30 Examples of Design Talent

John Spacey, January 04, 2020 updated on June 14, 2023

A design talent is a mental strength that is useful in creating new value. Talent implies the unique abilities of an individual acquired through time based on their aptitude, experience and knowledge. The following are illustrative examples of design talents.

Art

Art is the ability to create visual works of remarkable value.

Creativity

Creativity is the ability to discover non-obvious value. For example, an advertisement that captures the popular imagination as opposed to communicating an obvious or cliche message.

Visual Thinking

The ability to think in pictures such as an architect who can picture how an idea for a building would work on a particular plot of land.

Color Theory

A talent for using colors based on knowledge of color theory and color perception.

Craft

A broad range of talents related to creating value with your hands. For example, a carpenter who can craft interior environments in wood.

Research

The ability to find and develop information.

Analysis

Analysis is the systematic interpretation and development of knowledge.

Experimentation

A talent for designing and conducting experiments to develop knowledge. For example, a toy designer who experiments with a number of wheel shapes for a remote control car to find one that gives the product unique value.

Technology

The ability to use technology such as a design tool.

Convergent Thinking

Convergent thinking is the ability to determine the correct answer to a problem. For example, an architect who can correctly calculate the wind load of a building or roof.

Divergent Thinking

The ability to solve problems that have no correct answer such as an architect who can design a building that reflects the spirit of a place.

Design Thinking

Design thinking is a talent for applying design to solve non-design problems. For example, solving management problems with design.

Systems Thinking

The ability to considered the end-to-end impacts of designs. For example, a product designer who can consider the total impact of a design on the environment.

User Interface Design

A talent for designing productive and pleasing user interfaces.

Customer Experience

The ability to consider the human experience in your designs. For example, a clothes dryer that glows a warm color when its work is complete as opposed to a clothes dryer that beeps loudly and incessantly when its done.

Visual Design

Designing visual communications and environments.

Product Design

Product design is the design of physical things such as a bicycle or solar panel.

Service Design

The design of intangible value such as video game or restaurant.

Technology Architecture

The structural design of technologies such as a software platform.

Architecture

Architecture is the structural design of buildings and other physical environments.

Style

Style is a unique character found in the work of a designer or artist.

Time & Place

The ability to develop designs that fit into a time and place. For example, an urban designer who designs a living street that fills the current needs of a neighborhood.

Culture

The ability to lead design for a culture. For example, a snowboard designer who is fully engaged with the snowboarding subculture such that they are able to design boards that reflect the culture's current needs and feel.

Human Factors

The ability to consider the full range of human characteristics in a design. For example, an interior designer who can make a visually stimulating room that is useful for all people.

User Empathy

The ability to see things from the perspective of the end-users of a design. This goes beyond a logical understanding to actually feel for the user.

Communication

A talent for communicating design to stakeholders with words and pictures.

Storytelling

The ability to create compelling stories around a design. For example, an architect who tells the story of how a building will change life for a neighborhood, family or individual.