Design Career Ladder: IC & Management Tracks

Most design career ladders describe levels without explaining what changes between them. This template defines both the IC and management tracks for a design organization — with explicit behavioral expectations, scope of impact, and growth indicators at each level. The IC track runs from Designer through Principal. The Management track runs from Design Lead through Head of Design. A Gap Analysis sheet lets managers and ICs co-identify development areas against the ladder criteria. Built for design leaders building or formalizing career growth frameworks at growing product organizations.