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8 Types of Designers You Could Be

Wondering what a career in design could look like? We talked with faculty and graduates from our College of Art & Design who are working in the field to explain 8 different design roles.

A designer develops and creates visual ideas. But depending on the type of designer you are, the work you do could be anything from designing magazines and digital interfaces to creating a navigation system for a public space. Wondering what a career in design could look like? We talked with faculty and graduates from our College of Art & Design who are working in the field to explain 8 different design roles.

1. Graphic Designer

Using visual elements such as typography, color, and image, graphic designers communicate ideas to the world. Graphic designers go beyond using computers. The design process is highly iterative and includes working with various media and materials to create visually meaningful and targeted messaging. 

Coming up with a company’s visual identity and brand experience, creating designs for print, and inventing the look of product packaging are a few examples of where a graphic design career could lead.

Chrissy Kurpeski ’05, BFA Graphic Design and Illustration, is a freelance book designer who works with book publishers, doing everything from cover designs to page layouts.

Launch Gallery
8 Types of Designers You Could Be: Chrissy Kurpeski's Book Jacket
Chrissy Kurpeski's full book jacket design for Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O'Flaherty and Rajiv Sethi. The right half of the jacket is the book cover and a book synopsis. The left half has book reviews and blurbs about the authors.
Slide 1 of 2
Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O'Flaherty & Rajiv Sethi. Cover & jacket mech design by Chrissy Kurpeski. © Harvard University Press
“The team was looking for a design featuring shadowy imagery where the shadow detail appears to be one thing but the lighted half shows that it’s another, that also worked along with bold typography,” says Chrissy.
Chrissy Kurpeski's book cover design for Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O'Flaherty and Rajiv Sethi. The cover is black and white and looks like fractured glass covered in condensation. Behind the glass there is a shadowy figure walking to the right, away from a barbed wire fence.
Slide 2 of 2
Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O'Flaherty & Rajiv Sethi. Cover & jacket mech design by Chrissy Kurpeski. © Harvard University Press
“I'm honored that I got to work on this unique design challenge for such an important book!”
Chrissy Kurpeski's full book jacket design for Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O'Flaherty and Rajiv Sethi. The right half of the jacket is the book cover and a book synopsis. The left half has book reviews and blurbs about the authors.
Slide 1 of 2
Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O'Flaherty & Rajiv Sethi. Cover & jacket mech design by Chrissy Kurpeski. © Harvard University Press
“The team was looking for a design featuring shadowy imagery where the shadow detail appears to be one thing but the lighted half shows that it’s another, that also worked along with bold typography,” says Chrissy.
Chrissy Kurpeski's book cover design for Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O'Flaherty and Rajiv Sethi. The cover is black and white and looks like fractured glass covered in condensation. Behind the glass there is a shadowy figure walking to the right, away from a barbed wire fence.
Slide 2 of 2
Shadows of Doubt: Stereotypes, Crime, and the Pursuit of Justice by Brendan O'Flaherty & Rajiv Sethi. Cover & jacket mech design by Chrissy Kurpeski. © Harvard University Press
“I'm honored that I got to work on this unique design challenge for such an important book!”

2. Information Designer

Information designers are storytellers with an analytical approach, says Shalini Prasad, a Lesley faculty member, and a self-employed designer/brand consultant. She explains that information designers view graphic elements like imagery, type, shape, color, texture, and space as tactics to simplify, organize, and communicate information. Information designers study, synthesize, and translate data into intuitive information systems that evoke a response and action in the viewer.

Professor Prasad creates infographics for her clients that find their place across mediums in print, web, and space. At Lesley, she brings this professional know-how to students in her Typography II course. Acknowledging the importance information design holds in storytelling, she gives her students the opportunity to work on real-world projects from her client base of socially conscious nonprofit organizations. Past classes have created designs for NYC Medics and the Leadership Now Project, and her students have successfully completed work for Feeding America.

“I work with the client at the onset to study, collate, and synthesize a set of data that is both helpful for the client to share to their prospective audience while keeping in mind the best way for my students to explore the power of typography and interpret the data intuitively,” says professor Prasad.

Launch Gallery
8 Types of Designers You Could Be: Student Infographics
A blue and white infographic with a large orange stripe running from the top right corner to the bottom left of the page. The title inside the stripe reads HUMANITARIAN STATISTICS.
Slide 1 of 10
A student's infographic for NYC Medics. They emphasize humanitarian statistics to show what NYC Medics has done for global disaster relief.
A pale blue infographic with three titles: HUMANITARIAN STATISTICS, FINANCIAL VALUE ADD, and WHERE THE WORLD HURTS, WE GO THE DISTANCE.
Slide 2 of 10
A student's infographic for NYC Medics. They emphasize financial value to show what NYC Medics has done for global disaster relief.
A pale orange and blue infographic titled NYCMedics: Global Disaster Relief. The background is a transparent image of a flying helicopter.
Slide 3 of 10
A student's infographic for NYC Medics. They use clear visuals to show what NYC Medics has done for global disaster relief.
A dark purple and orange infographic titled NYCMedics: Global Disaster Relief.
Slide 4 of 10
A student's infographic for NYC Medics. They use interesting typographic layouts to show what NYC Medics has done for global disaster relief.
A yellow and purple infographic titled 2020 Analysis. Independent Expenditure in Senate Races. A Presentation for the Leadership Now Project. The center features a cartoon pig being help up by the states of California and New York.
Slide 5 of 10
A student's infographic for Leadership Now. They use symbolic cartoons to show how the political climate is corrupt.
A white, yellow, pink, blue, and grey infographic titled SUPER PAC: WORSENING POLITICAL CLIMATE.
Slide 6 of 10
A student's infographic for Leadership Now. They use visually appealing graphics to show how independent expenditures in Senate races worsen the political climate.
A white, orange, red, and green infographic titled Independent Expenditure in Senate Races, 2020 Analysis, a Presentation for the Leadership Now Project. The middle of the infographic features a green rectangle with a close up transparent image of Benjamin Frankin and the one dollar bill. An illustration of two hands shaking is in front of this image, while money falls between them. The title of this section is SUPER PAC WORSENING POLITICAL CLIMATE.
Slide 7 of 10
A student's infographic for Leadership Now. They use bold colors and strong illustrations to show how independent expenditures in Senate races worsen the political climate.
A teal, blue, and green infographic titled 2020 Analysis: Independent Expenditure in Senate Races, a Presentation for the Leadership Now Project. The infographic features a big money bag in the lower left corner. Inside the money bag is the title Super PAC: Worsening Political Climate.
Slide 8 of 10
A student's infographic for Leadership Now. They use clean tables of information to show how independent expenditures in Senate races worsen the political climate.
An orange infographic titled Feeding America.
Slide 9 of 10
A student's infographic for Feeding America. They use clean graphics to show what Feeding America has done to end world hunger.
A black, white, and red infographic titled Feeding America.
Slide 10 of 10
A student's infographic for Feeding America. They use a clear navigational layout to explain what Feeding America is and what they do.
A blue and white infographic with a large orange stripe running from the top right corner to the bottom left of the page. The title inside the stripe reads HUMANITARIAN STATISTICS.
Slide 1 of 10
A student's infographic for NYC Medics. They emphasize humanitarian statistics to show what NYC Medics has done for global disaster relief.
A pale blue infographic with three titles: HUMANITARIAN STATISTICS, FINANCIAL VALUE ADD, and WHERE THE WORLD HURTS, WE GO THE DISTANCE.
Slide 2 of 10
A student's infographic for NYC Medics. They emphasize financial value to show what NYC Medics has done for global disaster relief.
A pale orange and blue infographic titled NYCMedics: Global Disaster Relief. The background is a transparent image of a flying helicopter.
Slide 3 of 10
A student's infographic for NYC Medics. They use clear visuals to show what NYC Medics has done for global disaster relief.
A dark purple and orange infographic titled NYCMedics: Global Disaster Relief.
Slide 4 of 10
A student's infographic for NYC Medics. They use interesting typographic layouts to show what NYC Medics has done for global disaster relief.
A yellow and purple infographic titled 2020 Analysis. Independent Expenditure in Senate Races. A Presentation for the Leadership Now Project. The center features a cartoon pig being help up by the states of California and New York.
Slide 5 of 10
A student's infographic for Leadership Now. They use symbolic cartoons to show how the political climate is corrupt.
A white, yellow, pink, blue, and grey infographic titled SUPER PAC: WORSENING POLITICAL CLIMATE.
Slide 6 of 10
A student's infographic for Leadership Now. They use visually appealing graphics to show how independent expenditures in Senate races worsen the political climate.
A white, orange, red, and green infographic titled Independent Expenditure in Senate Races, 2020 Analysis, a Presentation for the Leadership Now Project. The middle of the infographic features a green rectangle with a close up transparent image of Benjamin Frankin and the one dollar bill. An illustration of two hands shaking is in front of this image, while money falls between them. The title of this section is SUPER PAC WORSENING POLITICAL CLIMATE.
Slide 7 of 10
A student's infographic for Leadership Now. They use bold colors and strong illustrations to show how independent expenditures in Senate races worsen the political climate.
A teal, blue, and green infographic titled 2020 Analysis: Independent Expenditure in Senate Races, a Presentation for the Leadership Now Project. The infographic features a big money bag in the lower left corner. Inside the money bag is the title Super PAC: Worsening Political Climate.
Slide 8 of 10
A student's infographic for Leadership Now. They use clean tables of information to show how independent expenditures in Senate races worsen the political climate.
An orange infographic titled Feeding America.
Slide 9 of 10
A student's infographic for Feeding America. They use clean graphics to show what Feeding America has done to end world hunger.
A black, white, and red infographic titled Feeding America.
Slide 10 of 10
A student's infographic for Feeding America. They use a clear navigational layout to explain what Feeding America is and what they do.

3. Experiential Designer

Experiential designers create displays and environments that communicate a message or feeling within a physical space, according to The Society for Experiential Graphic Design. By combining graphic design skills with spatial problem solving and an understanding of human behavior, experiential designers turn marketing campaigns, art exhibitions, and public installations into experiences.

Julia Kirwin '19, a graduate of our BFA in Graphic Design and Illustration programs, puts her skills to work for Richard Lewis Media Group, a design firm that specializes in creating interactive museum experiences. One of her projects involved integrating projections with an illustrated mural. Julia loves that she gets to do a variety of work with many creative and thoughtful people. “The educational nature of our projects is something that I find rewarding,” she says, “It's work that I know is making a difference,” Julia says.

4. Interaction Designer (IxD)

Interaction designers explore how words, visual design elements, physical objects, motion, sound, and space, can improve user interactions with products, environments, systems, or services. “An interaction designer is someone who is as curious about technology and user interfaces as they are about people and purpose,” explains Ryan McQuade, a professional designer/illustrator, and a professor in Lesley’s Interactive Design BFA program.

Emerging technology is one component of an interaction designer’s process, and can encompass Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and tangible interfaces where a person interacts with digital information via a physical environment. One interactive design course—Physical Computing—works at the intersection of art, design, fabrication, and technology. Students use computer programming to “speak” to external objects that can be produced using Lesley’s digital fabrication lab. “Students built games driven by computer algorithms, but the result was a physical game you could put together. Their programming was happening on the computer, but that programming was speaking to an external device that enabled it to respond in some way using hard switches, buttons, and physical objects,” explains professor Heather Shaw, Chair of Lesley’s Design Department. 

Launch Gallery
8 Types of Designers You Could Be: Physical Computing Course
Hands using a laptop's keyboard. The Scratch program can be seen on the laptop screen.
Slide 1 of 4
Student using an open-source programming application called “Scratch.”
Close up of a laptop with the Scratch program. Colored balls can be seen on the screen as part of the program with the title "Interactive Garden" above them.
Slide 2 of 4
“Scratch” enables students to have their game’s digital set-up “speak” to physical components of the game.
Colored balls, which appear to be made from tissue paper, hang from the ceiling in a green-screened room.
Slide 3 of 4
The physical components of the student's digital game.
A student stands in the green-screened room with the hanging colored balls. The student's hand is outstretched as she had just pushed one of the balls.
Slide 4 of 4
A student pushes one of the game's physical components.
Hands using a laptop's keyboard. The Scratch program can be seen on the laptop screen.
Slide 1 of 4
Student using an open-source programming application called “Scratch.”
Close up of a laptop with the Scratch program. Colored balls can be seen on the screen as part of the program with the title "Interactive Garden" above them.
Slide 2 of 4
“Scratch” enables students to have their game’s digital set-up “speak” to physical components of the game.
Colored balls, which appear to be made from tissue paper, hang from the ceiling in a green-screened room.
Slide 3 of 4
The physical components of the student's digital game.
A student stands in the green-screened room with the hanging colored balls. The student's hand is outstretched as she had just pushed one of the balls.
Slide 4 of 4
A student pushes one of the game's physical components.

5. User Experience (UX) Designer

User experience (UX) designers focus on the experience a user has with products, services, or environments—both digital (think apps and websites) and physical. They improve lives by identifying problems consumers have, then envisioning ways to solve them.

According to UX consultant and former Lesley professor Lisa Spitz, UX designers’ responsibilities could vary depending on the employer. 

"UX designers conduct research to learn about people's needs, behaviors, and motivations. They create sketches of new or enhanced user interfaces and build interactive prototypes. They test and evaluate their design solutions, but most importantly, they iteratively revise their designs as necessary," says Spitz.

This role requires collaboration across several disciplines, including working with researchers, strategists, developers, and designers. UX designers are involved at various stages of the design process to ensure that a product addresses the goals and needs of an end-user. UX designers work with user interface (UI) designers, who design the visual aspects of an interface to ensure that the presentation is intuitive and easy for people to use. Many UX designers also work as UI designers.

Launch Gallery
8 Types of Designers You Could Be: UX Journey Maps
A big brown piece of paper is covered in post-it notes that are divided into four columns and four rows. From left to right the columns are titled Before Acceptance, After Acceptance, After Classes Start, and Other Concerns. The rows from top to bottom read Thoughts, Actions, Feelings, and Systems.
Slide 1 of 3
In the Mapping the Transfer Student Experience project, UX students interviewed Lesley students about their experience of transferring to Lesley.
An infographic titled LA+D Transfer Student Journey. An orange wave with four peaks and three valleys is labeled Emotional Journey.
Slide 2 of 3
The students then created journey maps to identify areas where the system could be improved.
An infographic titled Adult Learner's Life on Campus at Lesley Experience Map. Six simple illustrations depict an adult learner's journey and emotions going to school, being in school, taking a break, and going home.
Slide 3 of 3
“I try to find real-world projects that students can work on,” says Professor Spitz.
A big brown piece of paper is covered in post-it notes that are divided into four columns and four rows. From left to right the columns are titled Before Acceptance, After Acceptance, After Classes Start, and Other Concerns. The rows from top to bottom read Thoughts, Actions, Feelings, and Systems.
Slide 1 of 3
In the Mapping the Transfer Student Experience project, UX students interviewed Lesley students about their experience of transferring to Lesley.
An infographic titled LA+D Transfer Student Journey. An orange wave with four peaks and three valleys is labeled Emotional Journey.
Slide 2 of 3
The students then created journey maps to identify areas where the system could be improved.
An infographic titled Adult Learner's Life on Campus at Lesley Experience Map. Six simple illustrations depict an adult learner's journey and emotions going to school, being in school, taking a break, and going home.
Slide 3 of 3
“I try to find real-world projects that students can work on,” says Professor Spitz.

6. User Interface (UI) Designer

User interface (UI) designers use the research results from the user experience designers and interaction designers to sketch out what an interface will look like. Based on studies of how people navigate through a site, app, or tool, user interface designers plan and develop a way to make the navigation experience better.  

Like user experience and interaction designers, wireframing, prototyping, and testing are part of the process. However, user interface designers are also involved with visual elements like buttons, menus, color, images, and type that would appear in a digital setting. “Visual representation is important. It’s not just decorating. Colors, words, language—these are all visual cues with meaning,” explains Professor Shaw.

7. Web Designer

Web designers create sites that are functional, easy to navigate, and visually attractive. They create the overall look of a website that fits with their client’s brand as well as resonates with their client’s target audience.

Web designers need to have some basic coding skills to communicate with developers, but their main focus is on the organization, structure, usability, and visual design of a website. Working mostly in a website’s front end—the colors, fonts, and aspects that users interact with—web designers use tools such as HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript to bring their designs to life on screen. They also ensure that websites are responsive, meaning, they work seamlessly across all device sizes, and are accessible to users with varying abilities or disabilities.

Web design is a role that has evolved with our ever-changing technological landscape, explains Professor Spitz. In the 1990s, as companies began launching websites, web design as the sole responsibility for designers was common. Today, there is more overlap, with web design being one of the responsibilities an interaction, user experience, and user interface designer could have.

8. Game Designer

Game designers develop the layout, code, storyline, environment, characters, and sounds of video games. They might also create other immersive experiences where the player or viewer is at the center of the action, such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 3D audio, or using an LED wall to create a cinematic experience in a life-sized environment.

Creating complex games and immersive experiences requires many different skills. Game designers are visual artists and designers, storytellers, and programmers who use sophisticated digital software programs like Maya, ZBrush, Nuke, and the industry-standard real-time game engine, Unreal Engine, to create realistic visual effects (VFX). And they anticipate how a user will navigate and interact with their creations so that players and viewers can have the best experience possible.

Unsure of which path to take?

Design is a unique discipline because of its areas of overlap. So, when choosing the career path that’s right for you, our design and UX professors recommend that you think about your strengths, interests, and the types of problems you want to solve. You might even look at job descriptions and reach out to professionals to learn more about their roles and experiences.

But no matter what your job title is, as a designer, you’ll be improving our world by solving human-centered problems. 

This article was updated in July 2021 from "7 Types of Designers You Could Be" to include the exciting field of Game Design.

Learn more about Lesley's design programs.

Are you ready to become a designer? Check out our programs.

Bachelor’s Degrees

Learn more about how our majors in Graphic Design, Interactive Design, and UX Design differ.

Online Certificates

Students can also take these certificates as minors.

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