Roles and teams
Head of design
Also calledDesign director, VP of design
The leader who owns the design function as a whole and earns design a seat in the decisions made before anyone writes a brief.
A head of design is accountable for the design organisation: its shape, its hiring plan, its standards and its place in the company's decisions. The most valuable part of the job happens upstream, in the strategy and roadmap conversations where the real constraints are set.
Hands-on design work drops close to zero in this role. The output is a team that can do good work and a company that knows how to use it.
Common mistake
Hiring a head of design too early. With fewer than about ten designers, a strong lead IC can usually cover the role, and the leader has little organisation to lead.