Browse Skills design management

design management

🔄 Evolving ESCO reuse: sector-specific

The way in which design principles are incorporated to help achieve business objectives, create products and services, obtain new customers, and support marketing activities.

design management — the way in which design principles are incorporated to help achieve business objectives, create products and services, obtain new customers, and support marketing activities. McKinsey's Skill Change Index places it in the evolving band (SCI 50.68/100) — the skill will still matter in 2030 but the nature of the work is changing. ESCO classifies it as a sector-specific (rooted in one industry) skill within knowledge. It is currently listed by 3 occupations in our catalogue, including industrial designer, product development manager, and research and development manager.

Category: knowledge › management and administration SCI: 50.68/100 Also known as: design management process

Occupations that require design management

Showing top 3 of 3 occupations · ranked by India employment volume, then AI-durability.

industrial designer · 🤖 5.0/10
product development manager · 🤖 5.0/10
research and development manager · 🤖 5.0/10

Frequently asked questions

What is design management?

The way in which design principles are incorporated to help achieve business objectives, create products and services, obtain new customers, and support marketing activities.

What category of skill is design management?

ESCO classifies design management under the knowledge category, specifically in the management and administration subcategory.

Is design management an AI-durable skill?

McKinsey's Skill Change Index places it in the evolving band (SCI 50.68/100) — the skill will still matter in 2030 but the nature of the work is changing. Continue investing, but pair it with the AI-tool workflow that is reshaping the field so you evolve with it.

Which jobs require design management?

In our catalogue, 3 occupations list design management as a required or important skill. The top occupations by employment volume include industrial designer, product development manager, research and development manager.

How transferable is design management between industries?

ESCO tags design management as a sector-specific (rooted in one industry) skill — a signal of how portable it is when you change field.

Is design management the same as design management process?

Yes — design management is also known as design management process. They refer to the same underlying capability in the ESCO taxonomy.

How can I learn design management?

The most reliable path is to pick a job or project that demands design management and learn through delivery. Complement that with role-specific roadmaps and short courses. Explore the occupations below to see where this skill is used in practice.

Data: ESCO v1.2.1 (CC-BY-4.0). Durability framework informed by McKinsey Global Institute (Nov 2025). See our methodology.