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Design Strategist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Design Director

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$145K - $175K/yr

The successful candidate will productively lead design teams, navigate interpersonal relationships, provide strategic direction, diplomatically advocate the vision, and maintain a focus on ...

The successful candidate will productively lead design teams, navigate interpersonal relationships, provide strategic direction, diplomatically advocate the vision, and maintain a focus on ...

The successful candidate will productively lead design teams, navigate interpersonal relationships, provide strategic direction, diplomatically advocate the vision, and maintain a focus on ...

Design Director

Tustin, CA · On-site

$145K - $175K/yr

The successful candidate will productively lead design teams, navigate interpersonal relationships, provide strategic direction, diplomatically advocate the vision, and maintain a focus on ...

The successful candidate will productively lead design teams, navigate interpersonal relationships, provide strategic direction, diplomatically advocate the vision, and maintain a focus on ...

Design Strategy & Research Lead

Chicago, IL · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Principal Design Strategy and Research role is a senior practitioner role within Experience Design and Research (EDR). It helps Northern Trust make better decisions faster by using human-centered ...

Design Strategy & Research Lead

Chicago, IL · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Principal Design Strategy and Research role is a senior practitioner role within Experience Design and Research (EDR). It helps Northern Trust make better decisions faster by using human-centered ...

Design Strategy & Research Lead

Chicago, IL

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Principal Design Strategy and Research role is a senior practitioner role within Experience Design and Research (EDR). It helps Northern Trust make better decisions faster by using human ...

Showing results 41-60

Design Strategist information

See salary details

$29.5K

$92.1K

$136K

How much do design strategist jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for design strategist in the United States is $92,126.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,000.00 and $94,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a design strategist?

A Design Strategist blends design thinking, business strategy, and user research to create innovative solutions that align with an organization's goals. They analyze market trends, user needs, and business objectives to ensure that design decisions drive meaningful impact. By collaborating with cross-functional teams, they help shape products, services, and brand experiences. Their role is to bridge the gap between creativity and strategy, ensuring that design solutions are both user-centered and business-viable.

What are the typical day-to-day responsibilities of a design strategist?

On a typical day, a Design Strategist collaborates with cross-functional teams to conduct user research, analyze market trends, and translate findings into actionable design recommendations. They often lead workshops, create journey maps, and prototype solutions to align stakeholders around user-centered strategies. In addition to hands-on design work, they also present ideas to clients or leadership and ensure proposed solutions meet both business and user objectives. The role balances strategic planning and creative exploration, making adaptability and communication key aspects of daily work.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the design strategist position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Design Strategist, you need expertise in design thinking, user research, and business strategy, often supported by a degree in design, business, or a related field. Familiarity with tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Miro, and project management platforms—as well as certifications such as Design Thinking or UX Strategy—are commonly valued. Exceptional communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills set outstanding candidates apart. These competencies ensure you can translate insights into actionable design solutions that meet both user needs and business objectives.

How much do design strategists make in the US?

Design strategists in the US typically earn between $70,000 and $120,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Senior roles or those with specialized skills in user experience, branding, or research may command higher salaries.

What does a design strategist do?

A design strategist is responsible for developing and implementing design solutions that align with business goals and user needs. They analyze market trends, conduct user research, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to create innovative, effective designs. Proficiency in design tools and strategic thinking are essential for this role.
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What states have the most Design Strategist jobs?

States with the most job openings for Design Strategist jobs include:

Infographic showing various Design Strategist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 83% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 12% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $92,126 per year, or $44.3 per hour.

Design Director

Taylor Design

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$145K - $175K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 3 hours ago


Job description

LOVE WHERE YOU WORK!
Voted Best Architectural Firm To Work For since 2018, Taylor Design, a 100% employee-owned company, is looking for a Design Director to join our Los Angeles office. This is your opportunity to work with a team of dedicated, creative, and fun architects and designers on award-winning projects.
The Design Director is a visionary leader with a strong ability to mentor, inspire creativity, foster meaningful relationships, and build a design culture across all Taylor Design offices. This role centers on innovation, generating new ideas, and crafting meaningful experiences in healthcare and life science environments. The Design Director should inspire and promote integration among all design disciplines, both internally and externally, with the overarching goal of consistently elevating design and increasing design awareness. This individual will help the firm imagine and advance new possibilities in health and science, as well as in other emerging market sectors. The successful candidate will productively lead design teams, navigate interpersonal relationships, provide strategic direction, diplomatically advocate the vision, and maintain a focus on sustainability in the broadest sense. The ideal candidate must be knowledgeable about new trends and processes in the design field, including integrated delivery, and promote research-based design strategy.
What you will do:
  • Establish and model a culture of design excellence, accountability, and follow-through by setting and upholding high standards for clarity, coordination, constructability, and execution across all project phases.
  • Supervise Designers, Project Designers, and Senior Project Designers.
  • Direct and provide leadership for design teams, across multiple projects, during the conception, development, and production of projects to ensure that clarity and quality of the conceptual design is established and maintained.
  • Lead and support design presentations in collaboration with other leaders.
  • Assure that the design process is occurring and is fully integrated into architectural design and technical production processes.
  • Navigate feedback and client pushback constructively maintaining design intent while building trust and consensus across project stakeholders.
  • Cultivate a culture of engagement where junior staff are free to ask questions early, understand what their work is supposed to communicate, and learn how their contribution fits into the whole.
  • Work with leaders to develop tools and a consistent process to generate a viable design strategy on every project and educate others on how to integrate these concepts into the project design.
  • In collaboration with other leaders, play a leadership role in defining how the firm is positioned in the marketplace from the standpoint of design.
  • In collaboration with other leaders, establish methods for evolving the design capability of Taylor Design staff and tracking their progress.
  • Stay abreast of market trends/research as it related to design within Taylor Design's market sectors and communicate information to the firm as appropriate.
  • Demonstrate service orientation and willingness to foster a respectful, innovative, and stimulating environment as highly valued, as well as holding a respected place in the broader design community.

What you will have:
  • 12 to 15+ years professional experience including proven track record of experience in the design field.
  • Experience in health and science markets preferred.
  • Experience developing design options, overall design concepts and formulating design presentation strategies.
  • Analytical, graphic, and problem-solving skills; and graphic presentation skills.
  • Must be able to develop collaborative relationships within the firm and with other key constituents.
  • Exceptional communication skills: able to present design ideas persuasively to clients, translate vision to production teams, and advocate diplomatically for design intent and quality.
  • Knowledge of design trends, construction methodology, material applications, and manufacturer/ supplier appropriateness.
  • A familiarity with AI tools, design software packages such as Revit, Sketchup, Lumion, and Enscape.
  • A history of integrating sustainability into architectural projects, and an awareness of the importance of sustainability as a design principle.
  • Track record of leadership, management, and mentoring skills with staff and general business acumen to advise and guide clients as required.
  • Demonstrated ability to mentor and elevate emerging designers - not just manage output but develop people.

At Taylor Design, we're humble-it keeps us grounded. We value an entrepreneurial spirit-it feeds our creativity. We put a premium on curiosity-it guides our future. Most of all, we believe in good design for the good of all.
We are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. As an employee-owned firm, our staff understands what drives success. Every employee is positioned to think like an owner.
Important Notes:
Pay Comments: If you are hired at Taylor Design, your base salary is based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, experience, project complexity, and licensure and/or certifications. We believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer.
Taylor Design is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participant in the U.S. Federal E-Verify program. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.
Please note that Taylor Design does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed contract, Taylor Design will not agree to pay any recruiter fee. In the situation an agency or recruiter submits a candidate or resume without a previously signed agreement and/or without Taylor Design's request, Taylor Design explicitly reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Taylor Design.