1. Design career ladders should generally match up with the ladders of other teams within your organization, with particular regard to levels, themes, and values.
  2. Some of the jumps in expectations can be a bit much depending on the size and shape of your team. Inserting half levels (eg: Product Designer II) into the ladder are a good way to reward progress without putting too much weight on a newly promoted designer’s shoulders.
  3. Career ladders are generally fairly subjective and reflect the characteristics of the people creating them. As such, these attributes are my personal opinion on what a successful designer looks like. Another design leader may have completely different ideas.
  4. If you found this helpful, feel free to drop a comment or email me. This is very much imperfect, so feel free to ask questions or leave me feedback.