Career Ladder Inspiration · Design
Blendle's design career framework
Career growth matrix for Design roles at Blendle. Covers competencies across Work, Drive, and Fit categories with 3 proficiency levels.
Company Blendle|Year 2026|Discipline Design|Tracks TBD|License
Scroll horizontally to explore all 3 levels
Clone this templateLevel 1 - Operation & Execution | Level 2 - Tactical | Level 3 - Strategic | |
|---|---|---|---|
Skills Skills that require no talent | Be on time, be prepared, take notes, do extra, bring energy, work moral, body language, be coachable, use 1 password and full disk encryption ;). | No description available | No description available |
Skills Basic skills | Writing, tech savvy (word/excel/mac/windows), language skills (ENG, DE, NL). Talk English. | No description available | No description available |
Skills UX/UI | Be able to design with the user in mind. | Make user friendly designs, use prototyping tools, give UX/UI design feedback on the product | Make user friendly designs, use prototyping tools, give UX/UI design feedback on the product. Make others UX/UI minded people (PM's, dev's). |
Skills Tech | Know what is needed on the technical side to implement your designs. Both limitations and capabilities. | Know what is needed on the technical side to implement your designs. Both limitations and capabilities. Activily invest in non-design related knowledge like iOS, Android en web development. | Know everything on the technical side to implement your designs. Both limitations and capabilities. Master non-design related knowledge like iOS, Android en web development. Share and help others to do so. |
Skills Software | Up to date knowlegde and skills about the newest and most relevent (design) software. | Up to date knowlegde and skills about the newest and most relevant (design) software. Invest in, test and implement new software. | Up to date knowlegde and skills about the newest and most relevant (design) software. Invest in, test and implement new software. Inspire others to do so. Share. |
Skills Validation | Ask for input and feedback on time. Share what you are doing proactively. Make sure that what you are making is right thing. | Ask for input and feedback on time. Share what you are doing proactively. Make sure that what you are making is right thing. Validate the work of others. | Ask for input and feedback on time. Share what you are doing proactively. Make sure that what you are making is right thing. Validate the work of others. proactively ask people to share and help them. |
Skills Feedback | Proactively ask for feedback. Make your designs better with that feedback. Don't take it personally. | Proactively ask for feedback. Make your designs better with that feedback. Give feedback. | Proactively ask for feedback. Make your designs better with that feedback. Give feedback, help other process the feedback to concrete improvements. |
Skills Speed | Be able to finish project in time. 80/20 rule. | Be able to finish project in time. 80/20 rule. Keep quality in mind. Be able to prioritise for yourself and team. | Be able to finish project in time. 80/20 rule. Keep quality in mind. Be able to prioritise for yourself, your team and other teams. |
Skills Quality | Be able to have constant high quaility of work. | Be able to have constant high quaility of work. Keep speed in mind. Keep colleagues accountable for quality. | Be able to have constant high quaility of work. Keep speed in mind. Keep colleagues accountable for quality. Help others get to the next level. Keep quality high Blendle wide high. |
Skills Creative Idea generation | Always come up with several options, go above and beyond. Be creative, surprise. | Always come up with all options, go above and beyond. Be creative, surprise. Actively invest in staying inspired, espcially when pressure rises. | Always come up with all options, go above and beyond. Be creative, surprise. Actively invest in staying inspired, espcially when pressure rises. Share and inspire others. |
Skills Planning | Keep in mind how much time a task will costs and if it fit's the schedule. | Be able to estimate how much time your and your teams work will costs and if it fits the schedule. | Be able to estimate how much time your and your teams work will costs and if it fits the schedule. Help others learn this skill and help Blendle as a company plan. |
Skills Proces | Try different processes to get to you goal. Don't get hung up on standard structures, keep improving and experimenting. What is the best means to an end. What works for you. | Be able to use different processes to get to you goal. Don't get hung up on standard structures, keep improving and experimenting. What is the best means to an end. What works for you. Challenge other to do the same. Share ideas. | Be able to use different processes to get to you goal. Don't get hung up on standard structures, keep improving and experimenting. What is the best means to an end. What works for you. Challenge other to do the same. Share ideas. Apply this to the whole team and Blendle wide. |
Skills Up to date Market knowlegde | Be up to date on what is happening in the market. Use this knowlegde to make better design decisions. | Be up to date on what is happening in the market. Use this knowlegde to make better design decisions. Share what we are doing in the community. | Be up to date on what is happening in the market. Use this knowlegde to make better design decisions. Share what we are doing in the community. Be thought leader. |
Skills Brand Vision | Learn how to be creative and fresh, within the Blendle brand. Think about the Blendle brand overall. | Be able to stay creative and fresh, within the Blendle brand. Think and about the Blendle brand overall. Help the Blendle brand evolve. Share this knowledge. | Be able to stay creative and fresh, within the Blendle brand. Think and about the Blendle brand overall. Help the Blendle brand evolve. Share this knowledge. Help others get to know the Blendle brand. |
Skills Shipping | Be able to finish designs, with the technical implemention in mind. Be able carry over your work in a way that it is clear for a developer what to do with it. | Be able to finish designs, with the technical implemention in mind. Be able carry over your work in a way that it is clear for a developer what to do with it. Help others to do so too. | Be able to finish designs, with the technical implemention in mind. Be able carry over your work in a way that it is clear for a developer what to do with it. Make sure the whole team does this. |
Skills Feedback & Development | Ask for feedback, have personal goals. | Ask feedback, have personal goals. Give your peers/lead feedback. Prepare 1on1's. Lead your own development. Share your dreams. | Lead the feedback en development of yourself and others. Do 1on1's. Improve yourskills in this area. Work with HR to take this Blendle wide to a next level. Feed the MT with information about how people are doing. |
Skills Self regulation Stay happy/healthy. | Find your optimal working rythm. Implement a good system (Getting Things Done). | Improve and stick to your optimal working rythm. Improve your system (GTD) Take care of your body and mind. Help peers/team with this. Bring it up. Flag it when you see unhealthy situations. | Improve and stick to your optimal working rythm, Optimize your system (GTD) and teach others. Take care of your body and mind, stimulate others to do so. Flag and fix unhealthy situations. Implement concrete improvements for yourself and your team on this point. |
Skills Initiative | Show initiative, come up with ideas. Be proactive and selfstarting. Ask for help. | Take initiative, come up with ideas. Be proactive and selfstarting. Ask for help. Question the status quo. Challenge peers. | Take initiative, come up with ideas. Question the status quo. Make plans. Challenge all levels. Help others to take initiative. Be proactive and selfstarting. Ask for help. |
Skills Motivation | Check your own level of motivation and work on keeping it high. Find out what motivates you. | Check your own level of motivation and work on keeping it high. Know what motivates you. Know wat motivates others, help them stay motivated. | Check your own level of motivation and work on keeping it high. Know what motivates you. Know wat motivates others, help them stay motivated. Flag it when you see motivation dropping somewhere. |
Skills Contribute & share | Add value, contribute to meetings/projects. Share stuff you did or found out. | Keep adding value. Share knowlegde or skills. Always look for ways to contribute. | Add value, contribute and share knowlegde and skills. Teach others how to contribute and share. Be thought leader. |
Skills Ship, deliver, close | Focus on finishing stuff. | Focus on finishing stuff. Flag it when projects/discussions have no end. | Focus on finishing stuff. Flag it when projects/discussions have no end. Enable others to ship and are proud of the result. |
Skills Focus | Do one thing at the time and don't get distracted. | Do one thing at the time and don't get distracted. Help others focus. | Do one thing at the time and don't get distracted. Help others focus. Help Blendle as a whole focus. |
Skills Speed = habit Flexible | Remember to stay light on your feet and flexible. | Stay light on your feet and flexible. Build stuff fast without losing sight of quality. Help the team keep balance. | Stay light on your feet and flexible. Build stuff fast without losing sight of quality. Help the team and Blendle as a whole keep balance. |
Skills Data | When making a decision, always look at the data. | When making a decision, always look at the data. Stimulate others to use data as a source of inspiration. | When making a decision, always look at the data. Inspire others to make decisions based on data. Improve data use Blendle wide. |
Skills Opportunities | Spot oppertunities and bring them up. | Spot and seize oppertunities and bring them up. Put them to good use. | Spot, seize and create oppertunities. Help other recognizing oppertunities and create space. Don't let it go to waste. |
Skills Mentality & Responsibility | Feel responsible for stuff outside your direct responsibility (role or tasks). | Feel responsible for stuff outside your direct responsibility (role or tasks). Be co-owner of problems. Take full responsibility. Make calls. | Full responsibility for a (or several) domains. Act like it by setting out plans, giving direction |
Skills Informed & Engaged | Take notice of things happening at Blendle. Respond to questions. Try to give input. | Take notice of things happening in and outside Blendle. Respond to and ask questions. Try to give input. Try to inform others and engage others. | Inform and enage others. Voice vision and strategy. |
Skills Attend & (be) present | Attend team meetings, Blendle wide meetings. | Attend team meetings, Blendle wide meetings. Give input, share your voice/ideas. Aks questions. Present. | Initiatate and lead meetings (also Blendle wide). Make them effective. Make others attend and participate. |
Skills Value, DNA, Culture | Read and understand the Blendle values. | Carry out the Blendle values. | Live and breath the Blendle values. Add to the culture: improve it (flag and eliminate flaws). |
Skills Planning, Look ahead | Think about how the things you do (or don't do) look in 3 months. Look ahead. | Think about how the things you (and your team) do (or don't do) look in 3, 12, 24 months and make proposals to your lead. | Think about how the things you do (or don't do) look in 3, 12, 24 months and make proposals to leads/teams/MT. Make plans with budget and runway in mind. |
Skills Impact | Think about how you could make the biggest impact for Blendle. Make decisions based on impact. | Think about how you, your peers and your team could make the biggest impact for Blendle Take initiative. Make decisions based on impact. | Think about how you, your peers and your team and Blendle as a whole could make the biggest impact for Blendle. Make proposals to the leads/teams/MT. Reward based on actual contribution. |
Skills Improve | Think about how you and your team could improve. | think about how you, your peers and your team could improve. Take initiative. | think about how you, your peers, your team and Blendle as a whole could improve. |
Skills Alignment | Think about if what you and your team are doing is aligned with the rest of Blendle. | Think about if what you and your team are doing is aligned with the rest of Blendle. Flag it if that is not the case. Align yourself. | Align MT, teams, peers and individuals with each other. |
Framework by Blendle · Licensed
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