Grow into the role you want next.

See what your role expects, where you stand, and who can help you close the gap.

Free during the pilot
21 roles mapped
Mentors vetted

Ned · Let’s start with where you are.

1Start where you areConfirm what your role expects. About 10 minutes 2Pick where you’re goingSee the exact gaps. Instant 3Get help that fitsAsk a mentor who offers those abilities. Vetted mentors

21 roles, 3 disciplines.

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Most people are told to grow. Few are shown how.

Competence map

See your whole shape.

You against your next role, across seven areas. Green is what’s left to grow.

You nowSenior Product DesignerTo develop

9At Role level10To develop

Tap an area. You are shown at Product Designer’s own expectations.

01 · Where I am

An honest starting point.

Your role’s expectations arrive as defaults. Confirm or change each one.

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02 · Where I’m going

See the real gaps.

Pick a next role. We compare it with where you are and save a plan.

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03 · Who can help

Mentors who know the area.

Approved by your organisation or by us. You ask; they choose to accept.

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Where I am · 3 of 12Ability

Balance customer and business needs in design

1Not yet

2Understanding

3AchievementRole

4Demonstration

Where next?

Senior Product DesignerNext level up3

Design ManagerInto management6

Senior Product ManagerCareer shift9

Areas to develop · illustrative

Lerato N.Staff Product DesignerAccepting requests

Offers Balance customer and business needs Offers Design clear interfaces

Ask Lerato for help

Mentoring

From a request to a report on your progress.

One ability from your plan at a time. Credits are used only once you both confirm a session.

How mentoring works

A mentor and a member talk across a table in morning light

A mentor points to something on a laptop while her mentee listens

Ask
You choose
Pick abilities from your plan and offer times. Your mentor accepts or declines.
Prepare
2 sessions
Meet, review your plan, then plan the work together.
Grow
2–5 sessions a cycle
One ability at a time: a topic and a skill each session, practice in between.
Review
After each cycle
Your mentor reports what they saw and whether you reached your target.

No framework to write. Every role, mapped.

Each cell says what a role expects, from Understanding to Demonstration.

3disciplines
21roles
34abilities
60skills

Ability · Product Design

Product DesignerPD0 · L1 · you

Senior Product DesignerSPD · L2 · next

Staff Product DesignerSPA · L3

Principal Product DesignerPPD · L4

Design ManagerDMB · L2

Design clear interfacesDesign craft

Achievement

Deliver coherent interface flows and visual decisions, including error and recovery states, and refine them through critique and user evidence. Apply this to a complete journey within one product team.

Demonstration

Own interface and interaction quality and coach others to resolve difficult design problems using evidence and clear craft reasoning.

Demonstration

Own interface and interaction quality and coach others to resolve difficult design problems using evidence and clear craft reasoning. Apply this to connected journeys across neighbouring teams.

Demonstration

Own interface and interaction quality and coach others to resolve difficult design problems using evidence and clear craft reasoning. Apply this to foundational experiences across a product portfolio.

Demonstration

Own interface and interaction quality and coach others to resolve difficult design problems using evidence and clear craft reasoning.

Balance user and business needsStrategy

Understanding

Explain how a design choice affects customer value, operating constraints and the viability of the product.

Achievement

Compare design options against customer needs, business goals and implementation constraints, then check the selected tradeoff. Apply this to a complex journey within one product area.

Achievement

Compare design options against customer needs, business goals and implementation constraints, then check the selected tradeoff. Apply this to connected journeys across neighbouring teams.

Demonstration

Own design tradeoffs across connected outcomes and coach others to make commercial reasoning explicit without dismissing user needs. Apply this to foundational experiences across a product portfolio.

Achievement

Compare design options against customer needs, business goals and implementation constraints, then check the selected tradeoff. Apply this to the outcomes and working conditions of one design team.

Carry vision into deliveryStrategy

Understanding

Explain the difference between a future experience, an aspiration and a deliverable design increment.

Achievement

Develop a coherent experience direction and connect it to feasible increments, assumptions and evidence of value. Apply this to a complex journey within one product area.

Demonstration

Own a design direction across connected experiences and coach colleagues to translate it into consistent delivery choices.

Demonstration

Own a design direction across connected experiences and coach colleagues to translate it into consistent delivery choices. Apply this to foundational experiences across a product portfolio.

Achievement

Develop a coherent experience direction and connect it to feasible increments, assumptions and evidence of value. Apply this to the outcomes and working conditions of one design team.

Lead a design teamPeople

Understanding

Explain the responsibilities of a design manager and how fair support differs from directing every design decision. Contribute observations within a complete journey within one product team; employment decisions remain with the responsible manager.

Understanding

Explain the responsibilities of a design manager and how fair support differs from directing every design decision. Contribute observations within a complex journey within one product area; employment decisions remain with the responsible manager.

Understanding

Explain the responsibilities of a design manager and how fair support differs from directing every design decision. Contribute observations within connected journeys across neighbouring teams; employment decisions remain with the responsible manager.

Understanding

Explain the responsibilities of a design manager and how fair support differs from directing every design decision. Contribute observations within foundational experiences across a product portfolio; employment decisions remain with the responsible manager.

Achievement

Manage designers with clear accountabilities, timely feedback and fair performance conversations while supporting independent judgement. Apply this to the outcomes and working conditions of one design team.

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