Design thinking is a powerful mindset and method used across many job roles. Whether you are a designer, strategist, or manager, knowing how and where design thinking skills apply can widen your career options and help you stand out in job searches.
In this article you will discover:
- The most common jobs that use design thinking
- Why these roles value design thinking skills
Key industry sectors and hiring trends
Why Design Thinking Matters for Jobs
“Design thinking” refers to a human-centred, iterative problem-solving approach, emphasising empathy, ideation, prototyping and testing. Because so many businesses today face complex problems (digital products, services, customer experiences, innovation), they are seeking people who think like this. For example:
- A study found that job postings requesting “design thinking” as a skill rose sharply, from 1 in 5 in 2018 to thousands of postings by 2022.
- Industries such as consulting services, finance, software publishing and insurance lead in demand for design-thinking skills.
Thus, if you bring design thinking into your skill set, it can open doors in many roles beyond traditional “designer” jobs.
Top Job Roles That Use Design Thinking
Here are the main job roles where design thinking skills are especially valued:
User Experience (UX) Designer
UX Designers use design thinking day-to-day: they start with user research (empathy), map out pain points, ideate solutions, build wireframes/prototypes and test. According to CareerFoundry:
“Guided by the design thinking process … UX designers understand and advocate for the needs and goals of the user.”
If you are comfortable with user research, prototyping and usability testing, this is a core job that uses design thinking skills.
Product Manager
Product Managers often act as the bridge between business strategy, design and engineering. They use design thinking to: identify user needs, prioritise features, coordinate prototyping, validate solutions and create a roadmap for product development. So if you like blending strategy, product and user-centric design, this role is a strong match.
Service Designer
Service Designers look beyond products to entire customer or client journeys, touchpoints, processes, back-end systems and emotions. They apply design thinking to map experiences and redesign services. So, if you like thinking about how systems, services and experiences connect, consider this role.
Innovation Strategist / Design Strategist
These roles operate at a higher level: they use design thinking to guide business innovation, identify new opportunities, shape strategy and lead change. For example, “Design Strategist” and “Innovation Strategist” are listed among the top paths in design thinking careers. These jobs suit people who enjoy thinking big, guiding teams and influencing business outcomes.
Design Thinking Consultant / Coach / Facilitator
Some jobs focus on enabling design thinking within organisations: running workshops, teaching teams, embedding mindset and processes. If you enjoy training, facilitation or change consulting, this is a compelling path.
Other roles benefiting from design thinking
Because design thinking is transferable, many non-design jobs also value it. Examples include:
- Project Manager: using empathy and iteration to manage complex initiatives.
- Marketing Specialist: designing campaigns grounded in user insights.
- HR / Learning & Development: redesigning employee experiences, onboarding, culture.
In summary: design thinking opens doors across functions, not just “design department” roles.
Where Are These Jobs Hiring? Key Industries & Trends
Understanding industries and trends gives you context and helps target your job search:
- A Rutgers study reports that in 2022, 79% of all job postings that requested “design thinking” were in four industries: consulting services, depository credit institutions (finance), software publishing, insurance carriers.
- Indeed listings show thousands of job ads for roles containing “design thinking” in their skills list.
- The job market now increasingly emphasises skills over strict degrees, especially for roles involving design thinking and innovation.
So, when you are applying for jobs with “design thinking” in mind, consider sectors like tech, financial services, consultancies, product companies, and innovation-led divisions in larger companies.
Conclusion: Why You Should Care
Design thinking is more than a method, it is a mindset increasingly required across roles and industries. Whether you aim to become a UX Designer, Product Manager, Service Designer, Innovation Strategist or even a HR/Marketing pro, design thinking skills give you an edge.
By understanding which jobs use design thinking and how to position yourself, you can tap into a broader, growing job market and more importantly, do work that solves real-world problems from a human-centred perspective.
