5 Key Differences Between a Junior and a Senior Designer

How to measure where you stand.

Photo by Headway on Unsplash

This article is about Product/UX Designers, but the differences are relatively universal for most disciplines of design. I wanted to share how I determine what level to place a particular designer at, and how she might ultimately fit within the organization. There are many factors in different organizations that determine things like a final title, so let’s say this list is more about mindset and discipline maturity than what title someone “deserves.”

I’ve had the opportunity to interview, hire, and work with a lot of talented people over my now 15+ years in design, and I hope that experience translates well into the written word. My goal is to help you make better decisions for your design org, and if you’re a Junior Designer reading this, I hope it provides clear goals for you as you continue to grow in your career.

1. It’s More Than Just Years of Experience

I will continue to argue that raw talent can trump years of experience if the candidate has a growth mindset.

It’s fair to say that in many cases the differences between a Junior and a Senior are pretty clear, and while many people chalk it up to time in the field, I’m not so sure. When hiring for roles, the long-standing tradition has been to draw a line in the sand when it comes to years of experience. While this approach does help in some cases, it’s important to remind everyone that five years of experience is different for every designer. Did she spend the last five years as an army of one, or was she being mentored by a quality Senior or Director in her previous role? Was she in a studio or at a larger company? Did she attend university, go straight to working, or did she take a UX crash course coming from another discipline? There is more to the equation than just years of experience. I will continue to argue that raw talent can trump years of experience if the candidate has a growth mindset.

• Managers: Portfolio, Technical Skills, Passion, Talent > Years of Service. During the interview, you should be focusing on drawing out the candidate’s previous involvement in projects, their tasks, roles, timelines, and conflicts. A candidate with a robust portfolio…