teams
  • Experience with projects that involve AR, VR, 3D, or Motion
  • Experience in lifestyle, technology or other culture-defining brands
  • Experience in creating prototypes to pitch work
  • Experience with emerging technology
  • Experience working in a research-driven environment

5. BA in Interaction Design with 8 years of Experience

  • Professional UX experience
  • Strong understanding of design processes
  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to present and articulate ideas, openness to evolving opinions that inform beliefs
  • Strong skills in modern design tools like Sketch, Abstract, Invision, Framer, UX Pin, and Creative Suite
  • Expertise in producing relevant deliverables, including detailed site maps, user flows/task flows, user journeys, page flows, taxonomies/folksonomies, paths to purchase, wireframes, annotations, and prototypes that represent interaction recommendations, etc.
  • Working knowledge of HTML/CSS/JS
  • Experience at an agency or in-house concepting and creating for brands
  • Experience in performing digital brand review and design audits for current state assessment to identify areas of opportunity
  • Experience with product storytelling and creative strategy
  • Experience in creating digital platforms and products from brief to delivery and beyond
  • Experience in leading creative work and overseeing creative teams and/or agencies

6. BS in User Experience Design with 5 years of Experience

  • Experience in the Service Design field, working across different types of service or experience design projects
  • Possess excellent stakeholder engagement and presentation skills 
  • Ability to scope and organise effective research or design projects
  • Excellent portfolio showcasing in-depth knowledge and Service Design methods, outcomes and activities undertaken
  • Able to be a natural visual thinker and have considerable experience using diagrams, maps, prototypes, etc, to explore complex information and interactions
  • Highly skilled in design tools such as Miro, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.
  • Demonstrate experience applying qualitative and quantitative research skills across several end-to-end projects
  • Passionate about accessibility and inclusive design best practices

7. BA in Multimedia Arts with 6 years of Experience

  • Applicable experience in the consulting sector, specifically in transportation
  • Excellent communication (written and oral), prioritization and organization skills
  • Detail-oriented with the ability to balance a diverse and changing workload
  • Working knowledge of Civil 3D
  • Underground municipal infrastructure design such as water supply, storm and sanitary systems
  • Experience in roadway surfacing design
  • Experience in packaging and Print Design
  • Excellent project management skills
  • Strong cultural knowledge (pop culture) and should be aware of day-to-day industry trends
  • Demonstrate the ability to work in an entrepreneurial, hands-on and adaptive environment

8. BS in Computer Science with 7 years of Experience

  • Strong background in Digital Design with experience under my belt as a Senior Digital Designer
  • Working experience within a digital agency environment, or directly for an eCommerce brand
  • Ability to communicate, relate and strategise with a range of clients and manage several stakeholder relationships
  • Prior experience working closely with a wider design team
  • Ability to articulate projects/work in a clear, precise and organised manner
  • Ability to develop commercial UX/UI designs for clients
  • Strong understanding of the foundations of Figma
  • Comfortably create components
  • Experience in similar tools to Figma, e.g., Sketch
  • Solid understanding of interaction design and best practices for web
  • Comfortable juggling several projects at once and have exceptional attention to detail

9. BA in Fine Arts with 4 years of Experience

  • Solid background and knowledge in Product-life cycle and Channel/touchpoint design (VBU background)
  • Deep understanding of service design methodologies with the Design Thinking approach
  • Experience in leading cross-functional projects (CX related projects)
  • Ability to analyse data and use related tools (Excel, Business Objects)
  • Strong interpersonal, team communication, coordination and facilitation skills
  • Strong follow-up skills and ability to work under pressure and meet challenging targets
  • Ability to influence client decision makers across client business and functional departments, based upon experience and insight
  • Excellent command of English

10. BS in Information Technology with 6 years of Experience

  • Experience in user experience design for both web and mobile native applications that leverage emergent technologies, consumer electronics, and mobile devices
  • Comprehensive background in digital product strategy and design
  • Experience building out and taking part in pitches and client engagements, from discovery and planning to rapid prototyping and usability testing, to web/mobile app UI and UX design
  • Experience leading a team and mentoring other designers
  • Experience interacting with user groups/advisory boards
  • Strong understanding of Agile methodology/SDLC
  • Ability to create wireframes as well as visual design comps
  • Expert knowledge of mobile app design principles for both iOS/Apple and Android/Google
  • Proficient with user interface design patterns and standard UCD methodologies

11. BA in Communication Design with 8 years of Experience

  • Experience with Adobe Premiere, AfterEffects, Sketch, and InVision Studio, Verint and ArcMap 
  • Strong experience working in a collaborative design environment
  • Excellent knowledge of visual design and visual theory (i.e., composition, color theory, typography, etc.)
  • Robust B2B experience, deep knowledge of business language, and proven client-facing experience, with persuasive and dynamic presentation skills
  • Excellent English language skills, fluent in Mandarin
  • Knowledge of design tools such as Balsamiq, Photoshop, XD, and Sketch
  • Strong technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Experience working in a digital consultancy or agency environment (with a client-facing aspect to the role)
  • Working knowledge of web and mobile frameworks such as Bootstrap, Material Design, and iOS design standards
  • Working knowledge of JavaScript/iOS/Android
  • Strong working knowledge of HTML and CSS

12. BS in Web Design and Development with 7 years of Experience

  • Hands-on experience in the creative process, marketing, graphic design and brand development
  • Excellent working knowledge of software such as Adobe applications, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.
  • Experience generating ideas, concepts and overarching strategy
  • Work experience growing young brands
  • Experience within an early-stage start-up environment
  • Able to anticipate the ripple effects that small and large changes will have on the brand experience
  • Expert in writing, questioning and managing briefs, working between design and marketing teams to fully understand the needs and requirements of the brief and how they impact the business
  • Experience leading designers with the ability to define user interface and experience parameters
  • Strong understanding of customer journey mapping, service design and design thinking approaches
  • Deep understanding of the end-to-end iterative UX process (personas, scenarios, wireframing, and high fidelity visuals)
  • Demonstrable passion for solving design problems while owning all facets of design (strategy, art direction, interaction design and research)

13. BA in Product Design with 5 years of Experience

  • Proven experience in designing commercially successful IP and subsystems
  • Demonstrated understanding of CPU and MP subsystem architecture, datapath hardware accelerator micro-architecture, as well as FPGA-based simulation or emulation methodology
  • Proficient in Verilog, System Verilog, and scripting (using Tcl, Ruby, Perl, Python and Makefile)
  • Deep knowledge about state-of-the-art RTL design and verification methodology and best practices such as C-DPI
  • Excellent understanding of standard bus/interface protocols (i.e., AXI, AHB, AMBA)
  • Excellent experience with ASIC design tools such as synthesis, linting, simulation, debugging, power-aware simulation, etc.
  • Strong ability to provide mentorship and guidance to junior and senior engineers, a very effective team player, a positive influence on team morale and culture
  • Prior technical management experience
Relevant Information
Lead Design Engineer Skills, Experiences, and Job Requirements